annual big rubs

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Djp32
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annual big rubs

Unread postby Djp32 » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:40 pm

im going to humble myself a little bit here for the sake of getting some expert opinions on big rubs. so i bought new property that is directly adjacent to state game lands in the winter of 2016. i was very new to the area in general. the fall of 2017 i was scouting right near camp and found a big rub shredded up pretty good about the size of a coffee can. i ran a camera in the yard of the cabin on corn which is probably only 400 yards from the rubs and didnt get any pictures of good buck until late winter. that shed season i had a pretty decent buck coming to the feed pretty often. he looked like a 2.5 year old to me and he was probably 18" inside but all broke up and fairly thin. i didnt really pay much attention to him since it was after the season and i didn't hunt right there at camp anyways. i only feed them there to try and keep there sheds near by and to give them some good minerals. now its the fall of 2018 and in late october i get a 150" buck the shows up on the camera for only a few days and that was it. again didnt think much of it because it was getting close to rutting time and he was literally in the yard of camp. i figured he was just a satellite buck just traveling by and never thought he was the one from earlier that winter that was all broke up. so now this season i didnt run the camera and i didnt have any feed out all year. my neighbor up the road puts out a little bit of feed in his yard occasionally who does keep a camera on all year and ends up getting pictures of the same 150ish size buck from last fall during the same week in october as the year prior. so now a light bulb goes off and i start putting all this together and realize i have seen pics of this deer for 3 years in a row now even though they are very limited. so a few weeks ago i went to the place where i originally found that big rub in 2017 and low and behold there are 5 or 6 big coffee can size trees that are just tore up in the same exact place. so i guess my question is what do these big rubs even mean? they are all with in a 20yd x 20yd square. i wasnt up there last year to see if he rubbed any but it did look like there were some old tine marks in the trees. this is within 300 yards to the only cabins around and on a huge chunk of heavily pressured public land. i feel like i might have found the old over looked spot but with all the pressure near by im not sure. are those rubs most likely right where he beds or are they in line with some kinda bedding to feeding? does a bunch of big rubs close to each other generally mean something in particular? my thoughts are to make sure im there during those same days in october this coming season. sorry for going on an on i just felt like its important to know that these are really isolated and 3 years history on basically the same trees. he doesnt show up enough to make me think he really lives that close but i guess thats what im asking. maybe its stricly just part of his rut regimen... any thoughts on any prior experiences??


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Ghost Hunter
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:26 pm

Do you know what time you and your neighbor were getting pictures?
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:05 pm

I’ve got a few spots with big annual rubs...

Buck bedding area
Edges of doe bedding
Speculative edge of overlapping core areas

All the areas seem to heat up within a 1-2 week annual period in relation to rut phase and buck density.

I’d hang a camera in in that rub area and let it soak for 2020 season. Maybe throw a sit at it when you think the time is right, but you run the risk of disrupting the annual pattern.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby matt1336 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:51 am

Here what you probably shouldn’t do

...hang a camera and check it often
....hang a stand over the rubs/sign and hunt it often
Lol.

Is there a doe group that hangs out by your place? Maybe a doe comes into estrus around that time in October?
Maybe this buck just has his circuit that takes and your place is on it.
I’d have to think that there’s a reason he’s comes around tho other than purely habit. Something is bringing him there. My guess would be does and or possibly the competition of other bucks. Especially considering that time of year you’re seeing him.
So maybe use a mobile set and pop around different dress of that small property when the time is right. Don’t overlook any potential bedding. You should learn a lot from this guy! Good luck.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Fri Jan 18, 2019 2:15 am

You can scout the similar terrain /vegetation nearby to find similar height rubs. If your area is marked up he probably has more tell tale sign elsewhere. With public ground nearby you can at least look for more details, private land limits the search.
Also consider putting in a track trap with bare ground or something to help you identify his prints. Take pictures to keep onhand.
Weather underground is a website that can give historical data so if you have sightings or trail cam pics go back to cross reference the wind/weather conditions he was spotted with.
Good luck.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Swampbuck » Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:17 am

I've seen that a buck will hit the same trees, nearly the same time every year. It could be for different reasons. Mostly what I have seen is it's either near doe bedding or an area where does come to, usually an intersecting of trails. And he will know the time of year they get hot and come check then. I had camera evidence if buck doing this multiple years. I think that is largely what drives their rut circuits
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:30 am

Swampbuck wrote:I've seen that a buck will hit the same trees, nearly the same time every year. It could be for different reasons. Mostly what I have seen is it's either near doe bedding or an area where does come to, usually an intersecting of trails. And he will know the time of year they get hot and come check then. I had camera evidence if buck doing this multiple years. I think that is largely what drives their rut circuits

very likely from does i have one spot that has hundreds of rubs like this. well last year a guy came in and shot four big does off the ridge this year zero rubs we hit again and there are lots of bucks in the general area.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 18, 2019 5:16 am

Based on your description and without actually looking at the terrain, any answer I could give would be a guess. But what I can say is that rubs are made with a purpose. Marking a cross trail of a doe, or the exit of a doe bedding area, or the exit of a buck bedding area, or a feeding area, or its a particular type of tree that he likes to rub and that's the only spot its at, so when he comes by he rubs it.

But the real answer you need is: Stop looking for big rubs and find his bedding area. You need to look at terrain and habitat, not buck sign. Bucks spend most of there awake hours at night. so there is likely a 90% chance or greater those rubs were made at night without any other pieces to the puzzle... Big rubs tell you a buck is nearby. Now figure out where he beds, and moves in daylight. If those rubs are 100 yards from his bed? Well then I am excited.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Djp32 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:31 am

Ghost Hunter wrote:Do you know what time you and your neighbor were getting pictures?


the only picture i seen of him this year was from my neighbor and it was 9:30 pm right in front of his cabin at his little feed pile and he was with 2 does on oct 23. he told me he has more pics of him but i havent seen them so i cant confirm dates and time. im going to ask him for those pics but im not sure if hes going to cooperate or not once he knows im trying to put something together to kill him. last fall my times were around 4 am and then from 7 to 11pm the same time of year
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Djp32 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:36 am

matt1336 wrote:Here what you probably shouldn’t do

...hang a camera and check it often
....hang a stand over the rubs/sign and hunt it often
Lol.

Is there a doe group that hangs out by your place? Maybe a doe comes into estrus around that time in October?
Maybe this buck just has his circuit that takes and your place is on it.
I’d have to think that there’s a reason he’s comes around tho other than purely habit. Something is bringing him there. My guess would be does and or possibly the competition of other bucks. Especially considering that time of year you’re seeing him.
So maybe use a mobile set and pop around different dress of that small property when the time is right. Don’t overlook any potential bedding. You should learn a lot from this guy! Good luck.



there are actually always a group of does that hang around camp that dont ever seem to get killed. i think i have a good idea where they tend to bed at. i ve actually found many of the beds inbetween our two cabin inbetween us and the road/creek.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Djp32 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:52 am

i guess i just find it hard to believe that he spends the majority of his time anywhere even close to me. between my neighbors full time camera/feed pile and my occasional fall inventory/winter time feed pile camera that the last two years he only showed up on for a few days in october and thats it. i tend to believe that it is just part of his annual rut circuit to scent check the local does that hang around. my gut tells me i need to hone in on the doe bedding near by and try to intercept him during late october when hes expexted to make his rounds. its like i have to be down wind of down wind of the doe bedding. that little cluster of rubs are really big for this area and also dam near the only ones even remotely close.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:13 am

Djp32 wrote:
Ghost Hunter wrote:Do you know what time you and your neighbor were getting pictures?


the only picture i seen of him this year was from my neighbor and it was 9:30 pm right in front of his cabin at his little feed pile and he was with 2 does on oct 23. he told me he has more pics of him but i havent seen them so i cant confirm dates and time. im going to ask him for those pics but im not sure if hes going to cooperate or not once he knows im trying to put something together to kill him. last fall my times were around 4 am and then from 7 to 11pm the same time of year


Think would leave it alone then if he is acting funny. Think you have enough knowledge. You just need try and locate where he is before he gets to there at that time. Might be difficult with those times. But, I would be trying in next couple months and put your best plan together for this coming season and be sneaky.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:07 pm

what kind of woods are you hunting? how much pressure does it get? i would not be surprised if the buck is close just because he old hits a rub at x time. does not mean anything ive seen bucks that live 200 yards away from spots and never set a track there till game time. a mature buck is very elusive they can live under your radar there entire life. it only takes a quarter of an acre too hide. leave no stone un turned.
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Djp32 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:01 pm

ghoasthunter wrote:what kind of woods are you hunting? how much pressure does it get? i would not be surprised if the buck is close just because he old hits a rub at x time. does not mean anything ive seen bucks that live 200 yards away from spots and never set a track there till game time. a mature buck is very elusive they can live under your radar there entire life. it only takes a quarter of an acre too hide. leave no stone un turned.


im on the very edge of about a 10000 acre patch of public that gets lots of pressure in gun season but not much in archery. its very mountainous big timber with just a little farm land around, very rural our camps are well off the beaten path but there are does that do stay right amongst us. i call it hill country and try to use everything that applys to that but i cant wait until dan brings out his big woods dvd this summer because i think ill have to take a little from each to really tighen up my learning curve
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Re: annual big rubs

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:51 pm

How large is the property? I’m guessing he’s either running his rut circuit or that’s part of his seasonal shift in mid October. Not going to say he does or doesn’t have a bed there but chances are good he does.
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