reading rub direction?

[raisins]

Unfortunately, I have ignored the side of the tree rubs are on this of scouting (my first intense scouting year). I've found some large, fresh rubs that are often in lines. Found some MONSTER rubs today. When I see that combined with obvious travel routes, interesting topography, and soft transitions with dense cover....I get excited for next season.

My reasoning was "well, if they walk in one direction, then have to walk back also". Well, that was dumb.

I neglected at least two things: 1. bucks don't necessarily take route X from bed to feed and then route X back, they could take route Y and 2. if bucks are more likely to rub at certain times of the day, then I can tell which direction they are travelling.

So, how does everyone read the side of the tree a rub is on? Are bucks more likely to rub morning, noon, evening, or night?

Thanks - R

[backstraps]

I dont know Raisins I have always kind of thought a rub more less just tells me a buck has been there. BUT.... If you are finding these rubs, the tall big rubs and they are near bedding or rubbed on the side as if the bucks are walking towards bedding they can be helpful. Once you note the locations of these buck bedding related rubs, once you start to see them open up and become fresh rubs again you know there is likely a good chance a buck is using the bedding close by.

Also, one thing I like to find are rubs on or very very close to the actual buck bed, finding these rubs and hopefully seeing rubs from a few previous years is a good sign.

But if you are finding these rub on oak flats or very far from bedding, I am just thinking hey there was a buck here. Although super fresh rubs with big fresh tracks and shavings on the ground, at least tells you there are fresh sign there

[raisins]

I still have a lot to learn. I mark all rubs on ONX along with trails, scat, and habitat type and edge. I am not good at finding beds yet, but I take dense cover in a good topographic area with fresh rubs everywhere as likely areas of buck activity and perhaps bedding. I am particularly interested in rubs that are arranged in a line along soft transitions in forest density. This is my first year not simply hunting funnels and purposefully looking for places other hunters won't access or might not know about and staying away from open areas.

[freezeAR]

IMO most rubs are made at night. I use the rub to indicate direction of travel. I also put more stock in rubs that are rubbed on two sides. Kind of like finding a big track coming and going it is usually close to bedding if othrr conditions are met (like secluded cover vs ag fields).

[tgreeno]

If they aren't related to bedding, it tells you very little. Here are 2 great threads about rubs!

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22979-
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11319-

[Bogle]

I agree with TGreeno. However, I do think there are a small percentage of rubs that are important right around the rut as they are made at certain locations for certain reasons. I don't think the rubs themselves are crazy important but when they open up its usually is an indication of travel and that a particular buck has been in that area for some reason. If those "good" rubs are close to bedding, where does will be during the rut and in a secluded area, it can be really good. For instance, just inside of a field there is usually a transition of hardwoods before it drops down in to a swamp (Down here anyway). Often times the does will come out of the swamp and feed in the field in the evening. The bucks primary bed may be back in the swamp but for a few days pre-rut he may move to the edge of the swamp and the hardwoods (assuming its secure and unpressured) waiting for the does to come out of the swamp and into the field to feed - he will rub in that area . If you think about it, its a natural funnel for him during the rut and he doesnt have to expose himself. Instead the does have to funnel past him. If nothing comes by he can wait till dark and then make his way in to the field to check does. I think the narrower the funnel is that the does have to pass through the better, as it narrows down where the buck might be bedding. I think there are several scenarios that set up this way,

[PK_]

Generally if the rub is heading out of bedding and/or towards food i assume it was made in the evening. Away from food and towards bedding, made in the morning.

So the direction of the rub could let you know if it is an entrance trail or an exit trail cause in some cases like you said they don’t enter and exit the same trail.

[justdirtyfun]

X2 with PK.

This winter I have been scouting a specific high rub and the direction has been correct for my assumption each time I find one.
For example, coming up from a river bottom area (feeding) I found one rubbed pointing uphill. Generally the bedding is up high so the rub SHOULD BE a morning rub.
I also found rubbing where a buck would scent check a bedding point from below in morning. Rub was pointing towards bed. At that location rubs were pointing AWAY as well. That confirms entrance and exit sometimes happened on the same trail.
Without some assumptions or theories for bedding /feeding a guy cannot explain most rubs. Time and experience in that area will slowly fill in the details. I'm always amazed at the base knowledge that the Beast has given me. Things don't look random very often now days.

[rfickes87]

This buck here in this bed used this bed quite often, day and night. But I have an early morning picture also of an 8 point making a big rub on that tree there in the front right of the picture. (I'm just trying to quickly make this post, sorry i don't have time to upload that picture.) But my point is, when I saw that big rub in the field for the first time before looking at my camera I would have thought for sure the big mature buck made that rub but the camera showed otherwise.

So this conversation could get complicated really quick. To me... rubs tell me certain things and can be valuable but as far as rub direction... that CAN BE very misleading.

[mauser06]

I got clued in on a marsh spot due to rubs and direction. I found several large rubs pretty much in a line but 100 or so yards apart. Not much of a trail either. I was kinda stumped so I put a camera on the rub line....in February.


Steady parade of deer traffic.








Most of the times and pics lined up with them coming and going to bedding.


The rubs all pointed towards the bedding.


I later found the bedding....it took me a little while and the pictures helped...


I have no idea where they are going or why they are traveling that route. There isn't much in that direction. Still haven't figured that out to this day. I really don't need to know now that I've found the bedding and the oaks they hit right when they leave the bedding.


Not sure if that helps any....but figured I'd share what I learned from it in that spot.

[Edcyclopedia]

Most of the rub direction I see is ground to sky, ground to sky - repeat

I'd suggest looking up trees and for Foxx holes