Im in Maryland, see post above. Its way earlier than normal before Ive ever seen any rutting activity. Like I said, maybe the passing front last night got em all fired up, dont really know. Was cool to watch either way, tonight Ill have my camera with me in case they start hooking horns again I'll get a few pics for the non believers.

I too have seen bucks and I mean wall hangers, tickling horns, sparring. I don't know if I attribute this to pre-rut as much as I do the bucks saying "Hey man,my Horns are hard now, lemme see if i can push you around"

It's kinda like the press conference before the fight..someones gonna talk trash and try to intimidate the other, so when the battle rages they have an edge.

Those are young deer, happens all the time here on my farm. Always get some sparing and scrapes. Until the big boys come out(3 year old and up bucks) that is when the Pre rut/rut starts.

I watched 12 deer last night. Two nice 8's two small forks, the rest does and fawns. The two eight's where just walking and feeding together just like in the normal bachelor group. One of the forks was feeding with does and fawns. None of these deer showed any pre rut activity. It's supposed to cool down good overnight tonight. There should be allot deer of activity tonight!Can't wait!!!!!

I didn't think Neillsville was that far away from Wausau, but I saw two bucks not just sparring, but throwing each other around last night. Was happening not far from the classic ground scrape below tree branches. I'm with the "it's starting" crew on this one.

I live in central MN and yes they are scraping and rubbing. My cousin hunts the land adjacent from me and he has heard sparing also, hasnt seen it but heard it.

Sparring and rubbing doe snot constitute the pre-rut. It is just normal behavior as batchelor groups disperse and territories are defined. Your pre rut will not really start for a month or so.

We will be in the full blown rut by halloween bud!!!!! our secord rut is during thanksgiving usually.

The rut, to me and most, is the actual time that does are bread. The chasing, fighting, etc seen each fall is considered pre rut.

i got til the end of november here in PA til they r hot