JD nice pics.That is the smallest spike I have ever seen(horn wise)! Love that pic of the beavers handy work and the bow! JD, I swear if I didn't have bad luckI would have any[8D].

early in, can't help you with timeframe for your hunt. Like mentioned your outfitter would be the best source. I personally believe that rut happens around the same time every year, the only difference in seeing and not seeing this activity is in the weather! It is also my opinion "Rut" is feast or famine, so I don't let be the end all/be all to harvesting a whitetail buck. InsteadI look at ways to be more productive based on the cards I am dealt. In warm weather I get back into transition, preferably in some travel corridor near the bedding areas that leads to food. During the chase phase is where I have most of my success with rattling/calling mature bucks in and concentrate mid day hour doing so. Low lighttime is either spent on food sources orin staging area near them. I mentioned in a earlier post that Nov 15th is my most productive day, this just happens to be the hard chase phase more times then not where I hunt in the forest/forest fringe area. The 18-20 is usually when I see them paired in this area, to me that means rut bell has rung. Good luck, stop worrying about the rut, instead pray for - temperatures and white stuff...LOL

Here is a pic from the othermorning of a gaggle of yearling whitetails. This is just one group of them, unfortunately the zoomed out picture they look likedots but must have been 50 or more, as this pic I'm sure has around 20 of the little guys in it.Not 1 set of horns or a mature doeamong all those deer...little early for such a sighting!