Blacktail Rubs Q&A

[Smith_22]

 In general rubs seem to raise more questions for me than answers.  How much can you tell about a buck by his rub?  I've heard the saying big bucks can make small rubs, but small bucks can't make big rubs. Guess that makes sense?  Here are a few pics of rubs I've been finding in a new area I'm scouting, excuse my daughter in the last pic, but a good reference for size of the rub.  What conclusions do you all make about a buck by his rub? While I'm asking questions, I've spent the last 2 months setting up trail cams around these rubs in the timber between clearings and have gotten several does on camera, but no bucks?  In your opinion, is it necessary to find the bucks core area, or is the fact that I have his rubs, and his does located enough and should I just wait until the rut for him to come to me?

[gasman]

My theory/
Look at the height of the rub to reference for size.

The lower to the ground, the smaller the buck/rack. The higher the rub the bigger the deer/rack.

[kglacken]

remember bucks have dropped their antlers already so you might be getting pictures of bucks in the distance but you cant tell they are bucks yet. Spring coming soon will give you a better idea of your area!!!

[jason4429]

The second deer from the front looks like it may have lost his antlers already.

[kglacken]

 

The second deer from the front looks like it may have lost his antlers already.

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I agree! looks like he has some nubs and the body looks like a male body!

[poohdog]

Looks like the third on back is missing some hair.

[kglacken]

another thing you might want to do is look the area over really good for sheds! bt sheds are hard to find because of the brush we have on the wet side but if you look hard you might be able to find some sheds to give you an idea of the size of bucks there are in the area. just and idea

[Smith_22]

thanks for the comments. Now I see the nubs on the second deer, so I guess I have caught a buck on the cam, nice.  Good suggestion on the sheds, I'll keep looking and post pics if I find anything.

[poulsbo]

I've always noticed that Blacktails love big willow thickets, usually rubs galore.

[singleshot12]

I usually go by height of the rub, eye guard gouges, and tine gouges above and behind the main rubbing, sometimes you can guage the width and lenth of tines this way.. I've seen firs,alders and willows a foot in diameter rubbed all the way around by what had to be a large buck, so the type of tree is most likely a personal preference.
A big buck will rub all sizes and usually all types along his specific territory(rub line). The smaller bucks rub on smaller trees of all types around the perimeter of a dominant buck's core rubbing area.

And a buck's core rubbing area is close to where the doe's live and where they both prefere to breed.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

When considering the height of the rub on smaller trees, look at where it starts, not where it reaches, small trees bend over, letting the buck rub higher on tree.
I have seen rubs go 6-7 feet high, and not because the deer was that tall. 

[billythekidrock]

The last two months is about 2 months too late. Those look like aggressive rutting rubs that would have been made last October.

The one with your daughter is the type that I look for when I am targeting larger bucks. Those larger willow type trees will get hit year after year by big bucks during the rut. I would look around in that area and see if you can't locate more. Then next year put your cameras up there.