Still finding fresh fresh rubs!! This common with elk in Feb!?!?!

[Backwoods]

Went shed hunting in a new location this weekend, came across tons of elk tracks, crap and fresh fresh rubs, shavings still on the snow slowly being blown away in the wind, and like every group of trees was rubbed right out!! Is this common in Feb?? Didn't find any sheds but great area to go back in a month!

[swampthing]

Yes its common. Elk hold their horns longer than anything else I believe.

[Backwoods]

Yes its common. Elk hold their horns longer than anything else I believe.
Yes, I know that they hold their head hear longer than other deer species, but didn't realize they still rub/ rake so intensely all the way into feb. the rut I see a lot of activity like this but first time I've seen this in February

[Backwoods]

All in all it was awesome to see abunch of elk sign in a new area!!!

[tyreguy]

Antlers close to dropping, they're trying to push them off - or maybe one had dropped already and he's trying to balance his head.

[wideopenthrottle]

are moose pretty well done..i have seen them dropping in feb in the past so I guess they are a little ahead of the elk?

[Backwoods]

are moose pretty well done..i have seen them dropping in feb in the past so I guess they are a little ahead of the elk?
I have always found the moose drop first, then Muley/Whities, and my fav the elk drop last!! Just from my past experience shed hunting, I wonder if this mild winter is results of them all Holden longer!?!

[Backwoods]

Antlers close to dropping, they're trying to push them off - or maybe one had dropped already and he's trying to balance his head.
yah totally!!! Hahaha every rub I seen I had to go check the base of the trees!!

[Ourea]

Young bulls, 1 and 2 yr olds, will rub as long as they have bone in their head.
Have watched spikes playfully spar and rub right into April.
Common juvenile elk behavior.

[BlacktailStalker]

I have always found the moose drop first, then Muley/Whities, and my fav the elk drop last!! Just from my past experience shed hunting, I wonder if this mild winter is results of them all Holden longer!?!

Not sure where you live but the biggest bulls dont drop til mid march, most of the younger bulls (small 6's and under) hold their tine til the first week of May. I know first hand because I follow the same bachelor groups year after year and pick up behind them. Its never varied. Some years I call it quits when the vegatation has started growing early, once the low bushes are in full foliage, its a waste of time for what you find. Pretty much need to step on them.
The antler growth never changes, weather has nothing to do with it. Bigger tine drops first, if you think about it, you cant grow 360" of tine in the same amount of time one can grow 280". A mature bull elk can grow as much as 4" per day they say in the prime of their antler growth.
Post a pic of your fresh rubs.

[wideopenthrottle]

good info...I have always just picked them up and left them by the roadsides or hanging in trees for others to find...maybe I will start to keep them

[Backwoods]

Young bulls, 1 and 2 yr olds, will rub as long as they have bone in their head.
Have watched spikes playfully spar and rub right into April.
Common juvenile elk behavior.
Very kool!!! Thanks for the input, more of an answer I was looking for!!!! Thanks Ourea!

[Backwoods]

Not sure where you live but the biggest bulls dont drop til mid march, most of the younger bulls (small 6's and under) hold their tine til the first week of May. I know first hand because I follow the same bachelor groups year after year and pick up behind them. Its never varied. Some years I call it quits when the vegatation has started growing early, once the low bushes are in full foliage, its a waste of time for what you find. Pretty much need to step on them.
The antler growth never changes, weather has nothing to do with it. Bigger tine drops first, if you think about it, you cant grow 360" of tine in the same amount of time one can grow 280". A mature bull elk can grow as much as 4" per day they say in the prime of their antler growth.
Post a pic of your fresh rubs.
Awesome thank you very much for your shared knowledge!!! Much appreciated, sorry don't have any pics, but also don't really post pics of new area that's a hot spot, too much time and money invested into scouting. Maybe once I have some fresh brown gold I'll post a pic!

[358mag]

Yes its common. Elk hold their horns longer than anything else I believe.
FYI Elk have antlers not horns .....just saying:redface::redface::redface:

[hunter1947]

Elk rubs are not not that uncommon to see at this time of the year I see them all the time out shed hunting my thoughts are why they rub the trees at this
time of the year is they try to see if they can cast there antlers off by testing out on trees the elk start the rut by the amount of daylight they see in a day
might be the same why they cast there antlers..

[elktracker1975]

IMO. They continue to rub after the rut to keep them brown. They'd get bleached out, white in no time from the sun and snow/ rain. I find sheds that have been dropped for a month or two and they're already getting bleached.

[BlacktailStalker]

Awesome thank you very much for your shared knowledge!!! Much appreciated, sorry don't have any pics, but also don't really post pics of new area that's a hot spot, too much time and money invested into scouting. Maybe once I have some fresh brown gold I'll post a pic!

lol was more steering towards let us see how 'fresh' the rub is. In cold temps rubs don't age much. Some of the rubs I've looked at in late November look the same today. Good luck !

[Backwoods]

Elk rubs are not not that uncommon to see at this time of the year I see them all the time out shed hunting my thoughts are why they rub the trees at this
time of the year is they try to see if they can cast there antlers off by testing out on trees the elk start the rut by the amount of daylight they see in a day
might be the same why they cast there antlers..
Awesome to hear!!! Thanks Wayne! Yah every group of raked trees I've been checking for sheds but nothing yet! I'll keep you posted

[Backwoods]

lol was more steering towards let us see how 'fresh' the rub is. In cold temps rubs don't age much. Some of the rubs I've looked at in late November look the same today. Good luck !
Hahaha yah i hear you! They deffinatly were fresh because of the shavings hanging in the trees and on top of the fresh snow fall we had the night before, also the winds picked up that afternoon the shaving were blowing away on top of the snow. But I'll keep you posted and see what I come across!!!

[Daybreak]

Can't help but think you may have come across groves that the elk have been stripping the bark for feed. While bark stripping is usually quite obvious, sometimes at a glance it appears much like rubs. The chances of many rubs in a small concentrated area in late Feb are less that the odds of finding stripped bark. What type of trees? Any pics?

[Backwoods]

Can't help but think you may have come across groves that the elk have been stripping the bark for feed. While bark stripping is usually quite obvious, sometimes at a glance it appears much like rubs. The chances of many rubs in a small concentrated area in late Feb are less that the odds of finding stripped bark. What type of trees? Any pics?
Don't have any pictures, I've seen elk eatting/ chewing on trees before, "aspen scars" but the height, and the way there was fresh shavings off the trees on the snow and trees broken n pushed over, just convinced me they were rubs, but I could be wrong, very good point also thanks !!!!!

[hunter1947]

I have a video of a 5x5 bull elk rubbing a tree last April its not uncommon to see fresh rubs from bull elk in the early spring..

[Daybreak]

Don't have any pictures, I've seen elk eatting/ chewing on trees before, "aspen scars" but the height, and the way there was fresh shavings off the trees on the snow and trees broken n pushed over, just convinced me they were rubs, but I could be wrong, very good point also thanks !!!!!

So it sounds like you've found spring rubs and yes they are not uncommon. Peeling bark is also common during the winter and early spring and usually found to be highly concentrated in an area. Once they have a taste for the bark they seem to go to town on it. I have found groves of Aspen where just about every other tree has been stripped for a fifty yard radius. Moose will do the same thing. Closer examination shows the indentations of the incisor teeth in the cambium. Next time you're out maybe snap a few pics.