Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Other Big Game => Topic started by: steeliedrew on December 09, 2012, 08:07:33 PM
-
Me and addicted2hunting walked pretty far in behind a closed gate today looking for deer. One one of the roads we stumbled upon this:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi630.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu22%2F206turboballs%2F5E565F63-D097-45B3-AFDF-D0A52F52C4B2-574-00000060F84C5D19.jpg&hash=94d195f100fa862750e51db421893753480469b0)
At first I thought it may have been a bear but when we looked closer at it, the claw marks were deep and made with surgical precision, like razor blades had been drug down the tree trunk. On the opposite side of the tree there were claw marks where I'm thinking the animal used one claw to hold on while it ravaged the tree with the other. I'm thinking it was a cougar. What do you guys say?
-
I'm thinking it wasn't a bear because there were fresh shavings all over the ground next to the tree. Aren't bears hibernating right now?
-
Porcupine
-
put a camera on it
from the pics I'd say you found a cougar scratching post, does it smell like cat piss?
rained on it a lot though
-
Bigfoots baby
-
looks like porcipine to me
-
Why you saying porky?
I don't see any chips, don't see where they fed on the phloam layer of the tree. Just looks like it's been clawed, which doesn't match a porky's teeth setup.
They more like a beaver.
-
Why you saying porky?
I don't see any chips, don't see where they fed on the phloam layer of the tree. Just looks like it's been clawed, which doesn't match a porky's teeth setup.
They more like a beaver.
looks to me like it is down to the cambium layer, and looks to be only about a foot off the ground, cougar would be a lot higher up as just like other cats they stretch out to claw, and usally just stratch straight down,raking the tree not tearing things up. But only seeing a photo and not being there can't tell for sure
-
My little experience says it is not a porker :dunno:
-
looking closer at the pic
now I'm thinking a buck rub
It appears the scratches were made in an upward motion, as the bark curls are at the top of the scratches not the bottom.
Cat would claw downward
Porkys chew down or sideways
-
What ever term you want to use bear scrape scratch. "Chew" is what I use. Usually the bear will chew and claw closer to the ground and usually all the way around the trunk. You wil see teeth naw marks as they eat the "prenumbra" I am not sure to the spelling. Saw several old ones last year. I have never seen similar tree marks. I am most familar with bucks or bulls scraping up smaller sapling and trees. usually the ground around the tree is torn up from the feet as they dig in to scrap. my best guess is bear.
-
bear like firs around 4-6 inches maybe 8inches in thickness, and you'd see long peels usually
-
I would say buck rub but I could be wrong.
-
deer
-
the scrape was about 3 ft off the ground even though it doesn't look like it in the pics. They are definit claw marks from very sharp claws. As I said above it looked as though a razor blade was drug along the tree in a downward motion.
-
Id have to say buck rub. bears are not pealing trees this time of year because the cambium layer isn't holding allot of carbs and sugars right now. Not a porky their teeth would show through allot more. not a cat because the shavings are all curled up. and it just looks erratic and beat up, scream Buck rub to me.
-
Hell of a set of eyeguards is what you are looking at. As noted scraped up. Predators dont rake up.
-
You are joking ...right... if you are not let me know where you saw this and I will gladly go and investigate it :tup: :chuckle:
-
Hell of a set of eyeguards is what you are looking at. As noted scraped up. Predators dont rake up.
Likely one studly Blacktail.
-Steve
-
not joking. New to the game and just trying to learn about what we found. I've seen a lot of buck rubs on smaller saplings over the past few weeks in different gmu's from Winston to 460, 407, 454, and skookumchuck, and none have looked like that. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert and I did come to you guys for help. I'll have to invest in a game cam or two and scout that area over the summer.
Could it maybe be a bob cat since it was only about 3' off the ground?
-
OK, looks like I found another good excuse to post this trail cam video I got last month:
http://s1140.beta.photobucket.com/user/bdan68/media/ONeill%20East%202012/WGI_0023.mp4.html (http://s1140.beta.photobucket.com/user/bdan68/media/ONeill%20East%202012/WGI_0023.mp4.html)
-
The slices were clean into the wood about 1/2 inch into it. it looked like I took my knife and acratched 4 equal spaced lines in it in several spots. plus the back side of the tree had 4 deep gouges into it in one swipe kind of like something held the back of the tree. and they are clean incisions. eye guards would not be able to make clean cuts like a knife that deep. specially 1 inch spacing between 4 cuts into the wood of the tree. Bobcat is my 2 cents.
-
I agree that it is from a porcupine
-
The slices were clean into the wood about 1/2 inch into it. it looked like I took my knife and acratched 4 equal spaced lines in it in several spots. plus the back side of the tree had 4 deep gouges into it in one swipe kind of like something held the back of the tree. and they are clean incisions. eye guards would not be able to make clean cuts like a knife that deep. specially 1 inch spacing between 4 cuts into the wood of the tree. Bobcat is my 2 cents.
you might be surprised what deer can do with antlers :twocents:
and most wild cats tend to claw mark on horizontal logs not verticals....and it usually smells strongly of cat piss with a good chance of finding piles of poop again..... :twocents:
-
Not a bobcat, that is a deer rub. You should be hunting that area hard.
That's what I thought. :tup:
-
once you learn how to recognize sign you will become a much better hunter...this type of sign is to be taken seriously if you are wanting to fill your tags ...Blacktail are like whitetail when it comes to marking their territory ...if you seen these rubs in a straight line heading down a road of old grade that is where I would be spending my time :tup:
-
OK, looks like I found another good excuse to post this trail cam video I got last month:
http://s1140.beta.photobucket.com/user/bdan68/media/ONeill%20East%202012/WGI_0023.mp4.html (http://s1140.beta.photobucket.com/user/bdan68/media/ONeill%20East%202012/WGI_0023.mp4.html)
:tup: :tup:
-
Buck rub
-
once you learn how to recognize sign you will become a much better hunter...this type of sign is to be taken seriously if you are wanting to fill your tags ...Blacktail are like whitetail when it comes to marking their territory ...if you seen these rubs in a straight line heading down a road of old grade that is where I would be spending my time :tup:
true, I have seen a ton of rubs in my time this one if its a rub, is a first for me.
-
once you learn how to recognize sign you will become a much better hunter...this type of sign is to be taken seriously if you are wanting to fill your tags ...Blacktail are like whitetail when it comes to marking their territory ...if you seen these rubs in a straight line heading down a road of old grade that is where I would be spending my time :tup:
What seems odd though is that is the only visible rub on the road.
-
once you learn how to recognize sign you will become a much better hunter...this type of sign is to be taken seriously if you are wanting to fill your tags ...Blacktail are like whitetail when it comes to marking their territory ...if you seen these rubs in a straight line heading down a road of old grade that is where I would be spending my time :tup:
What seems odd though is that is the only visible rub on the road.
Maybe it's on an animal trail that will betray more rubs? :dunno:
-
That's a rub... Those razor blade marks you speak of are more then likely a hell of a set of eyegaurds.... Look how the wood is peeled.. I bet if you snooped around a little more you'd find some tracks staggered around the tree...
-
wow, learning experience for sure. I have never seen rubs that big. good stuff to know. like bowhunter45 said the more you learn the better the hunter you will be.
-
I'll be spending some time in there for the off season for sure. At least now I've got a land mark to start my scouting.
-
I'll be spending some time in there for the off season for sure. At least now I've got a land mark to start my scouting.
[/quote
Just dont be worried about the truck parked there when you get there, its just me already there...... :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
-
Here ya go ..I will round up some of the photos I have taken in last few years :tup: when you see these it means buck deer in the area :archery_smiley: :cue:
-
awesome! that is tore up!
-
wait till you see some huge bull rubs higher up that you can reach
-
I think I posted the wrong video earlier. Here are a couple more. These trees are actually a little bigger than they appear to be in the video. They are all about 6 inches in diameter. They've been rubbed by bucks in at least the last two previous years.
http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n580/bdan68/ONeill%20East%202012/?action=view¤t=WGI_0067.mp4 (http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n580/bdan68/ONeill%20East%202012/?action=view¤t=WGI_0067.mp4)
http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n580/bdan68/ONeill%20East%202012/?action=view¤t=WGI_0053.mp4 (http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n580/bdan68/ONeill%20East%202012/?action=view¤t=WGI_0053.mp4)
http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n580/bdan68/ONeill%20East%202012/?action=view¤t=WGI_0030.mp4 (http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n580/bdan68/ONeill%20East%202012/?action=view¤t=WGI_0030.mp4)
-
really cool video. i didnt think a forky would rub a tree that big. learn something new every day. thanks for sharing
-
Wow.....I have to say I am confused as to why some would answer porcupine, or anything other than deer for that matter.
It is clearly a buck rub and fairly recent to boot.
What seems odd though is that is the only visible rub on the road.
Blacktails often travel the roads during the rut and will rub/hook/horn every so often but they don't always make a rub line like whitetails.
-
I wouldbe waiting for that critter..Trailcam time........
-
Here is last years buck ...I killed him the last day of the season @ around 11:30 am ...just about gave up on him :bdid: Notice the rub behind him !!!
-
Bobcats vids show it very well... Notice (you can really tell on the last vid with the smaller 3x) how every buck rubbed and went off to the side of the tree a little slower while closing their eye.. They're all scent marking the tree with the glands below their eye's... One reason why the big buck sniffed all the trees... Great vids!! :tup:
-
Bobcats vids show it very well... Notice (you can really tell on the last vid with the smaller 3x) how every buck rubbed and went off to the side of the tree a little slower while closing their eye.. They're all scent marking the tree with the glands below their eye's... One reason why the big buck sniffed all the trees... Great vids!! :tup:
Thanks! A lot of work went into getting those videos!
-
I just love the challenge of beating a buck. Taking him on his turf at his game!!
-
Good video there Bobcat.
-
for some reason I can't view the videos on my iPhone but I do appreciate you posting them for the good of the thread bobcat.
-
for some reason I can't view the videos on my iPhone but I do appreciate you posting them for the good of the thread bobcat.
I can't view the videos on my iphone either.
-
I might be able to get out after work on Thursday. That would afford me about a 3 hour sitting in view of the rub. I'm thinking I'll sit just inside the timber on the uphill side of the road. That would put me about 30 yards from the rub. Would it be worth it to get some blacktail estrus scent to spray around the tree a bit? Maybe drag a scent pad behind me on the walk in also? and maybe if nothing comes within a half hour of dark should I produce some subtle young buck grunts or a doe bleat?
-
If any calling right now I'd go with a bleat...
-
just picked up a Primos can and some moccasin joe's blacktail doe in heat urine. I figure it's a good cover scent if nothing else.
-
Small set of drops, tingle the tips togehter lightly. Give it a rest (5 minutes) do it again, rest and again, rest and again. Increase intensity a little......NOT MUCH.....again and again.
-
buck... bear are usually as high as you ive found, cats are less deep, shallow and high upwards of 8-9 feet pending on snow etc...