interpreting when sign was made

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Jimmy wallhanger
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interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby Jimmy wallhanger » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:16 am

Watched the new Youtube video with Dan and Rick scouting and other than the GIANT antler they found what got me thinking was Dan interpreting what time of year the area was being used.

This is my first year actually trying to learn how to kill a buck rather then just sitting over a pile of corn. Ive been out scouting as much as I can with family obligations and Im finding buck beds and am going where other hunters are not and Im finding nice trails and beds but Im not able to figure out when the beds may be used etc.

Im going to throw up some cameras in the area but dont want to rely on them alone.

What are some basic things to think about to try to solve this puzzle.

Thanks in advance.


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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby sagDE » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:45 am

I am far from an expert, but I would say cover. If the bed doesn't have any cover at a given time of year, but does at another. Like in the video, in the winter the beds didn't have any cover. But, in the early season they would have. I'm sure that there are other things as well, but I'm here to lean myself!
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Tim H
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby Tim H » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:46 am

In regard to interpreting sign, I think it goes back to experience and seeing the sign over and over. Once you get a grasp of the difference in color and dryness of rubs you get a sense of time frame they were made. Plus when you're out in season scouting and analyzing sign, you are seeing more and more fresh stuff versus month old stuff. You develop an eye for it over time.

In rubs, for me to determine age I really look at the color of the tree of the bark. Also look at shavings. Also take note the weather that's been in the area recently whether it has rained or snowed.
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby Jimmy wallhanger » Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:29 am

Tim H wrote:In regard to interpreting sign, I think it goes back to experience and seeing the sign over and over. Once you get a grasp of the difference in color and dryness of rubs you get a sense of time frame they were made. Plus when you're out in season scouting and analyzing sign, you are seeing more and more fresh stuff versus month old stuff. You develop an eye for it over time.

In rubs, for me to determine age I really look at the color of the tree of the bark. Also look at shavings. Also take note the weather that's been in the area recently whether it has rained or snowed.


How long does it take generally for a rub to dry out?
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Tim H
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby Tim H » Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:20 am

Jimmy wallhanger wrote:
Tim H wrote:In regard to interpreting sign, I think it goes back to experience and seeing the sign over and over. Once you get a grasp of the difference in color and dryness of rubs you get a sense of time frame they were made. Plus when you're out in season scouting and analyzing sign, you are seeing more and more fresh stuff versus month old stuff. You develop an eye for it over time.

In rubs, for me to determine age I really look at the color of the tree of the bark. Also look at shavings. Also take note the weather that's been in the area recently whether it has rained or snowed.


How long does it take generally for a rub to dry out?


Honestly it depends on a lot of circumstances and it's a judgement call for the most part. Here is a picture of a giant rub I found in December last season. I looked at this rub with such amazement! But could see that it was at least 2 months old more than likely. It was pretty faded. The inner bark wasn't as bright and had a dull orange brown to it. Also note that it had a rub on the other tree that was made the prior year. So this tree was a favorite by some bucks.

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purebowhunting
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby purebowhunting » Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:26 am

Some things take experience that I'm still gaining, but a few things I see is mildew on rubs. I live in the north and in the fall through spring if I see a rub will mildew I'm confident that's early season sign since it won't form in freezing conditions. Beds with matted down longer vegetation I'm confident wasn't used early season, at least not heavily, since the grass wouldn't have the chance to grow tall. Cover can tell you when it was used if you think how thick it was during leaf cover vs after leaf drop, some get way to exposed. Those are a few things I see, other little things are difficult to explain and take experience and much varries from location to location.
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:35 am

My observations of rub timing is from MO and IL.
Early season rubs have warm temps and high humidity. That leads me to think any rubs found with black specs and a moldy look was a very early rub.
Later rubs will have less ability to do that and less sap flow also.
Major leaf drop in most areas will be a short window. So for shaving under leaves you can get pretty accurate cut off .
Once I switched to bow hunting the whole season instead of the short gun season my observations covered so much more time events in the natural world. Gun hunters are handicapped in that regard.
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby naternate » Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:30 pm

I would second the cover as a determining factor for determining time of year. I have found bedding on the edge of swamps that had a lot of lush green cover (grass,plants, etc) but not as much brush. As soon as they started to die out it was too open which made it more early season beds. Also bedding in open cattails in my area seems to be earlier season bedding. We don’t have the giant cattails like Dan has in Wisconsin. Ours are only chest high in most places and when the cattails die out and break off from snow and wind they are knee to maybe waist level. Bedding on a slight rise in the cattails becomes to exposed. Beds in very thick brushy areas seem to hold more consistently year round here. I don’t have as good of a handle on determining timing for hill bedding but hopefully will after this year!
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Re: interpreting when sign was made

Unread postby naternate » Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:33 pm

justdirtyfun wrote:My observations of rub timing is from MO and IL.
Early season rubs have warm temps and high humidity. That leads me to think any rubs found with black specs and a moldy look was a very early rub.
Later rubs will have less ability to do that and less sap flow also.
Major leaf drop in most areas will be a short window. So for shaving under leaves you can get pretty accurate cut off .
Once I switched to bow hunting the whole season instead of the short gun season my observations covered so much more time events in the natural world. Gun hunters are handicapped in that regard.


That is a great point I have never thought of! I definitely get what your saying about the look of those rubs...have seen them before but never put it together that it was mildew/mold from warm temps.


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