Marsh / Swamp Rubs

[RiverBottoms]

Hey Guys

Are there marsh/swamp bushes or trees that deer don't prefer to rub, or that the rubs don't show up very well on? Do you typically see rubs in your marshes on pussy willow / dog wood etc. I've noticed that it can be hard to find rubs on these bushes, either because they are not there or they don't show much color contrast when they are fresh. What do you guys think?

[Denisboyko22]

Hey Guys

Are there marsh/swamp bushes or trees that deer don't prefer to rub, or that the rubs don't show up very well on? Do you typically see rubs in your marshes on pussy willow / dog wood etc. I've noticed that it can be hard to find rubs on these bushes, either because they are not there or they don't show much color contrast when they are fresh. What do you guys think?

I hope this this come out rude at all but everywhere I've scouted in wisconsin dogwood seems to be the main attraction to rubs and if you find any trees along a deer trail that dont have much branches for the first few feet seemed to get hammered. You sometimes wont see the rub walking in but walking they will stand out like a sore thumb because of the bright orange/red color just gotta keep an eye open but mainly find my tubs along transitions and trails

[Lockdown]

I don’t see many rubs in willow thickets. They do rub dogwood a fair amount, especially if there aren’t any suitable rubbing trees around. They prefer smooth barked trees, not thick/rough bark.

One thing I have done quite often is follow the trails out of thicket bedding to dryer land where there are bigger and more suitable rubbing trees. Even the small bucks seem to like the rigidity of the bigger trees. So sometimes they’ll browse around in the bedding, but not rub until they’re a ways away. That might mean several hundred yards.

Most often I’ll find a few rubs in the bedding, then a cluster when they hit the suitable rubbing trees.

[Cchez]

Like Dennisboyko said, focus along the edges and you should find the sign. I've seen them rub on all kinds of different trees and shrubs. One of the things to look for on the shrubby stuff is that the small branches will be thrashed all over. The more you scout, the easier it will be get to identify them. A spot in a marsh i found last year, this particular buck seemed to like thrashing small dogwood/ alder/ willow bushes, not so much a singular tree.

[headgear]

I seem to find more swamp rubs on alder brush and tamarak that most others I find in swamps. I think they like the softer bark, they can really dig into it. I see plenty of other trees rubbed up too but the two I mentioned seemed to be the main swamp rubs where I hunt. Cedar too but not nearly as much as the others.

[RiverBottoms]

Thanks for the insights guys. I've noticed a lack of rubs in the bedding in a few areas, and it tends to be a lot of really tangled up scrubby brush - mostly pussy willow I think... Makes sense that the rubs might be easier to find once you get to the hardwoods just outside the bedding. I'm also working on getting better at identifying what exactly the "tangled up scrubby brush" is that I mentioned above. If you can't tell, I'm not real good with identifying specific plants

[greenhorndave]

Smooth-barked stuff just off edges too... Poplars are popular.

I also find some older cedars with sparse branches near the bottom are a real attractant, especially for the big boys.

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[BorealBushMN]

Ash trees, Jack Pine, Red Pine, Poplar and Alder seem to be the most common trees I see up north rubbed up.

[Merritt]

Cedar Tree's. Around rut where I'm at, just inside the cattails on dry land, any live cedar is bright orange from bucks hammering em. Looks like a bright orange trail if you look down a point that's being all rubbed up