It starts very early here. I hunt mostly in Beaufort County South Carolina, and I've seen bucks chasing consistently in the last week of September. So the rut is rocking right now, and I threw my back out last week, so I won't be back in the woods until next week. I've seen4 nice bucks already, one of which I was fortunate enough to take, so I'll be mighty choosy before I take another one this year, time to focus on the does.