Rub (need advice)

[the blur]

I came across a nice rub.  I should post a picture.  It was fresh, and dug into the tree pretty good.  It was the only rub in the area. 

Do bucks come back to their rub ?

How should I have have hunted that area ?

Should I have gone a 100' away and rattled ?

or doe bleats from the can ?

Will he come back next season ?

It was on a walking trail on state land, I was surprised to see it there.  Dog scat all over too.

[Daveboone]

This time of year I doubt you would get any response from rattling- the rut is well come and gone. Bucks are a creature of habit though, and may still be in the area. This late in the season luck is certainly in his favor to make it the few days left of the season and keep growing for next year. If you can get some fresh snow to center him with, It wouldnt hurt to try to get a stand up and try for him. There arent any deer inside the house.

[arrow nocker]

I didn't think they were still rubbing on trees now.Seen some before that seemed really late season but couldn't really tell how old they were.Interesting.How late do they rub on trees till?Is it just a chase phase thing only.Is it possible they might be feeling somewhat aggressive if there is a couple late season does in estrus and rub on some trees.

Rattling would probably only scare any bucks away this time of year.A bleat can might be productive if used right.If not they might be able to tell it isn't a real deer and you will never even know if  there was any deer in the area.This time of year they are feeding and yarding up.i am not a pro but i think the best tactic for my self is hunting the trails from bedding to feeding and just being as quiet and invisible as possable.

hell i am just learning too tho.I tried all kinds of grunting and bleating this time of year and saw nothing.I stayed quiet and saw deer.Coincidence?Maybe.

If he is still alive he will be back.Or atleast near by.He will be hitting the same scrapes from the last year in oct and nov.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Sunday night a buddy of mine watch two of the bucks we have been trying for in a cut bean field all by themselves. feeding and then they would take a break and light spare with each other. No does around that he could see. so don't rule out rattling.

a bleat might work al well. I can tell you that the 9 I shot on Saturday was hot on 3 does and I think the small 8 that was closer to me was trailing the does on their down wind side because the big guy was with them. I really believe the second rut is still going and might try both tactics this weekend if it is slow.

[the blur]

I saw that rub this past Sat, last weekend of rifle.

It was definately fresh.  and it wasn't there the weekend before.  I would have noticed it.

it was right on the trail walking in.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I saw that rub this past Sat, last weekend of rifle.

It was definately fresh.  and it wasn't there the weekend before.  I would have noticed it.

it was right on the trail walking in.

I saw some fairly fresh ones too that I hadn't seen before.  I think the guys suggestions here are good. Try to get between feed and bedding. if there is a hot doe still there she may drag him along. I really think the bigger bucks are more vulnerable in the 2nd rut. fewer hot does and if they want to find one they have to spend more time on their feet. Best bet I think is find the does

[Doc]

I have seen fresh rubs late in the season before, with shreds of bark laying on top of the snow along with the tracks. So it doesn't surprise me that others have seen the same thing. However, the only exciting thing about that is that it's kind of an indicator that a buck made it that far into the season and might still be around. A rub does not mean that that buck will ever return. As I have seen it explained in magazine articles and a couple of TV programs, and verified with personal observation, A rub can sometimes tell you some things about a deer's size, possibly the direction it might have been heading, and very little else. What you do know is that a buck has been there but there is no indication he'll ever be there again.

[nyantler]

Deer normally make rubs along trails that they take on a regular basis.. if you have ever tracked a buck wounded or not wounded you will notice that along the route that he takes there will be rubs.. telling you that when he is moving through the woods he knows exactly where he wants to go.

[sodfather]

Deer normally make rubs along trails that they take on a regular basis.. if you have ever tracked a buck wounded or not wounded you will notice that along the route that he takes there will be rubs.. telling you that when he is moving through the woods he knows exactly where he wants to go.

That is funny cause its true and is something I learned this year, great observation.

[Geno C]

I have seen fresh rubs late in the season before, with shreds of bark laying on top of the snow along with the tracks. So it doesn't surprise me that others have seen the same thing. However, the only exciting thing about that is that it's kind of an indicator that a buck made it that far into the season and might still be around. A rub does not mean that that buck will ever return. As I have seen it explained in magazine articles and a couple of TV programs, and verified with personal observation, A rub can sometimes tell you some things about a deer's size, possibly the direction it might have been heading, and very little else. What you do know is that a buck has been there but there is no indication he'll ever be there again.

ive read this to somewhere and also heard of some pros mentioning this topic on tv as well... I dont know how successful it would be to hunt near that fresh rub, as you dont really know if you can expect the outcome you are hoping for. However you can count on that buck has made it through the season so far and may have returned to his area he happens to reside or it can be a irregular rub inwhich case a buck passing through made have made a rub which is common late season and has moved on. eitherway you know a buck has made its presence known...

[Brushbuster]

you might want to figure which end of the rubline is the feeding and party area and which is the bedding area and sit downwind towards the bedding side of the rubline.

[nyantler]

You will know if you see bedding area rubs.. especially with a big buck. A big buck will literally tear up the trees in the area. I have walked into swamps and have seen 15-20 rubs all in a 50ft by 50ft area. The rubs were so pronounced you could see them from a distance.

Rub lines are just that, a line of rubs. Kinda cool to see.. rubs one right after another in a straight line.. again even more impressive with a big buck. The rub line can be seen from quite a distance on trees 3-4 inches in diameter. Unless they are cedar trees which can be 8-10 inches in diameter.

[arrow nocker]

the fun part is following a rub line in june or july when scouting new woods.

[Bleitten04]

I noticed a few new rubs today while out hunting.  I've never seen fresh rubs this late and it kind of took me by surprise.  They were nothing special but were def. fresh which was cool I thought. 

[nyantler]

I killed a nice 8-point last year on Dec 10th in the snow. while I was tracking him he made a rub, fresh shavings were on top of the snow... Latest I have seen a buck rub as well. Whats even funnier is that his right antler fell off when he hit the ground after I shot him. he had a bad wound on his left side. why he would rub a tree with one of his antlers loose is beyond me. Unless it was bugging him. Just when you think you know a lot about whitetails they go and add something new to the pile!