What do Rub Lines mean?

[Twenty Up]

Out of curiosity, what does a rub line indicated? I've always wondered, especially when there's 5-6 torn up trees within an 80 yard stretch.

[PK_]

Usually they mark the travel corridor of one or more resident bucks. They could be seasonal or used year round. Could be near bedding, near food or marking a trail they use to check on the resident does(this is commonly referred to as a parallel trail). You have to use the 'big picture' to discern what a specific rub line is telling you(relation to bed, food, water, funnels, doe bedding etc…) and use that information to predict when bucks are likely to be making that sign and when to catch them using that line of travel.

The direction of the rub lets you know which way the buck was traveling. The rubbed side of the tree is facing the direction the buck was coming from. So if the rub line is leading up to and the rubbed sides are facing away from a food source, it is safe to say the buck(s) are using that trail to enter the food source. Same goes for bedding, funnels and so on…

I have heard that Greg Miller's book on rub lines is very good, you may want to check it out.

[Wlog]

Simple answer is a trail frequented by buck or bucks. Not all rub lines are created equal though. A rub line could be connecting bedding area to food source, travel route between two doe bedding areas, cruising trail along doe bedding area, so on and so on. The trick is to figure out what purpose the buck has traveling along that path so you know what part of the season it's being used. You also need to take into consideration where along that travel route you have the best chance of seeing the buck in daylight.

Just remember that a buck has to feel pretty comfortable to let down his guard long enough to stand in one spot and rub a tree and because of that more often than not it will be under the cover of darkness. A rub line is just another piece to the puzzle.

[Twenty Up]

Thanks guys, seems like it's used by a few bucks judging by the rub heights. I think it's connecting a bedding area to food because I followed it for maybe 250 yards and bumped what I think was a buck. I never got a look at the deer because it was so thick but it was a single deer running out of there by the sound. I wasn't able to find a bed since it was so thick and I ran out of daylight. Ended up setting up a trail camera off an old scrape maybe 100 yards off the "bedding area".

Do y'all think 100 yards off a potential bedding site on a game trail is too close?

[Bowhunting Brian]

a rub line only indicates where a buck "was". they can go hot and cold just like beds.

[Wlog]

That depends on how often you're going to check it and if you can access it without getting ground scent where the buck is going to walk or have your scent blow to his bed.

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[Bowhunting Brian]

I think rubs tell you where a buck "was". like said, they are not all equal. some are made to get velvet off. some are made to get out aggression and also to build up neck muscles for the rut. some are established trails. they go hot and cold just like beds. a rub line used today may not be used tomorrow. Greg Miller has a good book called "Rub Line Secrets". pretty decent read.

[dan]

The 1st thing you need to remember when seeing any rub is that bucks are bedded for 90 to 95% of the day, and cruise the woods and fields at night... So, this means by odds alone, any rub found was made at night. Odds are only 5 to 10% of them are made in day light... So, if your looking at rubs, think about if they are located close to bedding, or where deer cruise during daylight.

[Twenty Up]

I'm going to invest in some books and DVD's.

[Thermals]

For me if I can't find clusters of rubs with a bed close by I right it off as it was made at night . It all comes back to bedding.

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[checkerfred]

What about rubs in thick areas? Like an over grown logging or forest road? Or in a thicket? I found some the other day on on overgrown forest road and they were everywhere. Like every 10-20 feet. Also found a ton around a ridge funnel. They were everywhere.

Are most of these still made at night? Would you say a higher amount in one area is an area bucks feel safer in? Or just an area more bucks are using?

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[Thermals]

I still look at is hunt a rub or hunt a bed, the bed produces higer odds. But those places are something to take note of. It could have been a early season bedding and hasn't been used on a few months so the bed doesn't show. And rember a thicket is a transition so there was a good chance there was a bed there.

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[Twenty Up]

It's a bedding area, the rub line leads to the hardwoods where he feeds around October. I haven't scouted it out but I'm expecting 2 more rub lines leading to the fields where he feeds Jan-August. This deer has his bases covered with any North wind (our prevailing wind).