TOPGUN, yes I meant to say respectfully. You have to keep in mind I was raised and educated in Wyoming.
I did understand the questions ask. And from my experience bucks begin the rutting riual in August and like I said it continues into late Oct. With that said, the later in August and into Sept it gets, the rut keeps getting more intense as the days pass. One can see bucks sparring with other bucks in early Sept, even late August, but the real fights get much more intense after or around Sept. 20th and into the first few days of Oct.
Chasing does and bucks happen during all of Sept, but from my experience, bucks chasing bucks, happens more often after Sept 20th and during the time frame, of the heat of the rut, more often and with more intensity, than it does prior to that time, although I understand bucks run does and other bucks from early in Sept.
I say the guy lost the bet from what I see year after yaar. That is all I am saying. But to each his own.
Have a good one. BB
So I respectfully disagree with your position, although I acknowledge bucks chase other bucks earlier in the rut, but not as often and not with the intensity one sees during the heat of the rut, which like I said happens within a few colander days year after year. The heat of the rut is not o n a sliding scale, as someone above seemed to indicate.
Here's a photo of a buck whose photo I took on Sept. 25, 2010. I watched this buck fight another buck and chase off several other bucks and come back and breed the doe of whichhe is on top.
