Paul,

I've hunted near Blackwell before, and the ruts I've seen are right around Thanksgiving.  In my experience in WTX how bucks behave during the rut will depend on buck-doe ratios as well as rainfall.  Good buck-doe ratios, regardless of where you are, will help with how the bucks will behave during rattling.  That is, the lower the number of does to bucks the bucks will respond much better to rattling and will have a greater tendency to expose themselves.  Rainfall is kind of an odd duck, but it definately has an affect, because lack of rainfall/food sometimes throws the does off, and they can be receptive early or late.  Where we hunt south of San Angelo the rut is usually right after Thanksgiving, and last couple of years due to low rainfall some does were in the first week of the season. 

Hunting pressure is often the reason I've heard for going hunting early in the season.  It is true that relatively unpressured bucks may be more predictable, but the big boys usually aren't (again my opinion).  That said, the biggest mature buck I've ever taken was during the first week...and the other was rattled-in during the rut in early December.  In the end, there's no replacement for being in the right place at the right time.

Because there is always a degree of rut unpredictability (it can come late too) I'd go prepared to rattle, grunt, stalk, watch, whatever.  Once I got there I'd try to get to a place where I can watch the most activity: usually food sources and/or fields. and see what the deer are doing.  Then, adjust how and where I hunt based on their behavior.