I was doing some shed hunting yesterday and found about 10 rubs within 30 yards of each other.....does this indicate whether you are close to a bedding area?
It may have been a rub line where a buck is marking an edge or corner of his territory.. I found some rubs near doe bedding areas though this past fall. Thats not uncommon.
We need a little more info on the location of the rubs. Alot of rubs in a small area just inside the woods edge(say about 30-50 yds. in or more) could indicate a staging area for a buck? I see this sometimes around here but they are usually just scattered around in no particular manner just as if the buck is wandering around wasting time until it gets dark enough to venture out into the open.
Like the other guys have said, we really need to know a lot more about "were" you found these rubs and what other types of evidence you found in there. I get pretty excited about a bedding area when I find multiple scattered rubs, beds, rubs that are both fresh and rubs from the years past.. sheds laying in the immediate proximity and finally the area seems like its a hard to get to off the beaten path type of area versus near a summer fall food source or doe bedding and feeding area. Those types of rubbing activity almost always dictated by rutting and often a big buck or several bucks are making those rubs far from their normal living quarters due to the rut.
The rubs are by a fence that runs parallel to a highway....closest field is about 150 yards or more away...
Probably just your typical rub line marking territory borders/travel routes to that field. Also note from which direction the rubs are made.
I have read a few times that where a buck rubs can tell you the direction of his bedding, I just can't remember which direction it points. Someone help me out here.
Are the rubs heading towards the field or away from it? If the rubs are heading towards the field you should still be able to find some more even though they may be a bit farther back(deeper in the woods). He could be making these rubs late in the evening or at night on his way from his bedding area to the field to feed. It sounds as though these were made sort of out in the open along a fence row beside a road??
The only time I really get excited about rubs is when there are several on a travel route in a thicker part of the woods. Around here the scattered rubs are just not reliable for patterning a buck. When you hit a line in a thicker part of timber you have usually found an area where the bucks will be cruising throughout shooting light. This is a rub I found a few weeks ago, the nicest looking rub that I have seen this year. There are 3 or 4 limbs on this tree that are tore up and the height is really good (I am 6'1"), but it tells me nothing. It is located less than 50 yards behind my landowners barn with no timber around.
