In reverse. I had never really thought about it until today. I found a couple fresh rubs but it is in a bedding area. I think they were just random and not really a rub line because I could not find another in the general direction of travel and I tried to back track some and never found any thing. Anybody got any tips on how to follow one backwards. It ain't easy especially if there are no definite trails.
Following rub lines......
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Hey there Chief,
Following rub lines is feutal if you are talking about rubs made on bushes and such. But at least you know you are in the area where a buck lives.
Bucks down here will scrape their horns in early October just to get the velvet off. But it has nothing to do with where they will be come the rut.
Once the rut is on, they will scrape their horns to build up neck muscles, look more threatening to another buck, and out of frustration also. But again at least you are in the right area.
Its a much better idea to follow the the actual scrapes that they make on the ground, pee in, and wait for a hot doe, once a doe comes by and pees in the scrape, the race is on. He'll stay with her until breeding then go back and check his scrapes some more.
Again down here, scrapes do have a pattern and are usually at the edge of an opening near thick cover. There is always a branch above the scrape that has been licked and chewed on, for more scent. I watched a nice buck come to check his scrapes once every hour or so during the prime rut. He must have checked it 6-7 times during the daylight hours. I think this is when he is "between doe". Our weakness down here is to try to make them come to a feeder and hunt them there, but when we do that, we are giving up a chance to see a real good buck. If you hunt for the scrapes, you'll be right where the breeding bucks are. IN other words, the good bucks.
The period during the new moon till the full moon in October,November, and December, are prime for scrape activity, and they will freshen their scrapes and look for those late season does coming into estrous even into January. At that time, less hunters are in the woods, food sources are more concentrated, the bucks are worn out but still very active looking for the remaining action. At least that is how it works down here.
Right now, I feel like those bucks ( I mean I'm tired), and I am taking a break from hunting
That might have been what you were referring to. If so, just disregard.
Following rub lines is feutal if you are talking about rubs made on bushes and such. But at least you know you are in the area where a buck lives.
Bucks down here will scrape their horns in early October just to get the velvet off. But it has nothing to do with where they will be come the rut.
Once the rut is on, they will scrape their horns to build up neck muscles, look more threatening to another buck, and out of frustration also. But again at least you are in the right area.
Its a much better idea to follow the the actual scrapes that they make on the ground, pee in, and wait for a hot doe, once a doe comes by and pees in the scrape, the race is on. He'll stay with her until breeding then go back and check his scrapes some more.
Again down here, scrapes do have a pattern and are usually at the edge of an opening near thick cover. There is always a branch above the scrape that has been licked and chewed on, for more scent. I watched a nice buck come to check his scrapes once every hour or so during the prime rut. He must have checked it 6-7 times during the daylight hours. I think this is when he is "between doe". Our weakness down here is to try to make them come to a feeder and hunt them there, but when we do that, we are giving up a chance to see a real good buck. If you hunt for the scrapes, you'll be right where the breeding bucks are. IN other words, the good bucks.
The period during the new moon till the full moon in October,November, and December, are prime for scrape activity, and they will freshen their scrapes and look for those late season does coming into estrous even into January. At that time, less hunters are in the woods, food sources are more concentrated, the bucks are worn out but still very active looking for the remaining action. At least that is how it works down here.
Right now, I feel like those bucks ( I mean I'm tired), and I am taking a break from hunting
That might have been what you were referring to. If so, just disregard.
Yep. I was happy to see the rubs but they were out of place and I thought for sure I was on to a good buck travel route. I have one rub line on this property that bucks seem to travel regular, year after year. The normal scrape activity is not there but I may have killed the two bucks that normally patrol the area. I hope it is bigger bucks that have moved in.
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By the second and third full moon, I start seeing bucks that I haven't seen before. LAst week-end, I missed a buck that I thought was dead. I hadn't seen him since October. When I saw him then, I knew I'd shoot that deer but he vanished for two months. I missed him while he was running. Put my Binocs up to watch him and didn't know that the doe he was with had taken off running, He stayed with her and avoided me. Oh well, he'll be bigger next year.
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