I’d tell you that the reliable ol’ Versus weekly Rut Report is back just like it has always been, but that wouldn’t be truthful. It is back, but it’s different—in some ways new and improved.

First, it’s not on Versus.com or VersusCountry.com because neither of those sites exist anymore. Corporate mergers, buyouts, takeovers, partnerships—whatever you want to call it—have what we now know as Versus network changing its name about the first of the New Year to NBC Sports. Website changes were well ahead of the network name change, so you’ll find the 2011 edition of The Rut Report and all the other features, news and blogs that used to be on Versus.com now over at NBCsports.com.

I figure if you’re reading this blog, you’re mostly interested in the outdoor information over on the new NBCsports.com. I’ll make it easy for you to get there by just clicking here. To go in through the homepage of NBCsports.com, you have to want to find the outdoors stuff pretty bad; it’s a real hunt just to get there through a bunch of drop-down menus and tabs.

If you want to get directly to The Rut Report, then just click here.

The Rut Report takes a different angle this year as well. In the past it was written exclusively by Larry Weishuhn. Larry is the No. 1 guy I go to when I want information about what’s going on with deer anywhere in North America, but he’s only one guy. And he’s one guy who spends a lot of time in the woods himself, so he can’t always be up on the minute-to-minute pulse of the rut in every whitetail nook and cranny.

So, this year NBC Sports Outdoor Web Editor Brett Miller (no relation, thankfully) decided to call on hosts and contributors to all of the networks' respected hunting shows to contribute what they know and are seeing in their travels as the whitetail rut fires up, progresses and then fades into history. It’s a bunch of eyes and ears on the ground through virtually every minute of the hunting season. This ought to give you good information no matter what part of the country you’re planning to hunt.

I’m proud to say I’ll be contributing to the Rut Report on occasion, as will North American Hunter Senior Editor Luke Hartle, who’s handling more and more bowhunting responsibilities for "North American Hunter-TV" as well.

The Rut Report is updated each Thursday on NBCsports.com, so check it out if you have a mind to.