Rubs at field exit trail (farm country)

[mheichelbech]

If you find a large rub at a field exit trail and the trail is leading to bedding, is it normally safe to think this is the buck’s primary exit trail when there are no other rubs like this around the field?

What if you don’t find that it leads to bedding?

[WISCOANDY]

Which side of the tree is the rub on? Heading to the field, or from the field?

[mheichelbech]

From the field in the direction of his bed. It, to me, looked like a mailbox saying “Hey I live here...this is my spot.”

[Redman232]

A lot of the time, field edge rubs are marking doe trails. I don't put much stock in them, rub lines back in timber are a different story. Find the rub line from buck bedding to the field edge and you'll find your huckleberry.

[peteinvermont]

Every time I'm trying to figure something out, someone posts about it on this site as if they're reading my mind.

[mauser06]

Do you know where the bed is?


Could it been more of a sign post rub? I've seen that on farmland beds. Just a tree that every passing buck will rub..big or small.


In my experience trails leading back to bedding are either not really marked or are marked pretty well with a rub line that is pretty easy to follow. I've seen a few laid out that you could actually see the J hook into the bedding.

A single rub in a random spot doesn't tell me a lot other than a buck was there at some point..

[Boogieman1]

In my part of the country I don't put much stock into any type of rubs once the rut fires up. Those rub lines farther back in the timber here are only good for a very small window. I have low deer density so when a buck is cruising around if he comes across any doe that is getting remotely close he is bedding downwind of her. And that process just keeps repeating he never returns to the area he set up his initial rub lines back in pre rut and his bedding is just random depending only on where he is finding the ladies.

[dan]

If you find a large rub at a field exit trail and the trail is leading to bedding, is it normally safe to think this is the buck’s primary exit trail when there are no other rubs like this around the field?

What if you don’t find that it leads to bedding?

I certainly would not just assume that... Rubs are for a reason, and the majority outside of buck bedding areas are marking doe trails in my opinion. So the deer may have been leaving his calling card for the does, or using it to warn the bucks. What that one lone rub would tell me is that there is a good buck in the area.

[dan]

A lot of the time, field edge rubs are marking doe trails. I don't put much stock in them, rub lines back in timber are a different story. Find the rub line from buck bedding to the field edge and you'll find your huckleberry.

Guess I should of read the responses 1st Redman is spot on.

[mheichelbech]

I usually try to generalize my questions so the answers can have broader applicability.

In my specific situation there is no doubt the bucks primary bedding (probably wind based as it is perfect for prevailing winds in the areas) is directly into the woods at the military crest from that rub. His exit trail appears to be parallel with the ridge line into what is most likely doe bedding. There is a distinctive rub line leading from his bed, along the ridge ultimately into a draw several hundred yards down. Although he could easily exit out to an ag field, seems to traverse the ridge line.

What made me think the rub was a signpost or “mailbox” of sorts is i didn’t find any other rubs leading to bedding except the one which is about thigh sizes and 5 feet up.

[Boogieman1]

I usually try to generalize my questions so the answers can have broader applicability.

In my specific situation there is no doubt the bucks primary bedding (probably wind based as it is perfect for prevailing winds in the areas) is directly into the woods at the military crest from that rub. His exit trail appears to be parallel with the ridge line into what is most likely doe bedding. There is a distinctive rub line leading from his bed, along the ridge ultimately into a draw several hundred yards down. Although he could easily exit out to an ag field, seems to traverse the ridge line.

What made me think the rub was a signpost or “mailbox” of sorts is i didn’t find any other rubs leading to bedding except the one which is about thigh sizes and 5 feet up.

Good lord 5 ft up? I've never seen one over 30 something inches. What size thighs we talking here Earl Cambells or Lil Wayne's? U eithier got a monster or an Elk

[mheichelbech]

I usually try to generalize my questions so the answers can have broader applicability.

In my specific situation there is no doubt the bucks primary bedding (probably wind based as it is perfect for prevailing winds in the areas) is directly into the woods at the military crest from that rub. His exit trail appears to be parallel with the ridge line into what is most likely doe bedding. There is a distinctive rub line leading from his bed, along the ridge ultimately into a draw several hundred yards down. Although he could easily exit out to an ag field, seems to traverse the ridge line.

What made me think the rub was a signpost or “mailbox” of sorts is i didn’t find any other rubs leading to bedding except the one which is about thigh sizes and 5 feet up.

Good lord 5 ft up? I've never seen one over 30 something inches. What size thighs we talking here Earl Cambells or Lil Wayne's? U eithier got a monster or an Elk

Lol..wasn’t thigh sized 5 foot up...but he’d clearly rubbed on the tree that high (branches). I am 5’7” and it was shoulder height. Up to my waist it was in between a fence post and telephone pole size.

[mheichelbech]

I usually try to generalize my questions so the answers can have broader applicability.

In my specific situation there is no doubt the bucks primary bedding (probably wind based as it is perfect for prevailing winds in the areas) is directly into the woods at the military crest from that rub. His exit trail appears to be parallel with the ridge line into what is most likely doe bedding. There is a distinctive rub line leading from his bed, along the ridge ultimately into a draw several hundred yards down. Although he could easily exit out to an ag field, seems to traverse the ridge line.

What made me think the rub was a signpost or “mailbox” of sorts is i didn’t find any other rubs leading to bedding except the one which is about thigh sizes and 5 feet up.

Good lord 5 ft up? I've never seen one over 30 something inches. What size thighs we talking here Earl Cambells or Lil Wayne's? U eithier got a monster or an Elk

Lol..wasn’t thigh sized 5 foot up...but he’d clearly rubbed on the tree that high (branches). I am 5’7” and it was shoulder height. Up to my waist it was in between a fence post and telephone pole size.

I would say that by the size of his bed and the sound of his hoods hitting the ground as ran off the other day, definitely has to be a big, heavy deer. Sounded like a light horse taking off.