Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    6,032

    Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Sooo as usual I got off work Friday and hit the highway, woke up in the jeep this morning ready to go.

    Last weekend I pulled out the blind because I figured it could dump snow any day now. I figured I would still-hunt and maybe have a little fun with that cougar that's been hanging around.

    I crept into where my blind "was" in one of my favorite little cluster of fir and had a sit for about 20 mins, then did a doe grunt and waited another 20, can-call, waited about a half hour and nothing. Started still-hunting and noticed a couple fresh looking rubs about 30 yards away. Definitely made sometime in the last week, but I'd guess the last couple days. Took some video and moved along.

    20 mins and 50-75 yards later... time for some fun. I gave the deer-stopper a rip... fawn distress noise. Maybe a doe will come in with a buck running behind, but this has never happened for me... I kind of have the cat in mind LOL. I hang out for a while and then start creeping along at a snails pace.

    The wind has been perfect the whole time. Wind in my face and my plan is to circle back on my own tracks to see if I can exploit the cougars curiosity and bust it following me (I'm quite certain that I have been providing that cat comedy hour for a while now) I still have no idea if I'm interested in hunting it, but it would feel like a win if I could sneak up on it.

    I meet back up with my tracks and follow them back to where the blind was in the fir cluster. Guess what? TWO NEW RUBS (literally right where my blind was, in fact one of the rubs is a sapling the blind was tied to... you can see where the blind was due to the lack of brown pine needles) right by where I was sitting, maybe 1.5 -2 hours ago.

    Well that's frustrating. I spent the rest of the day still hunting to no avail. Actually threw in the towel and drove home tonight. Normally I hunt a couple hours Sunday morning before I head home, but being pretty frustrated and haven't had a chance to sleep in at home in over 6 weeks, figure some rest would be nice, think I've had a touch of pneumonia off and on a few weeks and need to kick it.

    So here's a video of the rubs. All of these rubs are within 40 yards of each other. Do bucks actually hang close to rubs, or do they go on and do this kind of stuff over the course of several miles? I know there's been a few bucks around lately and I'm seeing lots of fresh poops, but wondering if it's mostly deer passing through. There's does around, but they come and go... like weekly visits it seems. I want to put GPS collars on all of them to find out where they are spending the rest of there time. Tons of beds around here too, but I am just not sure it's a "primary" stop I should be spending / wasting my time. Advice please!


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YVkXK9m0Kc
    Last edited by caddisguy; 11-23-2019 at 11:09 PM.

  2. Site Sponsor

  3. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    1,576

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Would say you're not wasting your time if you have lots of sign in the area. Have had smaller bucks come into the can call and start rubbing so may be the calling that brought one in for the new rubs. Never had a big buck come to a call but that,s probably just me. I like to see rubs as it means there has been bucks around but in my experience doesn't mean they still are or that they will come back. This time of year they are looking for or following a hot doe and that gets them moving.More than rubs or anything else I like to see does in an area.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    6,032

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Keta1969 View Post
    Would say you're not wasting your time if you have lots of sign in the area. Have had smaller bucks come into the can call and start rubbing so may be the calling that brought one in for the new rubs. Never had a big buck come to a call but that,s probably just me. I like to see rubs as it means there has been bucks around but in my experience doesn't mean they still are or that they will come back. This time of year they are looking for or following a hot doe and that gets them moving.More than rubs or anything else I like to see does in an area.
    I'm not seeing the does often as I would like. The only ones I keep bumping into are WT does... that's another problem I'm having, about 6 whitetails in my BT spot.

    Anyway I'll see does on the trailcam once or twice a week and the odd solo buck once or twice a week as well. Bucks always around 2-3am and does are 50/50 (sometimes middle of the night and sometimes day)

    I'm not sure what to do. I feel like I'm "close" to keying in on something, but still have to find out where the does spend more of their time. This valley I hunt is a tough one. I think I've only ever seen one deer in the fall driving in / out in the dark. Lots on trailcams though. They're around, but secretive for sure. Just trying to figure out how this pocket of deer works... where they go when they aren't where I want them to be

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    BC
    Posts
    2,291

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Have seen that many times...classic baiting technique. Not actually rubs at all. That wily old cat snuck in and chewed up the bushes by your blind to try trick you into sticking around until after dark. They frequently do that....then they sneak in thru the back door when least expecting it. Lucky you made it outta there!!
    Last edited by northof49; 11-24-2019 at 09:31 AM.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    8,515

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by northof49 View Post
    Have seen that many times...classic baiting technique. Not actually rubs at all. That wily old cat snuck in and chewed up the bushes by your blind to try trick you into sticking around until after dark. They frequently do that....then they sneak in thru the back door when least expecting it. Lucky you made it outta there!!
    .………………………………………….

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    8,515

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    I wish I could tell you something that would help, but BT aren't my thing.
    If it was MD, I would say somewhere, meaning several clicks in a circle you most definitely have a buck around and will be, if there are
    does near by.
    At least for a few days to a week, sticking in that area, chasing does, looking for ones close to being in heat.
    Then, once done, off to another area with does.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    1,576

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    . where they go when they aren't where I want them to be

    Well when you get that figured out let me know. I don't know how whitetail does and blacktail does interact. Don't have that problem on the island. The cougar will move them around but not as much as you would think. The cat is a good indicator that there are deer around. Look for travel corridors or spots where trails cross and fresh doe sign,tracks or blood in urine if there is snow around. Use your nose, lots of times you'll smell a buck before you see him in thicker stuff. You've probably have noticed Blacktails love cover, they'll travel a long ways out of their way to stay in cover so watch for trails coming out of cover into small openings.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    6,032

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by northof49 View Post
    Have seen that many times...classic baiting technique. Not actually rubs at all. That wily old cat snuck in and chewed up the bushes by your blind to try trick you into sticking around until after dark. They frequently do that....then they sneak in thru the back door when least expecting it. Lucky you made it outta there!!
    LOL. Pure gold!! I figure if that cat wanted to eat me he would have done so long ago. I get the pass on the notion being a crappy hunter might be contagious... "ew, not eating that thing.... something aint right with it"

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    197

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    Happened to me with a BT. First deer trip ever, out with the bow in some random mountain. Had a snow dump. Let the can call out a couple times and went by 20 minutes later and there were deer racks following my tracks.

    Before that I messed up on a shot from a spiker.

    Day after leaving the mountains went into some tight area with a bunch of sign, let the can rip and had a buck charge in but I was new and moved to fast to get ready.

    Never had as much luck with the can call as I did the first 4 days of my hunting career. I thought deer hunting was going to be easy after that weekend haha... But just had beginners luck maybe?

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    region 9
    Posts
    11,531

    Re: Can't make this stuff up... story, rubs... advice?

    I don't hunt blacktails but it sounds to me like your on the right track, some more time in and you may have success..

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •