Correct me if I am wrong, but pretty sure it's just a pipe dream this time of the season to think the rut is near.

A few playing around is just typical really..   What I have experienced is the mature animals will actually separate from their summer / early fall patterns and let the boys be boys...

Pretty sure light and lunar have the biggest effect on does and estrus.. 

Good luck all...

That's what I'm hearing though the lunar schedule is predicting an early rut.

you hear nonsense like this every year.  weather, moonphase, temperature.....its all just what guys notice.  the rut is determined by the photoperiod.  end of story.  hours of daylight regulate breeding to ensure that the fawns hit the ground at the same time every year.  it has to be that way to ensure survival.  rut too early and the fawns are born too early and they will die in the cold of late spring.  too late and they will be too small going into the following winter.  nature has got it figured out, and it has been the same forever.

for all the bunk you hear about a cold snap turning on the rut.....its BS.  what you see is increased daytime movement as the animals must eat and move more just to regulate body temps.  when the does move more, you see the bucks following more.  when it swarm in november, they are still doing their thing, but daytime movement is less.