OK guys I do need your input. Let me start with this, we NEVER see rubs early on our place and to be honest usually mid to late rut they pop up. Well this is the year of the buck here. More than I've seen in 15 yrs. I understand this will cause a whopper of a pre-rut. I've heard sparring at night out back. Where all these boys have been for the last few years I don't know. All this said I walked into a rub cluster right behind one of the blinds. 14 ,now all saplings, a few rubbed in two. I know these were likely from young buck. What I don't know is what it means to movement. Is this a travel, feed or bedding area. It is on the edge of the oak flat and amongst beech and hophorn. Pretty open mature hardwood. Will big buck show up due to such activity and scent dropping by these young ones? This blind is an area that has always been a travel route for deer and turkey. So guys tell me what you think from your experience please.
sounds like to me you have a good problem. Fair amount of bucks and they are active early. put some cameras out and see what you get. I have only seen about 4 rubs as of yet. About normal for me. But I will promise you, the cooler it gets the more rubs you will see because they are going to get more active. As far as a bug buck showing? that's anyone's guess but Id bet on it.
Thanks cams are out though lost a couple within last two weeks. Doesn't THAT just figure!...lol With this activity I want to stay out but winds have put the screws to me on trails and a couple of stands. Today I cleared branches and shrub over growth in a couple of lanes. Strange we don't get rubs until late here . Had a big cluster rub area behind the house a few yrars ago. Much bigger trees and it apppeared in mid Nov. That's kinda good because being surrounded by bow hunters I really count on the younger 6's and 8's filling tags in Oct.
Old, rubs are always fun to see but I don't put much faith in them this time of year. All it tells you is a buck ( was) there. The fall shuffle is commencing. Here today, gone tomorrow.
I agree with that, though not knowing for sure I'm hoping early rubs will peak a bit more territorial activity. Got a very late fuzzy pic of a nice 6 or 8 feeding by. I'm surprised I got a fuzzy one it was getting dark...though they were etaded toward our place. I have a feeling they are coming up through our place to get to te field. I have not had the time to even walk that 33 acres this year. That and the heat kept me from venturing down that hill. It's steeper than across the street with several streams to maneuver.. This week I'll check stands.
PLEASE check your stands.. for safety!! I build chit and that pic you posted a few days ago of a stand scared the crap outtakes me
I always do...I've said here in the past my stands I build usually outlast the tree. Had another in a giant maple go the same route a few years ago. I shot my doe in gun season out of that stand and posted several " from the stand " pics out of it. I will miss it, but the new Gypsy blind is a hundred yards away( the replacement),and I used the tops to make a brush ground blind just 15 yrds from it. We get some doosie wind storms . Though crotched trees are bound to weaken with age. That tree lasted many many years,once it got shelf fungus I knew the end was near.
I've read that the bigger bucks make the earliest rubs. At this time of year it's hard to say how long the bucks will stay in the area. I do believe that any buck you've got hanging around your place now, will make an appearance again during the rut. It is up to you to be there when that happens. That's hunting.
I think I found who did the rubs....Oh well, there's always 2023 for these guys...maybe daddy will visit...
