Unofficial Beast Rub Study
- NYBackcountry
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- Lockdown
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Re: Unofficial Beast Rub Study
Got a PM the other day asking about this thread. I got pretty busy with work and life in general, and when I couldn't go through with it consistently I stopped going back. I had one last set of pics to post, but the results were just more of the same. When daylight savings hit I couldn't even make it there in daylight after work.
To conclude, the main thing to take away is there are very noticeable differences between tree species and how they react. If you're serious about picking apart hot sign/analyzing rubs, I would strongly suggest doing some investigating of your own on the species you commonly find rubs on. To me the sap on the pine told an interesting story, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if rubs on particular species of pines would give different results.
The feel of the shreddings both attached to the rub and on the ground were very important. The pine dried in a day. The others took a few days to really stiffen up. Once again, I've often heard people say "there were still shavings on the ground so I knew it was fresh". I don't feel that's necessarily a GREAT indicator, especially if its in a protected area where leaf litter can't cover it as easily. Wind and time of year are also things to keep in mind. High winds will cover shavings up more/sooner. Shavings laid down early in the year won't have fresh leaves to cover them so there are many factors to think about. In general if shavings are VERY visible, that's a high likelihood of a very fresh rub. I think learning how they feel is more important than how they look.
The main thing to take away is if it feels WET... hang your set in your kill tree and be ready!
To conclude, the main thing to take away is there are very noticeable differences between tree species and how they react. If you're serious about picking apart hot sign/analyzing rubs, I would strongly suggest doing some investigating of your own on the species you commonly find rubs on. To me the sap on the pine told an interesting story, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if rubs on particular species of pines would give different results.
The feel of the shreddings both attached to the rub and on the ground were very important. The pine dried in a day. The others took a few days to really stiffen up. Once again, I've often heard people say "there were still shavings on the ground so I knew it was fresh". I don't feel that's necessarily a GREAT indicator, especially if its in a protected area where leaf litter can't cover it as easily. Wind and time of year are also things to keep in mind. High winds will cover shavings up more/sooner. Shavings laid down early in the year won't have fresh leaves to cover them so there are many factors to think about. In general if shavings are VERY visible, that's a high likelihood of a very fresh rub. I think learning how they feel is more important than how they look.
The main thing to take away is if it feels WET... hang your set in your kill tree and be ready!
- Dewey
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Re: Unofficial Beast Rub Study
Lockdown wrote:Got a PM the other day asking about this thread. I got pretty busy with work and life in general, and when I couldn't go through with it consistently I stopped going back. I had one last set of pics to post, but the results were just more of the same. When daylight savings hit I couldn't even make it there in daylight after work.
To conclude, the main thing to take away is there are very noticeable differences between tree species and how they react. If you're serious about picking apart hot sign/analyzing rubs, I would strongly suggest doing some investigating of your own on the species you commonly find rubs on. To me the sap on the pine told an interesting story, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if rubs on particular species of pines would give different results.
The feel of the shreddings both attached to the rub and on the ground were very important. The pine dried in a day. The others took a few days to really stiffen up. Once again, I've often heard people say "there were still shavings on the ground so I knew it was fresh". I don't feel that's necessarily a GREAT indicator, especially if its in a protected area where leaf litter can't cover it as easily. Wind and time of year are also things to keep in mind. High winds will cover shavings up more/sooner. Shavings laid down early in the year won't have fresh leaves to cover them so there are many factors to think about. In general if shavings are VERY visible, that's a high likelihood of a very fresh rub. I think learning how they feel is more important than how they look.
The main thing to take away is if it feels WET... hang your set in your kill tree and be ready!
I found this rub on Feb 3rd and it was still wet with shavings on top of the snow. Only problem is I couldn’t hunt it because the season ended. Pretty surprised to find a fresh rub of this size in February.
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Re: Unofficial Beast Rub Study
I found a couple post-season rubs like this as well. It seems aggressive given the timing so I'm trying to sort out why. Is it a buck that's moved to a new territory? Or announcing I'm back? And does he stay here is this just a winter bedding area? Or has he been there all along? the search for clues continues....
- stash59
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Re: Unofficial Beast Rub Study
Dewey wrote:Lockdown wrote:Got a PM the other day asking about this thread. I got pretty busy with work and life in general, and when I couldn't go through with it consistently I stopped going back. I had one last set of pics to post, but the results were just more of the same. When daylight savings hit I couldn't even make it there in daylight after work.
To conclude, the main thing to take away is there are very noticeable differences between tree species and how they react. If you're serious about picking apart hot sign/analyzing rubs, I would strongly suggest doing some investigating of your own on the species you commonly find rubs on. To me the sap on the pine told an interesting story, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if rubs on particular species of pines would give different results.
The feel of the shreddings both attached to the rub and on the ground were very important. The pine dried in a day. The others took a few days to really stiffen up. Once again, I've often heard people say "there were still shavings on the ground so I knew it was fresh". I don't feel that's necessarily a GREAT indicator, especially if its in a protected area where leaf litter can't cover it as easily. Wind and time of year are also things to keep in mind. High winds will cover shavings up more/sooner. Shavings laid down early in the year won't have fresh leaves to cover them so there are many factors to think about. In general if shavings are VERY visible, that's a high likelihood of a very fresh rub. I think learning how they feel is more important than how they look.
The main thing to take away is if it feels WET... hang your set in your kill tree and be ready!
I found this rub on Feb 3rd and it was still wet with shavings on top of the snow. Only problem is I couldn’t hunt it because the season ended. Pretty surprised to find a fresh rub of this size in February.
Like alot of things "Beastly". The best way to figure this all out is boots on the ground/experience. Make some human rubs of your own and study them!!!!
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
- Lockdown
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- Huntress13
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Re: Unofficial Beast Rub Study
Cool. Just the kind of info I needed.
Your mystery tree, if the heart shaped leaves under it came off that tree, may be a Birch.
Your mystery tree, if the heart shaped leaves under it came off that tree, may be a Birch.
Twigs in my hair, don't care.
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Re: Unofficial Beast Rub Study
Giving this another bump, need to get on those super fresh rubs guys!
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