Ben, we are always in the woods no matter the moon or weather from the 5th-15th The pre-rut is what I want,. Chasing, searching, running scrapes which is what I like to hunt the most during this period and funnels or pinch points between bedding areas of the does. Staging areas are good to but there usually loaded up with scrapes.
When the actual breeding starts everything seems to slow way down, does are hiding anywhere they can, the big boys always have a doe locked down waiting for her to come in and won't let her move much. Only thing running around are the young bucks fun to watch them though. I'm not a fan of the actual rut!
Tracy