Rub height vs rub diameter

[russellb80]

Ive heard dan talk about rub height vs diameter in some of the podcasts that hes been on...what is everyone else take on that subject? Tried posting a pic of a rub for attn., but I havent figured that part out yet...lol my 1st post here on the beast thanks

[Whitetailaddict]

Welcome. I've never had a trail cam on a high rub but I've had one on a large diameter tree. It's been my experience some little bucks will take on trees larger than you would guess. I can't say for sure about height but when you think of the size difference with a mature deer they will be able to put more weight into the rub higher up whereas a younger deer tends to drop their head while rubbing to gain leverage on the tree. Rubs tell a piece of the puzzle but not the whole thing.

[tgreeno]

Welcome...Here are a couple good threads on this very topic.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11319

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22979

[brancher147]

Try postimage.org to upload photos. Upload then click hotlink for forums to copy the pic then paste like this.

I watched a spike make this rub this year. Notice it is low down on the tree and not very torn up, and it is a cedar tree. I have found rub height to be much more important than rub diameter, unless the two combine then that really gets my attention. If a large diameter tree is rubbed low down and not really torn apart then it doesn't get my attention, especially if it is a soft species such as cedar or striped maple or pine. A very small buck can make a very large rub on a soft wood/soft bark tree, and you can usually tell if it is not really torn up. But a young buck cannot rub at increased height because he is not that tall, unless it is on a steep downhill slope, which you have to be aware of also. Honestly what gets me fired up more than anything is small trees or laurel bushes that are rubbed and broken off high above the ground. It takes a mature buck to break off a small tree or laurel bush. Don't get me wrong, a big rub really torn up on a hardwood tree gets me fired up also, but big rubs can be misleading.

[Mathewshooter]

I would think it would be hard for a young buck to make a high rub but theres nothing stopping a mature buck from making a low rub. Don't totally ignore a low rub. I like to look for rubs that look like they were made with a cheese grater. In my opinion, it takes a deer with heavy beading near his bases to do this. Young bucks just dont have this heavy beading. The rubs they make look like they were made by rubbing something smooth against the tree. Broke off branches are another thing to look for. It usually takes a deer with long tines to break off branches. The shorter tined deer will just have the branches slip out of their racks when rubbing. Tine marks well above the main part of the rub could indicate a tall, long tined rack as well.

[dan]

I would think it would be hard for a young buck to make a high rub but theres nothing stopping a mature buck from making a low rub. Don't totally ignore a low rub. I like to look for rubs that look like they were made with a cheese grater. In my opinion, it takes a deer with heavy beading near his bases to do this. Young bucks just dont have this heavy beading. The rubs they make look like they were made by rubbing something smooth against the tree. Broke off branches are another thing to look for. It usually takes a deer with long tines to break off branches. The shorter tined deer will just have the branches slip out of their racks when rubbing. Tine marks well above the main part of the rub could indicate a tall, long tined rack as well.

I kinda disagree with that... My observations tell me that its a bucks height that determines the rub center height. It would be just as hard for a 5 year old buck to bend far enough to down to rub a tree a foot off the ground as it would for a 1.5 year old buck to stretch high enough to rub a tree 4 feet off the ground. I really studied this a few years back, and there are specific height ranges for the different age class bucks. The hardest ones that could fool you were the soft bush type rubs where a small or a big buck could bend it and rub higher cause the tree was bent.

[Jphunter]

In the past I didn't put a lot of thought into rub height. I just thought a buck would rub at different heights.. After hearing Dan talk about different heights and age class I started paying closer attention.. From what I've seen in the field and with cameras set-up over rub lines I find rub height to deer size pretty accurate.

I've been traveling further north the last few years and have seen a big difference in the height of rubs made by larger northern deer compared to Rubs I see further south. Bigger deer higher rubs.

[bwwma]

High. Gouges in the tree are also a plus.