Rubs and Scrape Lines and Travel Routes
11-22-2011, 08:37 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 362
Rubs and Scrape Lines and Travel Routes
After hunting this morning I decided to take a look around since it is raining and will be raining for the next two days. I stumble on a well traveled rub line. Until today I had seen a scrape or two and one giant rub. The line I found was right between two of my favorite spots. About 100 yards from each of them. I would not be able to cover it from either of them. However, last week in the evening I had a nice buck walk right under one of my favorite evening spots but my muzzleloader misfired. My question is: Will this buck continue to cruise this travel route? Do they stick to that much of a pattern? I believe the rut here in Tennessee has been over for a few days. So I am a day late and dollar short on that. I found a nice spot regardless and going to hunt it next time the wind is right but I just wanted to get some of your input. Thanks.
11-23-2011, 06:28 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 362
I guess what I am asking is if I can assume that travel route I found was possibly his normal one. It was very secluded and opened up at two locations. It edged between a body of water and thick cedars and brush.
11-23-2011, 10:12 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 3,116
11-23-2011, 10:41 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,925
I can only speak for around here but right now rubs and scrapes dont mean much.The ruts still going here but startin to slow down.The food sources these bucks were using before they started breeding have changed.The foilage has dissapeared, and the weather is changing along with an increase in hunting pressure over the last month.The does and smaller bucks are bunching up and staying closer to food sources and the bigger bucks are soon gonna be holed up recovering from the rut if they havent given up already.
Places I wasnt seeing anything 2 weeks ago are suddenly full of deer and my best stands are producing fewer sightings all the time.Add in the fact that a lotta the deer I was seeing have been killed, run out of the area, or are miles away chasing does, plus gun season starts again a couple weeks and I wont have any deer with what you would call a predictable travel route till the end of next month after the snow flies and the fair weather hunters have tagged out or given it up for the year.
That also should be about the time all the unbred does that are bunched up around food sources are coming back into heat and the bigger bucks will be rested up and feeling less pressured and will start cruising these areas at the begining and end of daylight shooting hours again.Bad part is it will be about 20 or 30 below zero and there will be 4 ft of snow to deal with making it much less comfortable for sitting long periods of time without moving.
Places I wasnt seeing anything 2 weeks ago are suddenly full of deer and my best stands are producing fewer sightings all the time.Add in the fact that a lotta the deer I was seeing have been killed, run out of the area, or are miles away chasing does, plus gun season starts again a couple weeks and I wont have any deer with what you would call a predictable travel route till the end of next month after the snow flies and the fair weather hunters have tagged out or given it up for the year.
That also should be about the time all the unbred does that are bunched up around food sources are coming back into heat and the bigger bucks will be rested up and feeling less pressured and will start cruising these areas at the begining and end of daylight shooting hours again.Bad part is it will be about 20 or 30 below zero and there will be 4 ft of snow to deal with making it much less comfortable for sitting long periods of time without moving.
