RE: Questions about the Rut
Consider the forum to be background reading, not source material for your paper. No self-respecting English teacher/professor would ever consider a posting on a web board to be a reliable source of information for a composition. An article from Huntingnet.com or another website perhaps, but not a web post. You should confirm that a web article is ok before you turn the paper in.
Call your local game office and set up an interview with a wildlife specialist or game warden. That would be impressive to an instructor.