When I say the rut is on is when I see bucks chasing does and or does standing for bucks. Our rut hovers right around Nov. 10th give or take depending on conditions. I have always been firm believer in photoperiodism as the primary rut trigger. However, what I witnessed last year changed my thinking. I now believe there are multiple triggers. What I wound up seeing was a small amount of rut activity during the normal time. The rut normally corresponds to our shotgun season so there is normally a great deal of input with which to guage the amount of rut activity going on in the woods. Well this year was unseasonably warm and there was very very little rut activity. However, I, as well as others, saw a great amount of rut activity the from Nov. 27th - Dec. 2nd, which is way late for use. I realize that some does were bred in early Nov. however the "peek" of the rutting activity was 2 -3 weeks later than normal. I talk to several people on a daily basis during hunting season to discuss deer movement, several of which are fire fighters that hunt so much it would get most of us divorced. So basically I was either in the woods or talking to people that were, everyday of the season and those were my observations from last year. The warm weather seemed to play a huge role in the timing of our rut which is almost always in the second week of Nov. I think the moon plays a role but I am certainly not going to not hunt because the moon cycle is wrong. Now I may plan my trip to go somewhere during a favorable moon cycle, but I am certainly not going to set home. Just my observations