RE: rut activity in MD!
I was out in Washington County last Friday and Saturday for October muzzleloader and I had a five point showing some strong interest in a doe. She wasn't annoyed at his attention at all, and actually followed him as much as he followed her. I hit the grunt tube and brought him into 20 yards from my stand, where he made a scrape to vent his frustration. [&:]
I didn't see any other scrapes though, and no rubs either. The rut is beginning there, but there's still at least a couple of weeks to go before it really gets going.