From my observations over the years, you simply can't pin the rut down to a single day. The whitetail "rut" is a drawn-out process with multiple phases. In my opinion the PEAK of the rut, where we hunters see the most action (bucks cruising at midday, bucks aggressively chasing does), is about a 2-3 week window. I personally think this usually kicks off right around October 31st, sometimes a little sooner, and lasts through about youth gun weekend. From what I've seen this year has matched this theory to a T. You just have to plant your ass in a treestand for as many hours as you possibly can inside that 3-week window. Timing your hunts with the weather (cold temps, high pressure, ideal wind, etc) is the best way to increase your odds.