Following Rubs

[Wetfoot]

Great discussion guys. Totally agreed with you Joe, the guys that do all the writing about hunting 'staging' areas are not playing the same game. My experiences are very similar. As a young hunter I killed a bunch of bucks by hunting perennial rub lines between bedding and feeding areas but only saw mature animals on very rare occasions and never got shots.

[mainebowhunter]

For me personally, reading the rubs and deciphering what they mean and why they are there is most of the battle. As guys have mentioned, they have to tell a story. In Maine, early season rubs, in a large quantity, I sit up take notice because, that does not happen happen real often.

Just have to add...
In KS.... Never seen anything like it in 2011. 100+ rubs on one fencerow. Look like a farm tractor had run into it. Fun to look at. 2009 this one cornfield counted over 100 rubs and 100 ground scrapes around it. Some of the rubs where as high as my shoulder. Pre-ehd did not even know how good it really was.

During the rut, really don't even pay attention to the rubs.

[mainebowhunter]

Does anyone follow rub/ rub lines in an attempt to locate beds?

Yes. I have. But many times, I find the stuff mark it and move onto the next one. Even when I find beds and the rubs appear to be staging rubs, still mark it and walk away. Once I get pics of bucks in that area, I will come back and hunt it. Many times, the bucks that made all of that old sign might be dead. And many times, here, there may not be another buck to take his place.

I just find, in my experience, it just takes so much pay dirt to find a little bit of gold.

[Quest1001]

Bump for a great thread that has helped me better prepare for how to read sign and where to set up.

What has your experience been?

[Cchez]

Here's what i know about rubs......

I've been hunting them incorrectly for years!

[Rich M]

Last year I started at a scrape and followed 3 trails that led away from it - the one with the rubs led me to a terrain feature. Walked around it to see about picking up a trail on the far side and hit the motherload of sign. Still no idea where the bedding is, possible at the terrain feature but the deer were using the area daily.

[Quest1001]

That must have been awesome to walk into that amount of sign!

[tundra@1]

This might sound simplistic, but I hang and hunt. I do not screw around with cameras, or marking and coming back, I find fresh sign, I hunt it right now..... I can try and figure it out, during the off season, but right now, a buck is telling me, I am here. Most times I set up, wrong wind and get busted, and move on, but I am seeing more bucks, than my friends, who screw around with so much stuff and over think everything.

late October and into November my area is hot. I step out of the truck, always ready to hunt, even though I scout 95 percent of the time. when I find a great spot, I pick a set up, and hunt it right now. again been busted many times, but have lucked out also. as far as the wind etc, when that rut is going, you have no idea of where them bucks are coming from, its like poker, pick a card .....

I also will hunt rub lines, maybe an hour at a time,,,,, hunt and move,,,,hunt and move,,,,, it has showed me some good spots

[Quest1001]

Opener in MN is Sept 14, I believe will there be rubs generally at this time or should the focus be on scrapes and general bedding to food travel routes?