Aging deer by rubs...
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Aging deer by rubs...
I think most of us have determined that aging deer on the hoof is very difficult thru sitings or photo's. But I still think there could be other ways to determine approximate age by tracks, rubs, and other sign...
Out scouting yesterday, I was taking a lot of pictures for seminars, and articles and got some great examples of differing rub heights... Take a look at the picture recently posted be Autumn Ninja in the aging thread, and compare it to the picture I took yesterday of two rubs on two trees side by side...
Looking at those pictures it becomes immediately obvious that an older buck will rub a tree higher.
I used to set trail cams up on rubs and had some pictures to back age vs height, but don't have those any more after a computer crash. Does anybody have buck rubbing trail cam photo's we can look at?
I can remember what made me start thinking about rub height as an age indicator. It was many years ago, I was probably about 17 or 18 and went hunting and saw a large diameter tree ripped up near my selected spot and thought a big buck must have done that... The tree was about 7 or 8 inch diameter...
Later that evening when a 1 y/o buck came out and started ripping up the tree I thought, What the heck?
Kind of went against the whole diameter theory we all read about all the time... I really started looking at rubs a lot closer after that point and found its pretty easy to determine 1 y/o, and 2 y/o rubs, and I think it could fairly accurately be done with 3 y/o's... When I look through the woods there are 4 distinct differences in rub heights. (MEASURED AT APPROXIMATELY THE CENTER)
Below my knee is likely a 1 1/2 y/o buck.
Between my knee and waist likely 2 1/2
Waist high 3 1/2
belly or higher 4 or older...
Like I said, I am sure there is some room for error, but I do think its more accurate than looking at a picture...
Out scouting yesterday, I was taking a lot of pictures for seminars, and articles and got some great examples of differing rub heights... Take a look at the picture recently posted be Autumn Ninja in the aging thread, and compare it to the picture I took yesterday of two rubs on two trees side by side...
Looking at those pictures it becomes immediately obvious that an older buck will rub a tree higher.
I used to set trail cams up on rubs and had some pictures to back age vs height, but don't have those any more after a computer crash. Does anybody have buck rubbing trail cam photo's we can look at?
I can remember what made me start thinking about rub height as an age indicator. It was many years ago, I was probably about 17 or 18 and went hunting and saw a large diameter tree ripped up near my selected spot and thought a big buck must have done that... The tree was about 7 or 8 inch diameter...
Later that evening when a 1 y/o buck came out and started ripping up the tree I thought, What the heck?
Kind of went against the whole diameter theory we all read about all the time... I really started looking at rubs a lot closer after that point and found its pretty easy to determine 1 y/o, and 2 y/o rubs, and I think it could fairly accurately be done with 3 y/o's... When I look through the woods there are 4 distinct differences in rub heights. (MEASURED AT APPROXIMATELY THE CENTER)
Below my knee is likely a 1 1/2 y/o buck.
Between my knee and waist likely 2 1/2
Waist high 3 1/2
belly or higher 4 or older...
Like I said, I am sure there is some room for error, but I do think its more accurate than looking at a picture...
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
How do you determine height.
Top of rub/middle of rub?
Top of rub/middle of rub?
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Took pic yesterday.
Top of bow is 36".
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Here is a rub that I found interesting while scouting/hunting yesterday... This is a rubline that goes thru some open timber rum a bedding area that I have seen three different bucks use. There were different height rubs along this rubline. I found a few trees where both bucks rubbed, but usually it was on the same side of the tree. This one had a rub on each side at a different height...
Waist high one side...
Between knee and waste other side... ( looks lower, but thats an illusion cause I am standing farther from the tree and the camera is higher up)
Whats interesting is all the rubs along the line were at either one, or the other height...
Waist high one side...
Between knee and waste other side... ( looks lower, but thats an illusion cause I am standing farther from the tree and the camera is higher up)
Whats interesting is all the rubs along the line were at either one, or the other height...
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Zap wrote:How do you determine height.
Top of rub/middle of rub?
Middle
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Found these 2 yesterday. So do you think 2 different bucks made them being different heights?
These 2 are from the same buck I assume, within 5 feet of his bed 2 year old probably.
These 2 are from the same buck I assume, within 5 feet of his bed 2 year old probably.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Keep in mind that in Autumn Ninjas pic, that the smaller buck is on lower ground, making him look even smaller.
And, lot's of the rubs I have observed, are rubbed by way more than one buck. They are like scent posts.
And, lot's of the rubs I have observed, are rubbed by way more than one buck. They are like scent posts.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
[bbvideo=425,350]http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b48/Spysar/?action=view¤t=lethimgrow.mp4[/bbvideo]
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
This buck Is from a honey hole my brother hunts. Originally we both thought this buck was a 3.5 year old at the time but I'm pretty sure we were wrong and that It was a big 2.5 Instead. Were fairly confident he shot this same buck In 2010 as a 3.5 then. There's a video from the Cuddeback that took this picture as he's rubbing this tree but It's not very good. The video Is below the picture.
[bbvideo=425,350]http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff319/scsmilkman/Jasons%202010%20Lee%20buck/?action=view¤t=leeeastrubs09033.mp4[/bbvideo]
The picture below Is the buck he shot In 2010. He looks Identical on hoof In trail cam pics compared to 2009 but Instead allot more Inches.
[bbvideo=425,350]http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff319/scsmilkman/Jasons%202010%20Lee%20buck/?action=view¤t=leeeastrubs09033.mp4[/bbvideo]
The picture below Is the buck he shot In 2010. He looks Identical on hoof In trail cam pics compared to 2009 but Instead allot more Inches.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Spysar wrote:Keep in mind that in Autumn Ninjas pic, that the smaller buck is on lower ground, making him look even smaller.
And, lot's of the rubs I have observed, are rubbed by way more than one buck. They are like scent posts.
Looks like equal ground to me?
But I do agree with your second statement.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
adrenalin wrote:Found these 2 yesterday. So do you think 2 different bucks made them being different heights?
These 2 are from the same buck I assume, within 5 feet of his bed 2 year old probably.
I think it was two different bucks... I have noticed that some buck beds always produce 1 or two year old bucks, or should I say "rarely" produce mature bucks... Especially where there are high populations. I think it might have to do with amount of bedding and pecking order.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
dan wrote:Spysar wrote:Keep in mind that in Autumn Ninjas pic, that the smaller buck is on lower ground, making him look even smaller.
And, lot's of the rubs I have observed, are rubbed by way more than one buck. They are like scent posts.
Looks like equal ground to me?
But I do agree with your second statement.
No, they're on a slope. You can see the big bucks rear hoves, slowly going down hill and you see the legs on the smaller deer. Definatly a downhill slope.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
Cool video Shcultzy... It would be cool to capture that and then have someone stand next to the rub.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
These pictures are from rubs next to the bed of the mature buck I shot in October... I guess him to be 5 years old, based on his size last year.
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Re: Aging deer by rubs...
adrenalin wrote:Found these 2 yesterday. So do you think 2 different bucks made them being different heights?
These 2 are from the same buck I assume, within 5 feet of his bed 2 year old probably.
I would think it's the same buck. He was probably standing down low with his head down, and made his way up the cluster and held his head a little higher. But who knows, it's a guess at best.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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