how is this rise in temperature going to affect the rut?? the deer were really starting to rub and scrape. will the temperature slow down the rut?? the temperature is supposed to get back to normal next week which is suposed to be the rut date in delaware.[:-]

I can tell you an experience I had abour 3 years ago. I was scoutin and came upon a HOT scrape. it stunk of urine. it was 10:00 then, and I hurried to get my stand which was about 200 yds from the scrape. when I got within about 50 yds of the scrape, there stood a real nice 8pt headed for that scrape. he bolted when he saw me. if I had been a few minutes earlier, I' d have gotten a shot at that buck.
by the way, it was between 85-90 degrees and humid. that experience told me that the bucks will move pre rut, and the rut, no matter how hot the weather is.

I' m on vacation right now exclusively to hunt the rut. The warm weather has been here for several days (high 70' s to 80' s) with new record highs being forecast [:@] My sightings have gone to virtually nil and the scrapes which were opening up are now dried up and leaf covered. The weather might cool slightly around the middle of next week, but then the rain is supposed to start again for 3 straight days followed by the full moon!

I think the rut is gonna happen regardless of the weather. It is not triggered by the weather but by the amount of daylight each day. Now, granted in hot weather you' ll see less activity in the daytime since it' s hot. When it' s hot most activity is in the night when it is cooler.