http://www.tracker-outdoors.com/state_rut_dates.htm

When can you tell anyway? When the bucks are running around non-stop looking for tail?

"Weather can have an effect on the timing and intensity of the rut. Cold, cloudy weather can trigger an earlier rut with increased buck activity while warm weather can delay the rut and slow down buck movement. Low-light or less light conditions caused by the arrival of the fall season attributes greatly to the start of the rut. "