By mid- to late October, bucks rubs are appearing just about anywhere you go in the woods. October and November are the whitetail rutting months, which causes bucks to become extremely aggressive and territorial and that’s why fresh rubs and scrapes are so prevalent in the fall.
Rubs are one of the best signs to find if you are a whitetail hunter. They reveal a lot of information in regard to where bucks are traveling as well as buck density per area. If you’re a trophy buck hunter, it is good to pay most attention to large rubs. Rubs that are on trees that the average man can’t get two hands around are what to look for. However, not all big rubs are made by big bucks. Bucks of all sizes will rub small and large trees. Nevertheless, bigger bucks do tend to target larger trees and they will do much more damage to the tree than younger bucks. Large trees with minor rub markings are usually indicators of smaller, weaker bucks. Those bigger trees that are gouged and shredded to the core are made by mature bucks. Rub height is also a key for identifying rubs made by bucks of different age classes. Rubs that are made less than 2 feet from the ground are generally made by young bucks. Rubs that are several feet above the ground are telling signs of a taller-bodied buck with a higher set of antlers.
In areas with high numbers of buck rubs, that is usually a sign that multiple bucks are using the area. As bucks are interfering with each other’s boundaries, they become more territorial and will rub more in those areas. In areas where there is less competition between other bucks, you might not find any rubs at all. Nonetheless, not finding buck rubs does not mean there’s not a good buck or two in the area. I have hunted several big bucks over the years that were hardly rubbing at all since they knew they had minimal competition in their core areas. You’ll tend to find higher numbers of buck rubs around feeding areas than anywhere else. Feeding areas host large quantities of deer which usually triggers more rubbing activity. Mature bucks often bed far distances from feeding areas in more secluded locations where few other deer are living. If a mature buck does not feel challenged near his bedding areas, you might not find any rubs at all in those areas. Many times I’ll find big rubs on the edges of bedding areas. These rubs are like Posted signs telling other deer to keep out of a buck’s bedroom.
Bucks are generally quite picky with what kind of trees they prefer to rub. The most common rubbing tree in the northeastern part of the country is striped maple. Younger bucks most especially prefer to rub on striped maple due to its tender peeling bark. Mature bucks will also rub striped maple but they also rub on thicker bark trees like hemlock, pine and many others. Older bucks tend to rub on trees that release an aroma once the bark has been peeled. The smell of fresh pine can signal to other bucks that someone has claimed territory in a particular area.
Not only are rubs visual signs to other deer, but bucks and even does disperse scent onto them. Deer leave scent on rubs from forehead glands, salivary glands and preorbital glands. It is believed that deer know each other not through visual memory but through their own smell. When a deer disperses scent onto a rub, it’s as if it placed a picture of itself on the tree to let other deer know exactly who has been in the area.
Rubs generally indicate direction of travel. Whatever way a rub is facing is likely the opposite direction of where the buck was traveling. It is not uncommon to find a line of rubs facing the same direction. For instance, when a buck leaves a bedding area, he will often take some of the same routes consistently. On the trails he’s using, it is common to find rub lines all facing the same direction. Over the years I have had success following or backtracking rublines to find bedding areas or feeding areas.
Rubs are the best clues of bucks living in your hunting areas. You can learn more about bucks through rubs than any other sign, other than their tracks.
