I shot a life's biggest deer on October 4 public land 4C so i don't have any personal experience after that day. I do think the rut was a few days later because of the heat. Mating was going on at night and at the edges of the day. In my yard today 11-17-2008 I had a 10 pointer and a small buck chasing 6 does around. I live in suburbia with 500 houses and these deer live in our yards and garden.

Saturday 11-15 was the same. Hard chasing and rutting going on.

Brother didn't get a shot, but saw a bunch of does on private land and had a big shooter chasing on 11-7-2008.

I think rifle season will be great this year.