you will probably get many different responses to this
there is a general window that you will normally seem published in various magazines for the Northeast ( I have mags but not handy to go look it up)
here is what I have written down from some of the things I' ve read:
rut activities begins to escalate on/around Nov. 1st (maybe " begins" during the prior weeK); it tapers off/" ends" after ~2 weeks
I also read somewhere that the serious rut starts after the 2nd full moon after sept 21, but that doesn' y seem to jive?????
one thing I pay attention to is dead deer on road sides - that indicates an increase in deer movement and that correlates to rut activity
I would suggest you get a few hunting magazines - they will have articles on many aspects of the rut and hunting it (bowhuning magazines and NY Game and Fish come to mind)
hope this helps somewhat