Buck's Still Rubbing???

[ch312]

I went coyote and crow hunting on Sunday to test out my new electronic call (ICOtec GC-500) at a few public properties and am glad the deer have all returned to their normal haunts and activities now that the season has been over for a month.

While walking some heavy trails towards bedding area's looking for sheds I stumbled upon two very fresh rubs that are on a rub line that branches off the main trail. Judging by how green the bark was and how the shredded bark was sitting on top of the snow, they were likely made on Friday or Saturday. This rub line has been present since I stated hunting this bush 3-4 years ago.

Why on earth would a buck be making rubs at this time of year when they're supposed to be dropping antlers? I was thinking he may have been trying to pop his antlers off, but then thought I would have seen this every season. In the 12+ years of hunting I have never seen a single rub made at this time of year, let alone two about 10 yards apart.

Any ideas?





On a side note, I hit 4 properties and only saw a single old coyote track and nothing fresh. It appears more hunters are targeting coyotes...

[tomcat]

I get the same thing each year the 1st week of January next to a Doe intersection I hunt. I have a game camera there and usually don't get pics of bucks on it with the exception of the 1st weeks of Nov,Dec,Jan... (Does coming into heat each month)
In Nov & Dec they are alone. In Jan they are usually 1-3 bucks in a group with a lot of pics of them sniffing and "scrapping" with eachother. About end of Jan, most of them have lost an antler or 2 but still in bachelor groups.

My theory is that they begin reforming bachelor groups at tail end of December, and then whatever does(maybe just a single doe) that haven't been bred come into heat trigger the mature ones to try and oust the younger ones and rub the area to mark their territory. I think its just the competitive nature of the big boys triggered by that one lonely doe in need of some lovin that starts all the hate and discontent all over again:)

[robertyb]

I agree. I was out a few days ago cutting some shooting lanes while memory is fresh as to what needs cutting and saw three new scrapes and a couple of new rubs. I felt like the rut was back when I saw them. Got to be a late hot doe or two still around. Probably a couple of last years late dropped doe fawns coming into estrous finally.

[Lake shooter]

This is one of those areas where it might be easy to overthink things. As long as there's still enough testosterone in their systems to keep antlers attached, bucks are gonna act like bucks. Rubbing and scraping is a big part of that.

Last week I got a video of one big and one lesser buck doing some light sparring while traveling in a bachelor group. As long as they have antlers, it's in their nature to use them. They ARE aware of the presence of those things up on their heads.

[tomcat]

This is probably also very true. Another theory/cause( independent of potential unbred doe(s) coming into heat possibly stimulating this behavior) of the sparring/rubbing is simply the possibility of the "stress" the mature bucks are feeling by the continual pressure of younger bucks trying to regroup with them.
The younger/immature bucks have lower testosterone and begin losing their antlers in late Dec(around my area) and the big boys seem to keep them longer until Feb/March(still have some testoserone flowing).
I have lots of game cam pics with 2yo bucks(spikes/fork horns/small 6's) with only 1 antler in January, trying to sniff mature bucks(with both antlers) and then being "sparred" away...

The more I think about this theory, the more I believe it's likelihood over the "unbred" doe coming into heat concept...
The absence of scrape activity just reinforces this..
From what I've read/learned, "rubs" are territory markers made out of frustration/stress and "scrapes" are made as "billboards" for does in the area.

And yet another potential explanation that lends to the "we're overthinking" it statement...Antlers/pedicle "itch" when rubs appear early season(velvet removal/testosterone increase) and "itch" again at the end of mating season(testosterone decrease)..

Who knows...but makes for good conversation

[Patriot*]

Last monday I was out walking in the woods near my home and found a few rubs which I think are a little old or well post rut. I was actually out for a good walk and looking for sheds as two buck I have had recently in my trail cams pics have dropped their antlers. These rubs are less than 100 yards from where I hunt and approximately 50-60 yards apart.

http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/TOONS ... z.jpg.html][/URL]

Here is another rub found along side an old fire road. I never found any sheds but thought it was neat to find the rubs…
http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/TOONS ... z.jpg.html][/URL]

Same tree just backed off a bit…
http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/TOONS ... d.jpg.html][/URL]

Between checking trail cam pics, walking in the woods and looking for sheds, practicing with the Xbow in the basement, its not hard to keep busy.

[Lake shooter]

As far as scouting for next year goes, this is my favorite time to be out there. Even on the public land where I hunt, the place is like a ghost town!

It's so easy to see rubs and scrapes now, and since the leaves pretty much stop raining down by early December, scrapes that have been open since then stick out like stop lights. Gives me lots of fuel for my journal and keeps me fired up for the coming season. Plus, being out this late shows travel pattern changes that give me an insight as to what deer are doing and how they live, at least as much as is possible.

[tripNchip]

Don't know when the regular rut is in your neck of the woods but around here does that don't get bread the first time around come in again a month or so later.

[Lake shooter]

Mid November, like most of the country. As far as the cycling goes, they keep coming in every 28-29 days until they are bred, which is one of the big reasons why areas with a way out of kilter buck:doe ratio have such a screwed up rut, and a screwed up herd!!

[ch312]

Don't know when the regular rut is in your neck of the woods but around here does that don't get bread the first time around come in again a month or so later.

I start seeing rubs in October and the rut is mid November around these parts which is why a fresh rub in late January seemed very odd to me. Like I said, in over 12 years hunting many properties I have never seen this before.


The tracks suggest he is a large mature buck with one weak leg as one hoof was leaving light drags marks on the surface of 3-4" of snow.



As for using this time of year for scouting, turns out this buck and seemingly every other deer in the bush are using a small section of public bush that nobody hunts. They did disappear during the controlled hunt and now I think I know where they were hiding

[Lake shooter]

You bet!!!!

[xcaliber]

This has to be one of the best threads I ever read here. Makes me feel young again fellas, remember when you first started hunting deer, and you were learning all this stuff for the first time, and scouting like nobody's business. This is truly the best time to scout, especially areas you hunt year, after year. No worries about spooking deer, you can see deep into thickets, trails are deep, and it just is a blast to get out with no pressure from other hunters in trees!
Excellent Post!
Oh, all of the above too.

[Lake shooter]

To be totally honest with y'all, I enjoy the scouting and camera card checking more than the actual hunt most times. Of course I won't always say that..... it all depends on the size of the buck that comes through!

I have learned more in the last 2-3 weeks about one small area that I hunt than I learned about it in the last many years, all by slow, no "pressure to hunt" scouting and moving cameras a little here or there. The exercise and fresh air from climbing up and down steep ridges is an added, BIG plus. At 60, I need all I can get!