Rub on Massive Oaks

[Twenty Up]

Well walking into this area I came across what seemed like a rub on a massive red oak. The tree itself was roughly 60+ feet tall but I shook it off and kept scouting. I eventually passed a promising rub line and bumped what I'm expecting to be a bedded buck. What I came across surprised me..


Tree off rub line entering bedding area- 29" at the "crown" and the tree 8" behind it was torn up as well.





The rub line connects this tree to the tree I saw near the food area, so these massive rubs are "connected" by this rub line. The rubs ranged in "crown" height from 24" all the way to 36" so there is a variety of deer utilizing this area.

I'd like to get some others input on this tree though, no branches had fallen and the base of this tree is too large for a climber. Same goes for the other oak I had seen. I'm assuming that it's a deer rubbing the base of his head? No idea but the rub line connecting the two trees leads me to believe that a deer was the creator of this.

[Stanley]

[Twenty Up]

Is this a deer or am I going crazy?! 2 For 2 on em today and it's too high up to be a hog..

[Tennhunter3]

. That one looks like it's a signpost rub that's been rubbed for many years. Definitely many mature bucks have rubbed that tree. One buck I was hunting rubbed a tree similar to that it's just rare to find them that size. I would say your hunting a great area.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Twenty Up]

. That one looks like it's a signpost rub that's been rubbed for many years. Definitely many mature bucks have rubbed that tree. One buck I was hunting rubbed a tree similar to that it's just rare to find them that size. I would say your hunting a great area.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I'm surprised a deer could have actually rubbed this tree! This is a better piece of land in GA, I became good friends with the Wardens and they have a very large 160"+ Buck that was poached back in '10 I believe. I've got a cam setup roughly 100 yards off this so hopefully I'll find the culprit behind this.

[HoosierG5]

Thats impressive. As for the oak, I dont know. I have never seen anything like that.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[backstraps]

The bigger tree looks as if that's a tree squirrels are using a lot. I see trees with "rubbed" looking spots on them often here locally.

The smaller pic looks like a healed tree from an earlier rub?

[ Post made via Android ]

[Twenty Up]

Would a squirrel do that to an oak?
It is a season old rub that's healing over but it's the same size as all the others (new and old) in the area. There was also a somewhat fresh scrape close to this tree (the rub) with a doe trail and parallel trail running off it. The deer sign picked up when I entered this area and that's when I heard the buck tearing through the woods. (I never saw it but it was a lone deer)

[Tennhunter3]

He could've just swiped the side of his antlers on the oak. It's rare for them to rub oaks though. Most large rubs are on pines or cedars. The first rub is a signpost. I don't have any pics of the giant rub was next to a power line about 50 yards into the woods. This ones from a buck I was after this year bigger around then my leg.t

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[BigHunt]

Climber or climbing sticks

[Twenty Up]

The thing about this oak, it's right on the edge of a dried out creek bed out in an opening surrounded by a thicket. Prime area for a signpost rub...
I'm not doubting that it COULD have been squirrels but something tells me, or wants me to believe that a monster made this rub.

[Twenty Up]

Climber or climbing sticks

It was the only marking on the tree, front or back. Too wide around for a climber, I'm 5'11 and couldn't reach around the tree!

[Twenty Up]

He could've just swiped the side of his antlers on the oak. It's rare for them to rub oaks though. Most large rubs are on pines or cedars. The first rub is a signpost. I don't have any pics of the giant rub was next to a power line about 50 yards into the woods. This ones from a buck I was after this year bigger around then my leg.t

[ Post made via iPhone ]

If you look closely to the left & right of this "rub" you can see pieces of bark taken off. This picture not so much but when in person or blown up on my computer you're able to see the spread. I'll go back in a few weeks with a tape measure, hopefully the trail camera can help me out.

[Tennhunter3]

Will be cool to tape measure it. Or put a cam over it. Those signpost rubs are rubbed year after year there is usually a few in every area. It's really cool to find big rubs they get my blood going. The giant rub I found was big around as my waist and was on a slick tree the tines just stabbed and shredded the tree. I was telling myself the same thing no way a buck did that but I know it was. I have heard of bucks in the Midwest rubbing telephone poles and fence post. Never get tired of seeing big rubs in your hunting area.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Twenty Up]

Will be cool to tape measure it. Or put a cam over it. Those signpost rubs are rubbed year after year there is usually a few in every area. It's really cool to find big rubs they get my blood going. The giant rub I found was big around as my waist and was on a slick tree the tines just stabbed and shredded the tree. I was telling myself the same thing no way a buck did that but I know it was. I have heard of bucks in the Midwest rubbing telephone poles and fence post. Never get tired of seeing big rubs in your hunting area.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Amen! I've got a trail camera about 100 yards away off a community scrape. I'm going to put a mineral block somewhere in this area then back out for a few months, hopefully something big shows up!