Rob--agreed. I would say the same thing if I was reading this and not seeing the same stuff around my place.

However, around here, we usually don't see much in the way of rubs until mid-Oct. Scrapes start showing up in late Oct when bucks are chasing and scent checking does more. Grunting is early Nov. This year, I'm seeing all of this BIG TIME right now. Today alone, I saw over 100 fresh rubs--some on 5"+ trees. The trees were shredded with some broken off. Scrapes are quite as prevalent yet, but they were there. This is the earliest I've heard a buck grunting too.

The rut will most likely take place at or near the usual time, but it may be more intense this year. I certainly hope so -- I've got my vacation scheduled for that time!