Mule deer rub question

[huntinnewbie]

Cut some fresh toe dragging prints in the snow this morning. Decided to follow tthem and they led to 3 different fresh rubs on small saplings. Question is did I contaminate the site by following his prints? Will he be back to check his line and if so how often? Thanks

[GoOutside]

He will be back

[quadrakid]

You don,t have to worry about contaminating the spot. Sounds like your in a good area,hunt her hard,good luck.

[two-feet]

First priority is play the wind

[Ferenc]

Rubs tell a story .... the rub was it on the high side or the low side of the tree on the slope ... with a little bit more investigating it will tell a story ... maybe when it was rubbed... morning /evening ..... : )

[Wild one]

First priority is play the wind

This and bring a doe bleat ^^^

odds are the buck will come back but it can take days

[338win mag]

Keep hanging around the area, as there is at least one buck hanging around,, downwind as always and maybe you will see him or another bigger buck, good luck and keep us posted.

[dana]

Mule deer do not make rub lines. They rub to work their neck muscles and to work themselves up for the rut. With prerut rubs like is happening right now, they rarely will revist them. Sometimes a mature buck will work the same big rub over multiple years during peak rut. And I have seen them pick on the same tree again during second rut. But hunting rub lines is for whitetails. That being said, the best place to kill a muley is where they live. And if you have fresh rubs there you know there is a buck currently living there. In a couple of weeks he could be miles from that spot but currently, he will be still in the general area.

[Wild one]

Well that might explain why it seemed like it often took longer for MD to revisit a scrape line. Good chance I was seeing a completely different buck then the one that left the scraps to start by the sounds of it

[dana]

Well that might explain why it seemed like it often took longer for MD to revisit a scrape line. Good chance I was seeing a completely different buck then the one that left the scraps to start by the sounds of it

Exactly! One buck smells the other buck and is pissed off and beats the same tree to vent. Hahaha! While sometimes it might appear like a line to your eye, you need to keep in mind muleys are the most random critters out there. They were just picking on those trees because they were there. Nothing more than that. But during peak rut, if you jump a buck, one of the best ways to stop him is to beat of a tree yourself. Either carry a shed antler or just whack a tree with your rifle. Both ways gets their attention and they will turn around with their ears pinned back ready to fight ya.

[Wild one]

Dana MD’s random nature is why I have never truly figured them out

WT and BT I find it way easier to exploit their habits lol

[zippermouth]

Its a muley, he may never be on that hill again. but he could be... Mule deer tend to be fairly nomadic, but i have focused on areas with large rubs and saw some large deer in those areas. i have also sat on monster rubs for days not seeing an animal, so take the rubs with what they are, a sign that there was a buck there at one point. i love finding rubs, especially big ones.

heres a big buck story based on rubs. my dad and grandfather hunted one hill for many years. i grew up hunting muleys in the thick timber with my dad, he started dragging me with him when i was six years old. I cant describe how meaningful those years were of my hunting life, as when i reflect on why i love hunting it was those times spent with my dad and grandpa at a young age that really are engraved in my mind. i can remember those days 20 years ago like they were yesterday. Playing chess with monster muleys in the timber. but back to the story of big rubs. it was November 7th, I was 12 years old. There was an old skid trail (probably logged in the 20's) into some old growth big fir timber. Rocky bluff bedding ridges and super dense blow-down. Big mule deer heaven. My dad had missed opportunities on one notable 200+ inch non typical that he bumped out of his bed at 20 yards on a foggy day a few years prior. A couple other monster typicals he had crossed paths with but never managed to pull the pin. His stories of big deer over the years had me in awe of this area. I have a soft spot for this hill, always making sure I head in there a couple times a year now, even if the deer hunting is worse than what it was when I was growing up. But anyways, at the start of the skid trail a buck had made three rubs that were up to 4 feet off the ground on alders that ranged in size from 4 inches to 8 inches and he didn't just nudge the tree, he raked the shit out of them. (These rubs haunt me to this day as I'm reminded of the deer I should have in my house right now) but we spent every chance we got hunting in there, dad had bumped a nice buck in the rocks earlier in the day and grandpa had got lost as it was foggy and bumped into us at around noon. It was rainy and perfect conditions for creeping around. For the evening we decided to sit on a nice opening right below the rocks where the big guys tend to bed. We could smell a rutting buck throughout the day and knew he was close. We went back to the truck for lunch, before we came back out dad decided to leave his gun at the truck as I was the shooter and he had faith in me, (he should have brought his gun!!!!) Anyways we were sitting in a makeshift blind, and about an hour and a half before dark and 5 or six does funneled up on the ridgeline about 65 yards from us. I was shaking like a leaf with excitement as dad said, "there should be a nice buck with those does." Then just like that a solid 160-170 muley popped up behind the does, never stopping for a shot for me. Today I would have been able to hammer him but at 12 years old with all the excitement I just couldn't make it happen. Dad looked at me with a bit of disbelief as that was a pretty good opportunity and I had spent so many early days and long days with him in pursuit of deer. No sooner had that buck vanished, dad glanced to the left and 35 yards away stood what all mule deer hunters dream about. A solid 190+ perfect clean typical. Now believe me, I got the best look at this deer you can get without actually hanging on to him. He was about 29-30 inches wide, heavy mass and 4 inch eye guards, his height was proportional to his width and he had long heavy tines. I say this deer was 190, but it probably broke 200... he was a pig... Dad just whispered calmly under his breath "Shoot that one". Now i remember this moment like it was yesterday, I still have visions of this buck. I swung the gun over, put the crosshairs behind the front shoulder, and froze. I wasn't shaking, I was calm. All I needed to do was pull the trigger. And to this day I don't know why I never did. After about thirty seconds of admiring this buck dad was getting restless. As every hardcore muley hunter knows, those big bucks don't give you many opportunities. We had outsmarted this mature monster, he was just standing there, broadside. It must have felt like a lifetime for him, sitting beside me with his fingers in his ears waiting for me to shoot. It kills me to this day to relive this story. But he quietly said shoot, shoot, shoot! Getting louder each time! Finally saying in a loud voice, SHOOT!! i knew I wasn't killing that deer and I handed him the gun, but the big buck gave us our chance and he was gone. I was in disbelief and at an all time low of my short hunting career. But I know now why I am so passionate and obsessed with hunting big muleys. And to top it off when i finally think I've lost that vision of that monster standing there, I decide to go back in and get reminded of those rubs and the day I watched a world class muley walk away. So yes hunting areas with rubs is a good plan!

[dana]

Zippermouth, great story! Loved it!!!

[Rattler]

Great story! I too have memories from long ago but in mine I pulled the trigger...many times and missed. The shots were beyond 400 yards I believe and was before rangefinders. He was a massive typical...Boone for sure.

I sat on a massive rub for many days a couple years ago and didn’t see a single buck. They are unpredictable and cover vast areas looking for does.

[Bugle M In]

I have seen where the MD make rubs in a line over 1 km or more.
That being said though, they don't check on them like WT do, IMO.
But I like finding them, cause it is a good sign that a buck is in the area, especially if this area holds does.
One day there will be no sign of a buck or rubs etc, and next day, they are there.
That's a good day! when you know the rubs are only hours old.
Taken a few bucks that still had all the shredded bark/moss/branches hanging between their antlers.
I have noticed that on those days, the have rubbed quite a few trees on the same day, all over the hillside.

[Steelpulse]

Have found many a rub line out there from mule deer. To me I’m just stoked to find some as that means I’m in the right area and has led me to a buck a couple times. Once your on some tracks and moving down a rub line that some buck just passed through is so awesome, hard to beat.

I always treat a rub/rub line as good sign as long as it’s fresh ofcourse and then make sure to hunt the area accordingly. Once you find fresh sign. Your half way closer to the deer. And if can assess the sign and hunt it right, knowing an area intimately. Success can be easier to come by

[Bugle M In]

Remebber 1 year, seeing some really big rubs, on one hillside, yet never saw the buck.
But, we were looking across to the next hillside over, and there was a nice large buck moving parallel to the hillside,
from one end to the other, but being that the range was at its closest pint 600 yards, we just watched him, until he
reached the end, then made a 90, and walked straight up.
Basically just making a large circle trying to cut some does in heat tracks.
Anyways, a week later he was taken, back on the same hillside we were on, and where I am fairly certain he had made
his rubs.
But I agree, not like WT at all.
He could of just as easily travelled to the next hill beyond at that point as well, as does are there also.

Do I take seeing rub as a buck is around, no, but, I rather see rubs around than not!, cause usually they are around.

Sad part is, just don't see big huge rubs like I once used up there these days, and I know, the rubs may not mean much as per size of buck, but these smaller rubs seems to only produce smaller bucks so far.

[Bugle M In]

Also wanted to add, I use a gps and have for years.
I don't use it out of concern of getting lost, as I have hunted the same hills for 30+ years now.
I use it to mark down locations I want to "hit" or areas I like to stop and watch for a time.
Also, my hunting partners have them as well, and we all have the same locations marked, so, if we talk to each other on the radio, we have a good idea where we are and where the other is, either to bounce deer into each other, or not to bounce into each of us.
But, sometimes I want to hit a spot, but I am coming into the area from completely a different way, and it is remarkable how you can be 80 yards away from a spot you want to hit, but cant find it, or are not sure where it is exactly, thus the gps.
One things else I use the gps for, is to mark down rubs, ie: R1 (1st rub spotted), R1-16 (meaning the year 2016),
so on and so forth.
By the end of the hunt, I generally have atleast 10 rubs marked.
Later, after I get home, I run these locations on google map.
Now, one could say, well, these rubs could be from 10 different bucks?
Also, the reason for the gps, is to get me to "slow down".
By stopping and typing stuff, or just looking at it, it makes me stop for a minute or 2, to help "settle things down".
Also, by finding the "Hit" areas, I get to stop completely, watch and really let the area settle down for 10 or 1 minutes, as to ease any deer that may have heard me back to a less alarmed state.
So, gps has a lot of benefits, other then what many think.

But, what I have noticed, year after year, is that you can virtually take a ruler and draw a straight line between all the rubs I found (different directions from year to year yes, but always a near straight line). and up to or even more than 1000 meters in distance (and probably only stops because I haven't travelled beyond those points to discover more?).
But, considering they buck has run out of real-estate, being that the hill ends on both sides, I believe I have found both the starting and end points to these rubs.

But yes, every year without fail, I find rubs that run in a definitive straight line.
Why, got me?

One other thing, don't confuse rubs made early in the season for the "rutting rubs", as those are for velvet etc to come off.
But, if there is snow on the ground today, and tomorrow you find a rub with debris on top of the snow, at this time of year, then yes, I would be getting excited.
But bucks do move around, some stay, some leave, and other come in and go as well.
Different than WT to some degree.
But, I know from my father in law, in alberta, he gets WT on the cams, and some are the same bucks day after day, BUT, then he will get a Brute of a Buck, that shows up out of nowhere for a couple of days, and then is gone again.
They do move!
I think these rubs will tell you that Does are around, Does that will come into heat or have been.
And you have got to stick around the does at this time of year.

[Buckmeister]

I think mule bucks have only one or two things on their mind, find some does to breed, and fend off any competition. I think Dana gave the best reasons why a mule will rub. Like others have said, find some does and pattern them, bucks won't be far behind. Yes, you will bump into random bucks, but during the rut, the best advise I give people is, "hunt the does to find bucks".

[Bugle M In]

I think mule bucks have only one or two things on their mind, find some does to breed, and fend off any competition. I think Dana gave the best reasons why a mule will rub. Like others have said, find some does and pattern them, bucks won't be far behind. Yes, you will bump into random bucks, but during the rut, the best advise I give people is, "hunt the does to find bucks".

I think it is good advice.
I think some of the newer folks just need to realize there can be some differences between watching a doe with a fawn in a cut block all day, and hunting an area that will have several groups of does, anywhere from 3 to 6 in a group, all
in the same area appr.
Those are the areas the bucks will definetly be hitting and hanging around in.
The rubs just come part and parcel with those areas when you are in the right area.
I think the people new to hunting need to take advantage of areas when the conditions call for snow.
It will help you see if the area is an "active area", especially going into right now, beginning of Nov.
From there, you will see that the does just like to hang in the area, day after day.
And if you run into rubs, in those same areas, you probably have found an area you can be confident to stick around in for days.
It may take several days to see a buck, but they are there, because the does are.
Just have to put in the time and legs to find those areas.

[Steelpulse]

This is an awesome thread so far. So much information on hunting mule deer sign specific.

Hunting near rubs can make your odds of success dramatically increase I think, if you hunt that area right and put yourself in the zone basically. More than a few times we have shot and missed 4 points all within 300 yards of a rub I had seen that day or in the previous 3 days of hunting that area. Being present is all it takes really and hunting what you have determined to be the best spot in the vacinity Of a rub line. Or an area of deer activity.

[Bugle M In]

Remember hitting are area, lots of deer sign, and some smaller rubs.
Buddy takes his buck, with his head up a does ass, and plenty of other does and young bucks around.
Literally walked right thru a bunch of deer, trying to get in range and sights on the buck and doe in heat.
I help him gut it, really stinky, and I don't really worry about tarsal scent on my clothing.

Upon dragging buck out with partner, I suddenly come across some of the biggest rubs I can ever recall seeing.
All over, in a small area, but just impressive!
Next day, not far away, same hillside, walk up road, see some new rubs (nothing impressive).
Glassing across road, and crunch, crunch, crunch.

Realize something is running "right at me", drops binos, look over shoulder, and here is a buck running at me full on!
Suddenly he realizes the mistake, but too late for him!
Another decent 4 pt down!
Go to pick up my buddy, and the buck from day before, then want to head back to get my buck.
With all the chatter, and getting buck #1 in box, we only get about 80 yards back up the road, and
there is a buck, bigger then the 2 we took, lol, with his does, just standing there!

That's how it goes!!??.
But I still didn't think he was the buck making those large rubs, imo.
Thing is, this buck is only 60 yards or so from these big rubs, and had crap all hanging in his antlers.
So, seems to correlate to the area of those big rubs!?
Off we go to buck #2

While gutting 2nd buck, we hear gunshots, and automatically knew that buck we had just seen, was now probably down.
Finally, with both bucks, we go down to lake campsite.
Only minutes go by, and the 2 guys come in, and go nice job!.
And I go, did you get that 4 pt with 3 does?, and they go yup.

I tell them we had just seen him with 3 does a half hour ago.
But I tell them there was some huge rubs back there behind that buck, but would be surprised that the buck they got
actually made them!??

They then say to me:
"what else did you see"???
I smiled and said to them: "what did you just see"???!!

They say that right while firing on the buck with 3 does, and being totally focused on him, that they completely missed seeing a monster, with multiple points, super wide and super heavy!
about 40 yards behind the buck they were gunning at.
Which would make that monster buck only meters away from those very impressive rubs!

So there you go about being in an area with rubs, and also getting to get a feel on just how some rubs are just a little
bigger then most.
Rubs and current deer activity!, hit it!
Also, do you think we hit the actual height of rut/breeding activity bang on?????
I believe so!
What fun that is when all that happens, and you are in the right spot at the right time!!!