I remember as a kid going in the woods with my dad and we would look for deer sign. It was a game to see who could spot a buck rub first. Like all dads that ever took the time to do this with their sons, mine let us win sometimes. Nevertheless to this day it is still a race when we go in the woods together. But what is a buck rub and why do they create them? Unlike scrapes, I think the mainstream hunting world has this topic under control. But why would I waste my time with this post if I didn't have my own two cents to add? My two cents isn't necessarily about why they make them but how can we as hunters read them.
When I find a rub in the woods I look for a few think. I do this in an attempt to sometimes uncover crucial information about that particular buck.
1. Size of the rub
When I say size of the rub I am talking about a few things. Mainly I am looking at the diameter of the tree. The larger the tree generally equates to a larger buck. All big tree rubs are big bucks but not all small tree rubs are from small bucks. I then look at how far around the tree the rub goes, this too generally will tell you the more of the tree the rub wraps around the bigger he is.
When I say size of the rub I am talking about a few things. Mainly I am looking at the diameter of the tree. The larger the tree generally equates to a larger buck. All big tree rubs are big bucks but not all small tree rubs are from small bucks. I then look at how far around the tree the rub goes, this too generally will tell you the more of the tree the rub wraps around the bigger he is.
2. Which way the rub faces
Now that we have determined the particular rub belongs to a buck worth knowing more about, we can attempt to figure him out. Which way a rub faces will tell you which way he is traveling. If you are standing in front of a tree that has a rub and you can see the rub then the buck who made it was generally traveling the way you are facing. By knowing this and knowing the surrounding terrain one can usually pinpoint where they are traveling to and from. This becomes a lot easier if you can find more rubs in a particular line or spot. If you apply common sense you can usually figure out why he was in the particular area.
Now that we have determined the particular rub belongs to a buck worth knowing more about, we can attempt to figure him out. Which way a rub faces will tell you which way he is traveling. If you are standing in front of a tree that has a rub and you can see the rub then the buck who made it was generally traveling the way you are facing. By knowing this and knowing the surrounding terrain one can usually pinpoint where they are traveling to and from. This becomes a lot easier if you can find more rubs in a particular line or spot. If you apply common sense you can usually figure out why he was in the particular area.
3. Overall location and quantity of rubs
It seems that bucks will make more rubs entering and leaving bedding areas and areas of congregation. For example if you have a large plantation of spruce trees and find a lot of beds inside, you will usually find more rubs in a particular location on the edge. This would indicate that particular buck's entrance or exit of that area depending on the direction the rub faces. Now if you incorporate a trail camera you can pinpoint the buck making the rubs and the time he is moving through. Now compare the time of the photo to the travel time you know the deer to be moving in the area and can determine if he is sleeping in the bedding area or cruising it for doe. In other words if the deer in your area are generally eating and moving at night and you discover a buck is leaving an area towards the evening hours, you can make an educated assumption that follow his trail backwards and you will find his bed near by.
It seems that bucks will make more rubs entering and leaving bedding areas and areas of congregation. For example if you have a large plantation of spruce trees and find a lot of beds inside, you will usually find more rubs in a particular location on the edge. This would indicate that particular buck's entrance or exit of that area depending on the direction the rub faces. Now if you incorporate a trail camera you can pinpoint the buck making the rubs and the time he is moving through. Now compare the time of the photo to the travel time you know the deer to be moving in the area and can determine if he is sleeping in the bedding area or cruising it for doe. In other words if the deer in your area are generally eating and moving at night and you discover a buck is leaving an area towards the evening hours, you can make an educated assumption that follow his trail backwards and you will find his bed near by.
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