Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: saylean on April 28, 2008, 04:24:47 PM

Title: Some rubs...
Post by: saylean on April 28, 2008, 04:24:47 PM: These are rubs I found last week, all along the same trail....i was looking for sheds dang it..not rubs! No luck with the sheds, but a nice walk anyway.
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: Elknut1 on April 30, 2008, 06:33:22 AM: They look like they were done just last week!! (grin) You always look for sheds with a rifle in tow?

ElkNut1
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 30, 2008, 07:11:04 AM: hmmm seems fishy..
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: saylean on April 30, 2008, 10:06:04 AM: Yes, I usually do look for sheds with a rifle in tow (I also had my .45 glock on me)...cause I was calling coyotes in other spots (with no luck)...plus, ya never know!

This area is off limits to Elk hunting except through a special drawing anyway, but right in this area last year, I saw a 5X7 elk very often and I was looking for his drops.

The rubs did look pretty fresh and literally lined just about every tree along the path.

And why is that fishy?
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: muledude on May 01, 2008, 08:53:54 PM: Fishy because those a are fresh bear peels. Its sprig and the first thing blackbears do is peel trees and eat the "adipose " layer...Hope I spelled that right.. Probably a bad spot for sheds? But looks to be a good spot for bear.... :dunno:
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: jackelope on May 01, 2008, 08:59:08 PM: Quote from: muledude on May 01, 2008, 08:53:54 PM
Fishy because those a are fresh bear peels. Its sprig and the first thing blackbears do is peel trees and eat the "dipose " layer...Hope I spelled that right.. Probably a bad spot for sheds? But looks to be a good spot for bear.... :dunno:

i'm no expert, but thats kind of what i was thinking too.
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: boneaddict on May 01, 2008, 09:11:09 PM: I'm no expert on bear peels, but I am fairly decent at elk rubs, and I think its the first one.
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: saylean on May 01, 2008, 09:49:19 PM: Ahh...I personally think they were elk rubs (elk tracks and poop all over..no bear scat)...they looked fresh..but i dont think they were as fresh as they look...if that makes any sense. Plus I have seen numerous elk in that area with horns rubbing before....

Plus, if you notice, on some of them, you can really tell where the antlers rubbed on the smaller branches above/on the tree....

But that was just my take on it. I am sure there are bear there though, as I have seen em. ;)

Cheers~
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: Elknut1 on May 02, 2008, 05:05:43 AM: They're elk rubs, but far from fresh!! I was kidding about the "fresh" statement!

ElkNut1
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: boneaddict on May 02, 2008, 06:11:24 AM: I guess what got me is the middle pic, the one where his gun is there. I could buy the first being one, but the one behind the gun is right off the ground and so low, and no branches around it are broke. OBviously kind of hard to tell from here. I suppose it could have been a spike, but it still seems low to the ground. Maybe its just the perception in the pic. I do love rubs though......
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: Bigshooter on May 02, 2008, 03:05:47 PM: They look like elk rubs to me. A bear will usually only ring the very bottom of the tree. And most of the time just the base of one side.
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: WDFW-SUX on May 02, 2008, 03:11:14 PM: If those pics are from the 3 forks area its elk.
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: muledude on May 02, 2008, 09:14:19 PM: I still say bear peels.. Elk rubs are typically smooth at the transition from bark to wood. From the rubbing action ,elk do not peel tree's like is shown in the pict.The Bark is jagged and hagging .. Elk rubbs are higher not low to the ground, Typically they dont rub any lower than about your knee. Some will only peel a area at the base , Others will peel as far as they can reach....I would agree they are not fresh..But hey I've been wrong befor just ask my wife....
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: muledude on May 02, 2008, 09:21:50 PM: Quote from: Passion on May 02, 2008, 03:11:14 PM
If those pics are from the 3 forks area its elk. Not any bears around the three forks Area??
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: boneaddict on May 03, 2008, 06:59:12 AM: What muledude said.
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: Hornseeker on May 03, 2008, 11:06:33 AM: They aren't fresh, thats for sure... but they do look like bear peels to me. Ive seen bears peel trees all the way around and from the ground to 15-20 feet high... porcupines will do the same thing. They are eating the "cambium" layer. The Adipose is the little fin on the back of a salmonid...

You can see the bears teeth marks in the 3rd picture down... Not being there...I cant be 100% sure, but I'd have to guess they are bear peels....

E
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: edmondshunter on May 03, 2008, 05:02:17 PM: Bear rubs, almost positive. I found a stand of timber up near Middle Fork Snoqualmie river that had been thrashed by Elk, the branches had been riped off up to 8-9 feet. Elk tend to rub trees about 2/3 around and really smooth , almost faceted, not gouged like the marks on the tree in the 3rd pic
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: billythekidrock on May 04, 2008, 02:30:01 PM: Well I got more then a couple pm's about this thread and my opinion so here goes.

First off it took me an hour to download the images..why do people post such large files?
I wish that we would limit the file size..

Anyway, from the pics it is really hard to tell. The damage is definately old, maybe as much as 2 years old. I don't see any gouges from tines or eyeguards, then again as far as teeth marks (bear) I don't see a whole lot there either.

Then I thought is it possible these are just antler polishing? That first pic is too small for a bear to peel and at the top there are two chunks of bark missing. Possibly from a tine smacking the tree.
In the third picture at the top there are a couple of small branches that have been damaged. Could be antlers.

Then I look at the last pic and it seems to have some teeth marks. A couple pics look like classic bear damage but one for sure looks a large ungulate rub.

My opinion -- Who knows..probably a bear. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: muledude on May 04, 2008, 03:01:24 PM: Thanks Hornseeker..I don't know why I said adipose? :dunno:?? It is "cambium layer" for sure...Might be early stages of Alzheimer's setting in? :bash:? Or it could just be that Castle Rock edgucation catching up with me.. :dunno:
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: saylean on May 05, 2008, 02:58:27 PM: Hey Billy, sorry bout the big files...it takes my comp about 5 seconds to download pretty much anything on this board...so I never really even think bout it. I will crop them from now on. ;)

Elk rubs, triple stamped it, touch blue make it true! (dumb and dumber)
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: billythekidrock on May 05, 2008, 03:15:53 PM: Quote from: saylean on May 05, 2008, 02:58:27 PM
Hey Billy, sorry bout the big files...it takes my comp about 5 seconds to download pretty much anything on this board...so I never really even think bout it. I will crop them from now on. ;)

Elk rubs, triple stamped it, touch blue make it true! (dumb and dumber)

LOL
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: boneaddict on May 05, 2008, 03:25:50 PM: bear peels .. no erase ( 1st grade) :)
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: saylean on May 05, 2008, 03:32:32 PM: ;)
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: muledude on May 05, 2008, 09:22:14 PM: Elk peels??? :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: saylean on May 05, 2008, 09:33:36 PM: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: wastickslinger on May 05, 2008, 10:15:08 PM: beaver :sas:
Title: Re: Some rubs...
Post by: Skyvalhunter on May 06, 2008, 05:46:15 AM: Mountain beaver at that!!