Huge rubs in mass quantity.

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Tennhunter3
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Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Tue Aug 18, 2020 4:54 pm

Today I went scouting in a area I had never been what I found was just unbelievable.

I had a point marked on a map in Middle Tn for two years to scout but I never got around to it.

Today I drove to the area and walked it.
I walked through a swamp and up onto a point surrounded by water on 2 sides.


Their was several huge beds on its tip and a trail running the top of the hill through brush for about a hundred yards to more bedding. And a trail cutting across the point sideways.

As I reached the point I began seeing huge rubs everywhere not a few like most places. I saw probably 60 leg sized rubs and several the size of telephone poles, several small ones.

Some trees were dead they had been rubbed so much. Every year for who knows how long .

I don't know what to make of this I've never seen anything like it.

The point had 2 large scrapes with licking branches on both. It seemed like all the rubs in the forest were focused into a single spot.

Obviously theres competition in this area between bucks . What happened here to create this? Multiple mature buck bedding areas overlapping possibly?


I scout probably 80 areas a year and I've never seen rubs like this on any wma.


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Bonecrusher101
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Tue Aug 18, 2020 9:08 pm

Awesome, and congratulations, you found it!

I feel like I’ve searched for something like this every time I scout. I continuously am thinking this amazing spot is just over there and it’s never anything like you just described.

Yeah I’d guess all deer act differently and you’ve found a spot where multiple deer funnel through or at least a few aggressive mature bucks. Or, it could be preferable bedding and the bucks are willing to battle who has the right to be there.

Good luck hunting it this fall and keep us posted on it!
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Tue Aug 18, 2020 10:20 pm

I suspected it may be a good area for bucks to bed. I never thought I'd find something like that.
I walk alot of properties that look better then this. From a map point of view.
Point looked like any other nothing specal.


Most bed rooms I find have less then 10 rubs and some have none. This spot is just weird.

It is overlooked. Hard to access, surrounded by pressure.

I've also come to the conclusion of how do I hunt it. Rising thermal seems it will be extremely difficult no matter where i setup thermal will go right upto that bedding area. Going to be really difficult spot to hunt. Definitely need to hunt it on falling afternoon thermal.


Why is the trail on the top of the hill not the side slopes? Alot of the brush is about chest high and a tangle. Perhaps it's easier walking or the scent from that scrape blows down that trail on falling thermal to the beds on the tip?
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Tennhunter3
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Tue Aug 18, 2020 11:04 pm

Bonecrusher101 wrote:Awesome, and congratulations, you found it!

I feel like I’ve searched for something like this every time I scout. I continuously am thinking this amazing spot is just over there and it’s never anything like you just described.

Yeah I’d guess all deer act differently and you’ve found a spot where multiple deer funnel through or at least a few aggressive mature bucks. Or, it could be preferable bedding and the bucks are willing to battle who has the right to be there.

Good luck hunting it this fall and keep us posted on it!


Found what though?
I don't really know what to make of it.
Doubt I'll ever find a spot with sign like this again in my 20 years of hunting it is unique.

Going to be a nightmare to enter exit and setup near.
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Ryan549
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Ryan549 » Tue Aug 18, 2020 11:42 pm

Go get him
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Rich M
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Rich M » Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:09 am

Sounds like a great spot. Multiple bucks, bedding, travel routes.

Would love to see what a camera would tell about the area. A cell cam sounds like the way to go.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:21 am

Minus the scrapes I have seen something similar once. Was behind a cemetery and littered with the biggest rubs I’ve ever seen. 100s of em from current to several years old. In fact it was harder to find a big tree that wasn’t rubbed. Spot was not very big maybe 12 acres in size. A few years of running cams revealed it was not any type of competition amongst bucks. In fact it was one single buck in the entire area. He never left in that hideout in daylight and guess kept all the other bucks away with his constant presence. Suspect a high percentage of those rubs were made out of boredom cause he stayed confined to a small area in daylight. Was a heck of a buck I got to watch for years. Wasn’t allowed to hunt him but he taught me all kinds of stuff. Not saying this is your case but there’s probably a good number of different things to explain such.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:45 am

I found a place similar to that. At least 50 rubs in a 40 yard circle. It was near a human trail that I and other hunters used. I never bumped bucks around it, so it leads me to believe most were happening at night.A really cool spot, but in my case, I don’t think it would have paid off sitting on it. I should have dropped a cam on it, but didn’t.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:17 am

Lot of rubs can be yesterday news quick. I would be more interested where they were coming from or where they were going. Unless you can get in at just time as it is happening.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:52 am

My first impression is that it’s a great bedding area, with a very aggressive buck using it. Possibly two. Is crossing the marsh the only access?

One of my first years as a Beast I had one buck that left a ton of sign. Big rubs and TONS of scrapes. There would be 6 scrapes on the same tree sometimes. 30 scrapes in a small area.

I hunted him a time or two that fall and none of the sign reappeared. Found out later a big one got shot in there the year before. That spot hasn’t looked the same since.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Wed Aug 19, 2020 10:40 am

[quote="Lockdown"]My first impression is that it’s a great bedding area, with a very aggressive buck using it. Possibly two. Is crossing the marsh the only access?

One of my first years as a Beast I had one buck that left a ton of sign. Big rubs and TONS of scrapes. There would be 6 scrapes on the same tree sometimes. 30 scrapes in a small area.

I hunted him a time or two that fall and none of the sign reappeared. Found out later a big one got shot in there the year before. That spot hasn’t looked the same since.[/quote

Crossing the marsh appears to be the only way.
If I go into detail no doubt someone would find it.
Let's just say private is nearby this wma.

Today I think I may have found why this particular point is so good but I can't say anything more then the surrounding properties hunt and this spot noone goes in due to its water, creeks and very high brush.

While I have been dreaming about what this spot may hold I would rather have the buck then a camera pic. If I tried to put a cam in this area chances are I would ruin it. So im.fighting the urge.

What I can say is this particular point does not have bedding for a certain wind and I have been trying to locate where these bucks may be bedding for that 4th wind direction.

I kicked a group of bucks today bedding in some marsh grass by a swamp. I'm not usually so secretive about spots but I know I need to be careful what I say or don't.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:31 am

Im a bit lost, but understand not wanting to blow a good spot. But are u talking massive rubs from last seasons rut? Or are u talking u got some velvet bucks tearing up the timber? Also what’s the timing we are talking about here? I’ve never hunted Tennessee but are we saying August rubs are a serious game changer? When do yalls season open? Is a early summer spot good for all phases of the hunting season? Or are u talking bout rut rubs and timing it up for the rut? Sounds like a sweet spot just trying to figure out the logic and thought process involved.
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:58 am

I was thinking he was talking rubs from last year?
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Bonecrusher101
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:12 pm

Tennhunter3 wrote:
Bonecrusher101 wrote:Awesome, and congratulations, you found it!

I feel like I’ve searched for something like this every time I scout. I continuously am thinking this amazing spot is just over there and it’s never anything like you just described.

Yeah I’d guess all deer act differently and you’ve found a spot where multiple deer funnel through or at least a few aggressive mature bucks. Or, it could be preferable bedding and the bucks are willing to battle who has the right to be there.

Good luck hunting it this fall and keep us posted on it!


Found what though?
I don't really know what to make of it.
Doubt I'll ever find a spot with sign like this again in my 20 years of hunting it is unique.

Going to be a nightmare to enter exit and setup near.


You found the Mecca, the mother load of pure whitetail gold! Man if it’s got that kind of sign there has been a ton of time the deer have spent there.

Do you think bucks rub more during September and October before the rut?
Be original and Enjoy every step along the adventure.
Tennhunter3
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Re: Huge rubs in mass quantity.

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:15 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:Im a bit lost, but understand not wanting to blow a good spot. But are u talking massive rubs from last seasons rut? Or are u talking u got some velvet bucks tearing up the timber? Also what’s the timing we are talking about here? I’ve never hunted Tennessee but are we saying August rubs are a serious game changer? When do yalls season open? Is a early summer spot good for all phases of the hunting season? Or are u talking bout rut rubs and timing it up for the rut? Sounds like a sweet spot just trying to figure out the logic and thought process involved.



They were last years and older.
But the huge beds show theres a bedding area nearby. I'm quite sure its primary bedding.

I intend to hunt it after surrounding pressure has pushed everything into that area. Reminds me of that spot Dan won't hunt until pheasant season has started.

The scrapes were clean no leaves so they had been recently used. Our season outside cwd zone starts the end of September. I don't intend to hurt this until early November.

It is probably used year round.
As to when the rubs start in this area I'm not sure.
Last edited by Tennhunter3 on Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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