1. Temps were HOT last year. I know for a fact that daytime temps were over the 45* mark every day when I was hunting during the end of October. That will definitely suppress deer movement, especially big bucks.

2. I personally believe the best time to see and kill bucks during the rut is the chasing phase, not the seeking phase. At least in the areas I hunt most of the seeking seems to be done at night. The chasing it what gets the big bucks off their feet during daylight hours, when they're hot on the trail of estrous does. That phase comes about 4-8 days after the rutting moon, which put it from about Oct 31-Nov 8 last year.

I think we're going to see a later rut this year with the way the moon falls, which means that the deer are going to get smashed during gun season. Although only time will tell, now won't it?