buck rubs

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BenC
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2012/10/19 15:34:54 (permalink)

buck rubs

does anyone actually know that a buck rub on a thicker tree was from a bigger buck? 
#1

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    Eman89so
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/19 16:28:44 (permalink)
    i've always thought that the bigger the rub the bigger the buck. but the other day someone said that wasn't true so i'm not really sure.
    #2
    BloodyHand
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/20 00:28:50 (permalink)
    I watched a show on the outdoor channel last year. These guys said there was no rhyme or reason between the size of the rub and the buck that made it. They showed footage of lil buck rubbin out big trees and monsters rubbin on saplings.
     
    BH
    #3
    S-10
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/20 04:58:28 (permalink)
    All bucks rub small trees and saplings. Some smaller antlered bucks try to rub large trees but you can usually tell them apart from large antlered bucks by studying the rubs. Smaller bucks tend to leave furrows in the bark from antler tips as opposed to large bare spots from inside of antlers because the distance between points isn't large enough to encompass the tree.
     
    I once watched a spike try to work a 6" tree but when he was done it looked more like a bear clawed it.
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    bulldog1
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/23 12:09:36 (permalink)
    Tree size means nothing, I have a vid that I took last year on the first day of a tiny buck rubbing a tree that was at least 16" across. It's a cell phone vid and hard to see or I would try to post it. I always heard "the bigger the tree, the bigger the buck" when I was growing up, now I know better...

    Curiosity killed the cat, but for awhile I was a suspect.
    #5
    SmMouthSeeker
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/23 17:19:39 (permalink)
    S-10

    All bucks rub small trees and saplings. Some smaller antlered bucks try to rub large trees but you can usually tell them apart from large antlered bucks by studying the rubs. Smaller bucks tend to leave furrows in the bark from antler tips as opposed to large bare spots from inside of antlers because the distance between points isn't large enough to encompass the tree.

    I once watched a spike try to work a 6" tree but when he was done it looked more like a bear clawed it.
    Look also at the smaller trees or bushes beside the tree for scrapings. Scrapings on the outside edges may give you indication about the width.

    #6
    Esox_Hunter
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/23 17:43:19 (permalink)
    Like S-10 and SmMouth have stated, there is more to it than just some missing bark on a tree.  You need to be intuitive and look at the bigger picture.  Like mentioned, looking at things like how the bark is removed, and markings on adjecent brush/trees can both tell you an awful lot about the buck(s) behind the rub.  Additionally, IMO one of the easiest ways to determine a rough size of the deer making the rub is to look at the height of the rub. A 1.5YO spike simply can not rub trees to the same height as a 4.5YO 150" buck.
     
    I run a pile of trail cameras and over the years I have captured lots of pictures over what I would consider to be big rubs.  From my experiences with the cameras, the bucks visiting the big rubs have generally been bigger bucks.  Some small bucks would visit the rubs, but they never exhibited the same amount of interest with working the rub as the big ones would.        
    #7
    S-10
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    Re:buck rubs 2012/10/23 22:13:48 (permalink)
    Esox---right on the rub height, I negelcted to mention that. I will always spend some time in an area with large, high rubbed trees.  The last one we hunted in Ohio produced a 185 non typ for my buddy.
    #8
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