Need Help Interpreting Some Buck Sign

[Natty Bumppo]

Seasoned just ended yesterday and I am already planning for next year. I have an area that I have been thinking about hunting during bow season for the past 3 years now. I wanted to ask your opinions about some buck sign that shows up every year, and how to interpret it. The area in question is only a 5 minute walk from my house in an old logging area. It's a little spongy underfoot. Lots of new birch, poplar, and alder saplings. Every year, without fail, this area gets rubbed like crazy. I can probably count 35 or 40 rubs in an area no bigger than half a football field.

We have no ag. No mast. No food to cover movements. No hunting pressure besides me. Lots of big woods and cover.

Is an area like this a social hotspot? Is it a clue to a buck's bedroom? Morning or evening stand?

I am going to certainly put cameras out next year and do some scouting. Just thought I'd ask your opinions to see if I could get a jump start on the scouting. My house is circled....the opening is indicated by the red arrow.

Thanks guys....and Happy New Year.

 

[buckdeer1]

Yes there must be something to keep them there or it's a staging area that they hold up in until dark

 

[Tree Spud]

Are more rubs than not on the same side facing a certain direction? Are there more of a concentration of rubs on any side? This could tell you the direction they are coming from.

Are there any scrapes in or approaching this area? If there are, are there any very large ones? Small scrapes can be the local mature bucks, but large scrapes can be community scrapes these can be used as travel markers. Find other scrapes leading away from the rub area and you can start to develop a sense of the spokes off the wheel. May tell you where bedding and feeding areas are.

It certainly is an active buck area. I have learned over the years that even in a forest, bucks will look to travel through the highest density of stem (trees) in a wooded area. As you have no concentrated ag or mast, they could be traveling longer distances to locate scattered food and the new seedlings popping up should show lots of sign of browse. As rubs/scrapes are up to and during rut, the bucks are moving looking for doe bedding areas and scent check them.

Morning or evening sit? I think your camera surveillance will give you intel.

 

[Peplin Creek]

It’s possible, it could be either a doe bedding location or a travel route. Looking at the Ariel, I’d be willing to bet there are some oaks mixed in. So the mast could be Hidden. And with newer growth there is some daytime browse there. Looking at the opening next to it... I could see it being a natural funnel of movement wrapping around that. Either way. It seems like an ideal rut spot if you ask me. Morning, Night, Midday could all be productive if it’s a cruising location. I don’t know if I’d mess with cameras unless you know for certain you won’t spook deer checking it. If the sign is always like that, it’ll be that way again as long as they don’t figure out a human is there. Check the edges of the area and see if traffic funnels tighter..., hunt the entry and exit. Going right down into it might make it a one and done deal.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Are more rubs than not on the same side facing a certain direction? Are there more of a concentration of rubs on any side? This could tell you the direction they are coming from.

Are there any scrapes in or approaching this area? If there are, are there any very large ones? Small scrapes can be the local mature bucks, but large scrapes can be community scrapes these can be used as travel markers. Find other scrapes leading away from the rub area and you can start to develop a sense of the spokes off the wheel. May tell you where bedding and feeding areas are.

It certainly is an active buck area. I have learned over the years that even in a forest, bucks will look to travel through the highest density of stem (trees) in a wooded area. As you have no concentrated ag or mast, they could be traveling longer distances to locate scattered food and the new seedlings popping up should show lots of sign of browse. As rubs/scrapes are up to and during rut, the bucks are moving looking for doe bedding areas and scent check them.

Morning or evening sit? I think your camera surveillance will give you intel.

Thanks Tree Spud. Appreciate you taking the time to respond. Very helpful.

Mostly all big woods around this area...there is really nothing else like it anywhere. The rubs all seem to be on random sides of the trees...and no scrape activity close by.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

It’s possible, it could be either a doe bedding location or a travel route. Looking at the Ariel, I’d be willing to bet there are some oaks mixed in. So the mast could be Hidden. And with newer growth there is some daytime browse there. Looking at the opening next to it... I could see it being a natural funnel of movement wrapping around that. Either way. It seems like an ideal rut spot if you ask me. Morning, Night, Midday could all be productive if it’s a cruising location. I don’t know if I’d mess with cameras unless you know for certain you won’t spook deer checking it. If the sign is always like that, it’ll be that way again as long as they don’t figure out a human is there. Check the edges of the area and see if traffic funnels tighter..., hunt the entry and exit. Going right down into it might make it a one and done deal.

Thanks Peplin Creek. Appreciate the input.

 

[Bill]

I wouldn’t begin to know the first thing about big woods hunting. But even in farm country they have social areas. At my place I know of two and they are both in transition areas like that. Next time in look for a bitten off licking branche(s). It’s not often but in the areas like this on my place there are licking branches with no scraps under them. Not every deer but a good majority can’t pass through with out checking them out. And that’s all year long.

My stands are close to those. The only difference is I’m hunting wood lot deer and it’s easier to predict lines of travel for stand placement. You may actually have to get busted a few times to figure that spot out.

 

[Bill]

Let me expand on that Natty. Of the licking branches I have noticed without scrapes only one is natural so you may never find one. I have a few rubbing post that I have put in and added licking branches to. Grape vine, stick etc as the licking branch. They get rubbed and used as licking branches with no scrapes. You could try installing one to see if it get used.

This one is never rubbed and never a scrape. But always licked or rubbed by the eye gland.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I wouldn’t begin to know the first thing about big woods hunting. But even in farm country they have social areas. At my place I know of two and they are both in transition areas like that. Next time in look for a bitten off licking branche(s). It’s not often but in the areas like this on my place there are licking branches with no scraps under them. Not every deer but a good majority can’t pass through with out checking them out. And that’s all year long.

My stands are close to those. The only difference is I’m hunting wood lot deer and it’s easier to predict lines of travel for stand placement. You may actually have to get busted a few times to figure that spot out.

Great Bill. Thanks for the information and for taking the time to respond. Looking forward to spending some time looking around there in the spring. Cameras will certainly give me some good intel.