Buck rubs

[Bowguy 1]

Do you all think you can determine travel routes by the side of the tree a rub faces?

I personally have watched more bucks pull the trees w backside of horns than push.

I have seen button bucks rub toward trees as they have no horn yet.

The old conception is rubs are where deer come from. I've seen them do both n it may be the size of rack, or the size of tree

[grampy]

Buck rubs pretty much just tell me a buck has been in that area.

[Bowguy 1]

Buck rubs pretty much just tell me a buck has been in that area.

Agreed

[Lawdwaz]

Never heard that theory..........

[BizCT]

Whenever I see them in a bunched they are all on the same side of tree in a line

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bowguy 1]

Whenever I see them in a bunched they are all on the same side of tree in a line

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have you ever seen any rub? Not saying you havent just didn't get post. Watch typical baskets they commonly rub back wards

Edited July 12, 2016 by Bowguy 1

[BizCT]

Have you ever seen any rub? Not saying you havent just didn't get post. Watch typical baskets they commonly rub back wards

I'm not talking about watching live. I'm just saying when I see them in a row they are always on the same side in a row.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sbuff]

You can't possibly tell the direction /travel route based on which side the rub is on

[DirtTime]

I have seen rubs in clusters, can't recall seeing them in a line before ( not saying it doesn't happen ). I usually find a scrape or two near most rubs by having boots on the ground and looking. Not all rubs are made just to remove the 'velvet'. Some can be made to mark territory like a scrape. That's not a fact, just something I have noticed and read about.

 

[Rockspek]

I'm pretty new to this but if i see a line of them, the most aggressive rubs seem to be on the same side of the line.  I have had some cases where there are just so many bucks that they don't care what side they scrape.  i'll try to post some picks of this later.

[ATbuckhunter]

If i see a line of them then they can tell you which way they usually travel that path and you can use that to find if he passes through in the morning or afternoon

[Buckmaster7600]

You can't possibly tell the direction /travel route based on which side the rub is on

Having tracked many mature deer in snow I will say that most of them will rub the front of a tree. I don't think I have ever tracked a mature buck that rubbed the back side of a tree.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bowguy 1]

Having tracked many mature deer in snow I will say that most of them will rub the front of a tree. I don't think I have ever tracked a mature buck that rubbed the back side of a tree.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mature deer do seem to run most pushing

[Bowguy 1]

I have seen rubs in clusters, can't recall seeing them in a line before ( not saying it doesn't happen ). I usually find a scrape or two near most rubs by having boots on the ground and looking. Not all rubs are made just to remove the 'velvet'. Some can be made to mark territory like a scrape. That's not a fact, just something I have noticed and read about.

Rob prob most often deer rub in lines. Great way to tell their routes but they don't do it all once. Each time they pass the add one or two. A cluster can mean different bucks are coming through. Look for the line of rubs, scan out a bit, you'll see it. Than Id follow it n try to find an intersection where multiple lines crossed. If that worked Id comsider sitting there

[Doc]

Isn't it amazing how much we study whitetail habits and how little we really know about them? Of course if you count how much we THINK we know, then maybe whitetail hunting should be considered a guaranteed activity ..... lol.

[hunterman7956]

4) The Side Of The Tree
Take heed what side of the tree the rub is on. Rubs generally point in the direction a buck came from when he made it. Remember this the next time you come across a series of rubs. Most times, all of them face the same direction. Many rubs (but certainly not all) are made at night. Because we know this, we can observe what side of the tree the rub is on and have a general idea which direction that buck is bedding.

[Bowguy 1]

Hunterman have you watched bucks of all sizes rub? They rub both by pulling which is often a basket rack n a sapling. Big bucks n big trees normally pushed

[hunterman7956]

I have used rub lines to kill a few bucks and followed the line right up the mountain and waited for the  bucks to come up.From my observations cluster rubs are usually a staging area for them as they wait to enter another area at dark. The first post was from Outdoor life magazine about rubs.This is from another article

A tree that has been shredded by antlers is the most obvious sign that a whitetail buck has been in an area. But with some knowledge of whitetail deer behavior and a little scouting, a whitetail deer rub can tell you a lot more. You can determine when the whitetail buck rub was made, what the deer was doing when he made it, the direction the whitetail buck is traveling, and the buck's probable age. Buck rubs may be the best type of whitetail deer sign in determining where your next trophy whitetail deer is laid up.
Early Season Rubs
Mature whitetail bucks make two distinct types of rubs. One type of whitetail deer rub is the early-season rub. These whitetail buck rubs are in correspond to late-summer feeding patterns. To unravel a whitetail buck's routine as he progresses through the season, you must understand the difference types of rubs a whitetail buck makes.
Early season whitetail deer rubs are produced for several reasons. Scraping antlers on trees builds up neck and shoulder muscles. This is done so whitetail bucks will be muscled up and ready to fight when the rut rolls around. It allows whitetail bucks to release aggression caused by rising testosterone levels throughout the whitetail deer season. Markings designate a whitetail buck's territory, both visually and by scent deposited from the forehead glands. Other whitetail bucks may rub the same tree, adding their signature smells.
Mature whitetail bucks make their initial rubs in September and early October on stout trees, usually 2 to 4 inches in diameter (see sidebar). These mark a buck's primary home range. Clusters and lines of them usually indicate that they were created either as the whitetail buck traveled from food sources to thick bedding cover at dawn or on his way back to feed in the late afternoon. Hunting these spots may be your best chance to take a mature animal before the rut.

[hunterman7956]

I have used rub lines to kill a few bucks and followed the line right up the mountain and waited for the  bucks to come up.From my observations cluster rubs are usually a staging area for them as they wait to enter another area at dark. The first post was from Outdoor life magazine about rubs.This is from another article

A tree that has been shredded by antlers is the most obvious sign that a whitetail buck has been in an area. But with some knowledge of whitetail deer behavior and a little scouting, a whitetail deer rub can tell you a lot more. You can determine when the whitetail buck rub was made, what the deer was doing when he made it, the direction the whitetail buck is traveling, and the buck's probable age. Buck rubs may be the best type of whitetail deer sign in determining where your next trophy whitetail deer is laid up.
Early Season Rubs
Mature whitetail bucks make two distinct types of rubs. One type of whitetail deer rub is the early-season rub. These whitetail buck rubs are in correspond to late-summer feeding patterns. To unravel a whitetail buck's routine as he progresses through the season, you must understand the difference types of rubs a whitetail buck makes.
Early season whitetail deer rubs are produced for several reasons. Scraping antlers on trees builds up neck and shoulder muscles. This is done so whitetail bucks will be muscled up and ready to fight when the rut rolls around. It allows whitetail bucks to release aggression caused by rising testosterone levels throughout the whitetail deer season. Markings designate a whitetail buck's territory, both visually and by scent deposited from the forehead glands. Other whitetail bucks may rub the same tree, adding their signature smells.
Mature whitetail bucks make their initial rubs in September and early October on stout trees, usually 2 to 4 inches in diameter (see sidebar). These mark a buck's primary home range. Clusters and lines of them usually indicate that they were created either as the whitetail buck traveled from food sources to thick bedding cover at dawn or on his way back to feed in the late afternoon. Hunting these spots may be your best chance to take a mature animal before the rut.

[Bowguy 1]

Are you reading articles or first hand observing? By no means discounting your post but I've seen this for over 35 years. Doesn't mean I'm right but it's pretty common when I'm in the woods in NJ, Pa, NY, Va, Illinois.

[hunterman7956]

did you read the first lines of my post ?  first hand knowledge over 50 years hunting deer I posted the articles  from different writers to explain it better .Not looking to argue just stating facts as I know them...

[Bowguy 1]

Time is relative bud. I know a guy hunted 47 years n killed 1 deer so time alone can give different people results. If you've been active Id find it pretty odd you've never seen this behavior as its common. Many guys shoot the first deer they see n hence can't evaluate behavior completely. Not saying its you. Remember too we see more rubbing bow season since they're acting more natural than gun season so that's when normal behavior is in pla

[Bowguy 1]

you can see sapling being pulled up n back. Notice direction of sapling top

Edited July 16, 2016 by Bowguy 1

[Bowguy 1]

Horn back getting ready to pull the sapling up n back. Notice head position. Can't push that way

Edited July 16, 2016 by Bowguy 1

[NFA-ADK]

I think you are both right.  When bucks rub saplings they tend to get those antlers twisted up into the stems and like to rip the hell out of them, this can cause both sides of the rub area to get torn up.  This is typical early season when velvet removal is the primary goal along with frustration release.  Antler shape will make a difference as will the bucks attitude at the time and personal preference on the type of tree that is rubbed.

 

Some bucks like small saplings that get tangled into the antlers, other only rub small trees 1-4 inches this can be any age group.  I find a tree larger than 6-10 inches and my heart starts to race, above 12 inches and I am going after that deer.  Large bucks do rub saplings and small trees but I rarely see small bucks rub large trees and when they do they tend to only because a larger buck did it previously like at sign posts.  Smaller bucks do much less damage than a mature buck and tend to stick to smaller trees and saplings.  Mature bucks rub more than younger deer. 1-2 years old.

 

Rub lines are great to determine travel direction, bedding or staging area's and possible food sources.  Sometimes you can determine size if the rub is right.  Larger deer tend to have rubs higher up on trees and will rub larger diameter trees than small bucks they can rub low but a small deer can't rub as high.

 

Sign posts are a good indication of multiple deer and a good spot to scout for a mature deer.  While this is a good place to hunt during pre-rut the rut time is better to key in on doe.  Larger bucks tend to avoid narrow trees they can not get their antlers around when traveling, they can leave scrape marks on the ground when rubbing low and tend to rub larger trees than smaller deer are capable.  They also have more frustration and anger and larger necks so the trees they damage are usually torn up with bark removed completely on one side.

 

Each deer just like people are different so these are general guild lines.  Some bucks have antlers that are not capable of rubbing large trees due to shape and other just prefer to beat up small trees and saplings regardless of how old they get.  Most of this info is from experience and knowledge learned from reading.

 

One thing is for sure, we are fascinated by the antlers and the rubs made by them.  We are not really hunting deer, we are just preserving the forest from these horrible creatures who kill saplings and trees just to sharpen their antlers.  O and they eat all that poor vegetation!  Don't worry Vegans we will take care of this issue as best we can!  Anything to help out!