How To Tell If A Buck Rub Is Fresh

Next to scraping sign, few things grab a hunter'south attending more than the sight of a large buck rub. The mere presence of rubbing sign adds to a hunt's excitement. As intriguing as rubs are, the "why" and "how" bucks make them is often disregarded by hunters.

Time Line

Prior to velvet peel rubbing is nonexistent. Rubbing behavior begins with velvet skin in tardily Baronial and early on September in the north and ends in one case antlers are cast. After years of studying rutting behaviors I believe a buck'due south desire to rub castor and trees is driven past shortening day length and fueled by the amount of testosterone in his body. Between mid-August and mid-September a buck'due south testosterone level will increment nearly 100% from what it was in June. And from mid-September to Nov i^st it will double again, reaching its superlative by the first calendar week in November in the n. A doe'south estrogen level will as well peak around November 1^st, setting the stage for breeding to have place. Here in my dwelling state of New York velvet peel is full-blown around the first of September. From this point on oestrus behaviors begin increasing until reaching their apex in November.

Two hunters analyze a big buck rub

Why Do Bucks Make Rubs?

Many believe bucks make rubs to strengthen their neck muscles in preparation for the rut. Though this is a byproduct of rubbing behavior the primary reasons they rub is to evidence authorisation and leave their odour on the rub. When making or reworking a rub, bucks leave scent from their nasal, preorbital, and forehead glands on the brush or trees they rub and they will almost always lick the rub throughout the process. It should as well be noted that does will on occasion rub their nasal and preorbital glands on rubs they run across.

Though other bucks can no doubt visually relate the size of the rub to the size of the animate being, it's the odor left on the rub that oft lets other bucks know who'due south been there. It'due south been my experience that this, every bit much as the size of the rub, works to determine an developed cadet'due south social condition inside a given territory. As well, many researchers believe that the scent (pheromones) bucks exit on rubs serves as a priming function that influences the timing of breeding.

Rub Types

After witnessing and photographing hundreds of "battles" between bucks and tree trunks I've ended there are iv kinds of rubbing beliefs: random, rub-line, traditional sign postal service, and aggressive breeding.

1 – Random rubbing is a byproduct of increased testosterone in a buck's system and his desire to leave his calling card. He does this by randomly rubbing trees and brush while roaming his territory. At times there appears to be a design to these rubs (i.e., along travel corridors) but more than often random rubs volition appear wherever a cadet feels the urge to rub. Most random rubs will not be a prime number location to hunt.

2 – Rub-line rubs are fabricated by a buck as he travels back and forth between bedding and feeding areas. Well-nigh are made along well used trails and are the "mother lode" of rubs to hunt because of the way they tin tip off a hunter to a buck'southward travel design.

a rub line made by a buck in a transition zone Here's an obvious rub line. Notice how all the rubs are facing the same direction.

RELATED: Finding and Analyzing Rub Lines

3 – Traditional Sign Post rubs occur more ofttimes in a balanced herd where in that location are many mature bucks. Such rubs are ordinarily institute on trees 6 or more than inches in diameter and rubbed yr after year. Unfortunately, it takes a good population of mature bucks for a true traditional signpost rub to exist, so, in almost of the whitetail's range, where 75+ per centum of the buck impale is yearlings, there are very few traditional signpost rubs.

Sign post buck rub made along a travelling corridor Hither'south a traditional sign post rub along a travel corridor. Notice the tree scars from previous years of rubbing.

4 – Aggressive Breeding rubs are a outcome of a buck's attitude at a given time and are acquired past competition within the buck population during the breeding phase of the heat. They are fabricated wherever a breeding party of 2 or more bucks attempt to breed the aforementioned doe. This type of rubbing takes place when one of the bucks aggressively makes a rub in sight of the other buck(south). This often prompts 1 or more of the bucks in the convenance party to repeat the procedure by making his own rub to telegraph authorization. Such rubs have on the advent of clusters and are a adept indication where the actual breeding took place.

Importance to the Hunter

Often, where you find scraping y'all'll observe rubbing. The more of each the amend your chances of harvesting a buck. Locating a line of rubs, usually made along a well-worn trail between the bedding and feeding area (what I call a transition zone) will exist a prime deadfall site. Also, rub lines tin often reveal the mode a buck was traveling. If the scarred side of the tree faces the feeding area, the rub was probably made in the morning when the buck returned to his bedding expanse. If the scar faces the bedding area, the rub was undoubtedly fabricated when the buck exited in the evening.

Doe rubbing her preorbital gland on a buck rub Does will also communicate by leaving smell and smelling cadet rubs.

If there is a skilful doe population, in that location is even more reason to be excited virtually hunting a transition zone that contains many rubs because does volition also rub their nasal and preorbital glands and forehead on rubs bucks have fabricated. With doe groups in the area, the risk of killing a buck increases dramatically as the rut moves through the hunt stage then climaxes with the breeding phase.

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