rubs

[hunter1993ap]

one of the things i get really excited about when hunting is when i come accross a big rub. i know a big rub means that it is probably a half decent deer but is there a way of knowing how big that deer is. and do smaller bucks like little fours make big rubs?

[Lucky77_]

trail cam would be a good bet

[hunter1993ap]

ya but mulies are pretty hard to pattern but i guess it would work.

[Jelvis]

I'm in the same boat as you hunter. Rubs really get me going too. lol.
I've seen many rubs. Kamloops area for mules and Fraser valley blacktails.
Rubs tell many stories
1. Buck was there at one time
2. How big the trunk of the conifer is he was rubbing on - bigger tree bigger buck
3. Look for hoof print beneath rub area for a good sized track at least 3 inches long
4. Buck will come back eventually to that spot on his cycle pattern
5. How high up the trunk was it rubbing too.
6. Why is this spot so important to the beast
7. Mark the spot on your map for next time and studying topo
8. What side of the tree did he rub the most.
9. If you get lucky you will find his next rub from that one to the next one.
10. If the big buck was here before, maybe other bucks like it too
Jel -- ten commandments of rubby dub dubz -- three bucks in the shrubs -

[Buckmeister]

I love seeing rubs too. I was riding the chair lift last year at the ski hill and there was some real nice rubs on the trees bordering the ski run. I stared at them every time I rode the chair up.

[Jelvis]

Rubs are important. To the hunter and the buck.
Don't forget what an old time deer and moose hunter up the Nor said,
When the buck takes it out on this tree trunk, it's the give and the bending that he looks for in the size of the tree trunk, to build his powerful neck muscles. Pushing on it and feeling his weight and strength bending it.
Also one very important final point on rubs.
Sounding, the buck clacks it's tines on the trunk and makes sounds to attract attention of the deer herds. Called sounding. Like beating a stick on a log and then waiting for someone to make a beat an answer and a challenge to dance (fight) mix it up. So listen for the sounding too when the rut is in full swing or just at the beginning.
Jel -- you are informed.

[7mag700]

Even better - finding a big scrape. You can add your own bottled scent to keep the animal coming back, and/or borrow a little stinky mud from it to rub on yourself for a little cover/attractant :tongue:

7m7

[luckynuts]

Pretty hard to determine how big a buck is as some rubbed trees are used by many bucks. If it's a rub line usually a different story then I usually check for tracks. Big tracks generally indicate bigger bucks. Like many have said put up a trail cam and a little scent down and you should have some pics telling you whats in the area. I have seen some decent bucks in the off season rub some pretty small trees though it was because it was the only tree on the pipeline intersection:-D

L

[Prowler]

A good rule of thumb to think about when encountering rubs.
"A big buck can make a small rub, but a small buck cant make a big rub":-D

[buckwild76]

i saw a decent rub this year in some jackpine in sask. so i made a mock scrape on the ground and sprayed some buck urine and two days later there was another good rub on the tree beside it. unfortunately i didn't really get a chance to hunt the area but i'm sure that buck was checking his trapline every couple of days.

[Jelvis]

Nothing much better than finding a rubbed tree and it's big rub too with fresh bark on the ground.
Rubs are cool. I saw a spot where the buck had ripped the bushes and buck brush and ripped all around everything in sight. Tree rubs all over, it was incredible.
That was before the fires and now it's taken on a new look and trails to here and there.
Jel - rubs have scent on them from the glands of the bucks upper nose and comes out by the eyes also spittal with it's own dna.

[Shooter]

One thing to keep in mind is that deer make rubs with the base of the horns. Knowing this I always check the surrounding branches and limbs for signs of the tines hitting. This can be a good indicator to how wide and tall the antlers are.

[Sitkaspruce]

Here is a rub I found in one of my WT deer areas.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Sitkaspruce/OurFirstTrip072.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Sitkaspruce/OurFirstTrip071.jpg

I set up a trail camera a 100 yards away on a good trail and placed some doe in heat scent on a fake scrape I made.
Here is a couple bucks from the area
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Sitkaspruce/TrailCam05027.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Sitkaspruce/TrailCam05018.jpg

I hunted that area hard and finally, the day after the season closed (Nov20:(, stupid reg that has now changed), I rattled and gruntted in the first buck (I think). I got one picture of him from 30' away. He was a 160+ WT. I never saw him again and I never got him on camera the next year. And oh yea, the picture was on one of those disposable camers and I have never got the film developed......yet:confused:

And what Prowler and Shooter says is totally true. Big bucks love big trees to rub as it gives them some resistance to pushing and always look to see if there is any damage around the rub to see if the tines damage any tree's futher back.

Cheers

SS

[Jelvis]

Need a pop can by that trunk to give it perception unabated.
Siska kid was a friend ah my een. lol.
Rubs, a master piece to the buck who marked, "his spot" for the herds to see.
Like a boxer or mma fighter hittin the bag, bam, pow, slice, dice, whoosh, slam, pound, rake, break, quake, shake the earth until he's ready for the dirty deeds done dirt cheap ( includes fighting with challengers and dancing with the girls ) then watching out for hunters and cougars.
That's his boundary line, his spot and that mark proves it.
Jel -- He's got a big chip on his shoulder -- bark on his brow tines --
You got chip too on your shoulder, unfortunatly it's from the wood above it- lol -+++

[Jelvis]

I find some trees with good buck scrapes, rubs, rakes, what ever you want to call them, beside watering holes near ledges so he can jump over the edges of the ledges, quick like if he needs a fast way out.
At the end of ridges where they meet with another at the same sort of level. Travel routes is what ridges are.
Sometimes in real thick bush and small conifers you will see where he had rubbed extensively. Protected on the top side from penetration and the bottom area thick but little trails.
Jel -- so around little mountain ponds and where ridges meet on a same sort of elevation - rub areas - meeting place - crossing area - small creeks