Whitetail Rub Lines

Rubs take on many roles during different times of the year. Early in the season rubs are made just to remove velvet from their hardened antlers. As the season progresses bucks continue to rub mostly on smaller trees and then begin to feel the effects of growing testosterone levels sparking the rut. Rub lines are the visual communication marks bucks use to distinguish their domain. A rub doesn't only present a visual sign but also a social level among the herd by leaving scent on each rub. Dominant bucks release a stronger scent than younger bucks and therefore organize their rank or social status on each rub through way of the Forehead gland.

A misunderstanding is that big bucks rub big trees and small buck rub smaller trees. Most would have to agree that the majority of bucks rubbing on trees are actually larger, more dominant deer. However some of these big will rub saplings as small as a broom handle. On that same note small bucks will rub on bigger trees. 2 years ago I found a rub on a young pecan tree the size of my thumb in diameter. Of course I envisioned a small buck to go along with that rub that was right out in the open for the other bucks in the area to plainly view from a short distance. A typical signpost that bore visible signs of previous years rubbing activity showed by deep scarring but never did give up it's source in 3 years that I scouted the area even though a new rub would appear each season. Much to my surprise I got some camtracker pictures that reveled 1 of 4 bucks made that rub. Either a spike, 4pt, 8pt or a 12pt made the rub. Then one day I notice a fresh rub just left of my camera. The developed photo showed all 4 deer but the 4pt show sign of fresh velvet hanging from his rack. In a further search of the thicket I have found a rub line that is about 100 Ft off the black gumbo farm road the length of the road (3/4 mile) roughly.

So stayed tuned and I'll talk about the different rubs I've seen and what they may or may not mean!