seasons of rubs
03-26-2008, 08:04 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Horse Country, VA
Posts: 937
seasons of rubs
I have been doing some scouting the past few days, since the weather has been nice. I was on a piece of land that I have only hunted last season. I went back to the areas that I had seen good signs and noticed that besides last years rubs, it was apparent that all around the most recent rubs were older scars where the rubs have been 2 years ago and older.
Is this a sign that the same buck is using this area to mark his territory year after year, or could it be from several bucks. This particular rub line is on a well used trail, and I had a visual several times last season of a nice 8 pt making some of these rubs.
The land Im hunting is a diamond in the rough. The owner never hunted it, at least for the last 9 years, and never gave permission to anyone to hunt it. Its likely that it holds alot of mature bucks, seeing that last season I took a 6 pointer out that had to be over 8 years old. He only had a few teeth left in his mouth, and just looking at him you could tell he was on his way out. It was a weird 6 pt with a right side 3pt, approximately 21" longand a left side spike with 2 drop tines off of it.
I havent invested in any cameras...yet, but it would help me understand if I could get some of your advice!
Is this a sign that the same buck is using this area to mark his territory year after year, or could it be from several bucks. This particular rub line is on a well used trail, and I had a visual several times last season of a nice 8 pt making some of these rubs.
The land Im hunting is a diamond in the rough. The owner never hunted it, at least for the last 9 years, and never gave permission to anyone to hunt it. Its likely that it holds alot of mature bucks, seeing that last season I took a 6 pointer out that had to be over 8 years old. He only had a few teeth left in his mouth, and just looking at him you could tell he was on his way out. It was a weird 6 pt with a right side 3pt, approximately 21" longand a left side spike with 2 drop tines off of it.
I havent invested in any cameras...yet, but it would help me understand if I could get some of your advice!
03-26-2008, 08:19 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 9,445
RE: seasons of rubs
Could be the same buck. About 10 years ago a buck started making rubs in a spot that I've never seen rubs before. He started out on a 3" Iron wood tree. The next year these tree's were a couple inches bigger and he hit another tree next to it. He did this for 5 years. Needless to say the last year he made a rub there the tree was about 10 inches in diameter. We never did see this particular buck. Just like that the next year there wasn't anymore rubs there. I know he died of old age. A buck hitting that big of tree's would of been talked about if he would of been shot. I'm 100% positive he was the only buck to hit these rubs in the same 15' area every year for 5 years. Each year the rubs were a little higher up on the tree and a little more deeper. He had to be a monster!!
03-26-2008, 11:50 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: naches, Washington
Posts: 445
RE: seasons of rubs
ORIGINAL: Schultzy
Could be the same buck. About 10 years ago a buck started making rubs in a spot that I've never seen rubs before. He started out on a 3" Iron wood tree. The next year these tree's were a couple inches bigger and he hit another tree next to it. He did this for 5 years. Needless to say the last year he made a rub there the tree was about 10 inches in diameter. We never did see this particular buck. Just like that the next year there wasn't anymore rubs there. I know he died of old age. A buck hitting that big of tree's would of been talked about if he would of been shot. I'm 100% positive he was the only buck to hit these rubs in the same 15' area every year for 5 years. Each year the rubs were a little higher up on the tree and a little more deeper. He had to be a monster!!
Could be the same buck. About 10 years ago a buck started making rubs in a spot that I've never seen rubs before. He started out on a 3" Iron wood tree. The next year these tree's were a couple inches bigger and he hit another tree next to it. He did this for 5 years. Needless to say the last year he made a rub there the tree was about 10 inches in diameter. We never did see this particular buck. Just like that the next year there wasn't anymore rubs there. I know he died of old age. A buck hitting that big of tree's would of been talked about if he would of been shot. I'm 100% positive he was the only buck to hit these rubs in the same 15' area every year for 5 years. Each year the rubs were a little higher up on the tree and a little more deeper. He had to be a monster!!
03-27-2008, 05:18 AM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: seasons of rubs
I'm skeptical (as far as it being the same buck in most instances). I watched 4 bucks work the same scrape one day......thinking I was sitting over a big boy scrape. The first was a little half-rack 4 pointer......the last was a BB.
I see scrape lines where I hunt that encompass 10 or more trees in a 100yd stretch. I wonder why the same buck would do this......but I don't "know". I didn't see any of them made.
I also don't hunt this type of sign. Personal preference.
I see scrape lines where I hunt that encompass 10 or more trees in a 100yd stretch. I wonder why the same buck would do this......but I don't "know". I didn't see any of them made.
I also don't hunt this type of sign. Personal preference.
03-27-2008, 05:55 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075
RE: seasons of rubs
It could be from either Hoyt. It could be from one buck or several.. you'll have to make that seperation based on the knowledge of where the rubs are and a relationship to bedding.
I've found that just rubs along a trail can usually mean 2 or more bucks hitting the trees. But when the rub-line is very near a buck bedroom its usually just that buck.
I had a situation a couple years ago (saw this for 2 consecutive years) where I was seeing alot of rubs being made while a buck was entering and exiting a bedding area. I knew based on the info. it was just one animal.. and by the rubs I knew he had really good antler width to him. I finally caught up to him the following year and on November 25th caught him walking his rub-line headed towards a preferred food source. He ended up sporting a 23" inside spread!
Rubs.. if read correctly can be great pieces of info. But I think they're often misunderstood too.
Inspect the rubs you are seeing thoroughly. You'll start to tell individual things about the buck who made them. Certain bucks will usually only rub certain tree species.. as the case with my 23" wide buck.. everytime he rubbed he would break all the little branches that were within a good 12+" of the tree he was rubbing. I knew he would have the spread and I knew which rubs were his.
I'm currently kinda hunting a buck where each time he rubs he brakes good sized branches on his left side.. everytime. I can spot his rubs a mile away.. and I'd really like to know why his antlers do this. I have a feeling their could be a droptine involved.
Pay attention to the details. A rub will tell you what you want to know.. if you look.
I've found that just rubs along a trail can usually mean 2 or more bucks hitting the trees. But when the rub-line is very near a buck bedroom its usually just that buck.
I had a situation a couple years ago (saw this for 2 consecutive years) where I was seeing alot of rubs being made while a buck was entering and exiting a bedding area. I knew based on the info. it was just one animal.. and by the rubs I knew he had really good antler width to him. I finally caught up to him the following year and on November 25th caught him walking his rub-line headed towards a preferred food source. He ended up sporting a 23" inside spread!
Rubs.. if read correctly can be great pieces of info. But I think they're often misunderstood too.
Inspect the rubs you are seeing thoroughly. You'll start to tell individual things about the buck who made them. Certain bucks will usually only rub certain tree species.. as the case with my 23" wide buck.. everytime he rubbed he would break all the little branches that were within a good 12+" of the tree he was rubbing. I knew he would have the spread and I knew which rubs were his.
I'm currently kinda hunting a buck where each time he rubs he brakes good sized branches on his left side.. everytime. I can spot his rubs a mile away.. and I'd really like to know why his antlers do this. I have a feeling their could be a droptine involved.
Pay attention to the details. A rub will tell you what you want to know.. if you look.
