Comments on: Buck Rubs – The Rundown On Deer Rubs

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:24:03 +0000

Hey, I just found a rub line and the rut is starting to slow down. Do the deer start working those rubs again late in the season after the rut ends.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:13:20 +0000

Hello. I was out hunting in western Pennsylvania during late season archery on an abandoned farm where i’ve seen 5 doe before. There is an old pasture and a large cornfield that is still processed yearly by someone renting the land. Anyway, I looked all around the surrounding wooded areas for rubs and scrapes in late October-Mid November and found six rubs on a bunch of sumacs grouped together on the edge of the cornfield as if they were made while leaving the feeding grounds. I got up early everyday for about a week and posted in a tree about 50 yards away overlooking this area and did not see the buck that left these rubs. I’d check for scrapes on the ground and there would be some new ones atleast every-other day. I thought maybe this buck is making his rounds at night, so I posted from noon till 5:45-6:00 pm. Still no buck around. I then decided to hunt the doe in the area when the season started.

The late archery season starts and I decide to hunt the woods near the pasture which is maybe 100 yards from the cornfield and the spot of trees where the rubs and scrapes were. Now I’m ready for these doe, and out of the five i’ve seen, I wasn’t going home without one of them. I knew that they came from one side of the pasture into the woods I was hunting at around 4:30-5:30pm so I posted between two trees on the ground with the wind at my face. I look into the pasture and see 4 deer heading my way at a gallop and one was no deer that I saw there before. It was big. I waited with my crossbow in hand and heard them rustling in the woods coming towards me through some heavy brush. The one that I never seen there popped out and walked slowly between a bunch of small trees. The other ones stayed back. I stopped it by making a “Mer” sound, and it popped its head up. My god, this was the buck that I’ve been tracking. His neck was thick and he was huge. I didnt have time to count the horns, but I knew he was more than 10 points. He had a thick rack.

I didnt have a good shot at him where I was, so I moved slowly once he put his head towards the ground again. I was only about 15-25 yards from this beast. I took aim and let out another “Mer,” and took the best shot that I had on him. Pow!! My bolt hit a small tree and the buck ran off the opposite way. It made me sick, because my heart was pounding and adrenaline was flowing. If that small tree hadn’t been there, I was going to hit him right in the kill. He was infact heading towards that patch of rubs and scrapes. I went back the next morning and followed his tracks that he left in the snow from when I shot at him, and they lead all the way back to where he left the rubs. There were new scrapes and he pissed all over the place.

I found out from a neighbor that this same buck has been in his yard eating from his apple tree in the fall and he had a picture of it. It was indeed a mature 12 point buck.

With two days left until the late season archery ends, you bet i’ll be waiting for that buck. And if I dont get him during this time, I figured I’ll study him some more by setting up trailer cams to see when he makes his rounds regularly and to see the trophy I may one day have on my wall.

By: Dakota

Dakota — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:45:30 +0000

Why do deer prefer cedar trees over any other?

By: chase

chase — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:49:00 +0000

why do they pee in the spot

By: john walker

john walker — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:49:27 +0000

iv got a buck rubing on 3 paths one from a cow paster and one going into and out of some thick brush and cover iv only seen 2 scrapes on the trail comeing from the cow paster to the beding area well it looks like the beding area its an over grown filled with honey suckels all around it last year the does and buck all came out of it at about 6 to 7:30 pm will thay change ther beding every year also the rubs from the paster go right down the beding area into some thick thick stuff will a buck stop rubing and scrapeing when the rut completly comes in.

By: jaison

jaison — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:22:35 +0000

i found a good rub on my property during the pre rut. during the early season i found a rub line on small trees. im wondering if i will ever see this buck during the rut or im just wasting my time. thanks

By: liz

liz — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:27:31 +0000

hello i hope to get some answers if possible i luv to scout for deer and the challege it gives i have been huntting this area for two years i was scoutting the other day to get ready for the season when i came across trails rubs and clearing spots from paw diggin it runs along a spring fed creek woods open and thick and wide open fields it has everything you can amagine but from what i have read above then if i have open field then open wood and the creek then the thick woods and the rubs are on the side going i believe the thick woods is where their bedding then over they come from the fields from eatting the do the rubbing so that would mean they are doing it in the morning when they are done feeding on the way back to the bedding then if i could get some answers that would be great and im diff getting the camra i think that would help a great deal thanks everyone

By: Deer Hunting

Deer Hunting — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:23:40 +0000

Hi Brandon,

I couldn’t answer this question fully without knowing more about your set up. A few things I would keep in mind is the path you’re entering the hunting area and the wind direction while you’re on stand. If you cross deer trails as you walk in, chances are you’re spooking any deer that walk down those trails. Always have several ways to get to your stands.

Also, it could be poor stand location. If you’re setting up over feeding areas hoping to get a shot, then you may want to look at setting up over funnels or bottlenecks or back in the woods along trail intersections.

Many hunters make the mistake of sitting on top of a food source and never change their stand locations. Don’t get lazy, move your stand if you’re not seeing deer!

By: Brandon

Brandon — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:07:54 +0000

hello,
I had a few questions that hopefully you can answer..I hunt an apple and peach orchard in central ohio, there is about 180 acres and A LOT of deer in this area, the signs are there. I have seen many nice bucks and a numerous amount of doe on the property…I have trail cam pictures and I have also seen these deer scouting..but my problem is everytime i hunt the area i never seem to get anything to come into bow range…sometimes even range for my shotgun during gun season..any suggestions as to how i may be able to get the deer to come within bow range? I do everything to the T as far as scent control goes. They do not come to calling, rattaling or anything? I even have mineral sites and also a couple feeding sites as well, just cant seem to get them to come when i sit in my stand. I have seen trees as thick as my legs with rubs..if you could possibly give me any advice it would be greatly appreciated!!

By: Joey

Joey — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:34:21 +0000

its about a week after hunting season and i wanna keep a watch on the deer i have by my house. I have a 5 acre feild with a deer trail going inti about a 35 acre wooded land and then it goes on about a 200 acre tree farm…I see tracks… rubs everywhere….most old but some new…my problem is the deer come out at night. So i wanted to know what i could feed the deer to make them healthy…and how to get them to com out at night