Rubbing post- cedar post???

[Big G-2]

Hey guys.....new guy here.

I'm just wondering if any of you have had any luck trying to make a rubbing post with a store bought cedar post? The little bit I can find on the internet about it, seems like some have had success, and some not so much....

I purchased 4 of them this year, and spread them out on our 100 acres of woods, mostly in clearings on ridges where I know bucks travel, and placing them within 20 yards of tree stands I have, hoping to get the bucks to stop and at least smell the post, giving me a shot. I also drilled a hole in the top part, and installed a metal bar sticking straight out about 3 feet, and then hung a rope down from that for a mock licking branch.

Anybody else try this type of thing? I might be wasting my time, but I'm going to find out one way or another....Lol

Here is a pic of it, as I was working on it in the shop.... I put a little paint on the cedar post to create some contrast, hoping they know where to rub, or looks like the place it has been rubbed...

 

[bwoods11]

I have not tried it, but I do plan on putting out some cedar posts this year with cameras

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Sounds interesting only thing I would do different is to find some white cedar to keep things more natural.

 

[Big G-2]

Ya, I don't know..... I thought I read somewhere that the deer prefer red cedar, but I'm not so sure about that... I'm going to put some camera's on them this summer, & hopefully when the bucks start losing the velvet, they will do a little rubbing on them.... If it works, I will be sure to post some pic's.

 

[SwampRock]

I have not tried it, but I do plan on putting out some cedar posts this year with cameras

I tried this a couple of years ago with about 15 cedar posts with new hemp rope. Maybe the new rope was not very likeable because the deer avoided the posts. And I was more interested in the licking branch idea than the cedar posts for rubbing.

 

[Lee]

I put up 75 cedar posts with bark on and ropes for licking branches. Only one post rubbed two seasons ago. The ropes may be tainted but they don't seem to make scrapes under them. I do have one red cedar post pre rubbed that was actually knocked over last fall. I am going to Menad's and buy some to put out other places. Could consider drilling hole and placing cut branched in.

 

[Alpha Doe]

We didn't have any luck with the hemp rope. Very little activity on the cedar posts.

 

[BluffCountry]

I haven't tried the post yet, but I hang lots of rope and most of them develop a scrape underneath. The pic is a branch I actually tied up in this tree. The bucks broke the branch off after a couple years now I have a rope hanging in it's place.

 

[BluffCountry]

This is the first scrape ever made under that branch. I put the branch up in Sept of 2011, I had 100's of pics like this on this branch alone, they have tore it up so bad that the rope now hangs well to the left of where the original branch was because they broke it off so many times.

 

[wiscwhip]

.

 

[wildfire]

I have tried hemp rope in different places, the deer seem to prefer 10'-20' oak trees.

 

[BluffCountry]

wiscwhip, I think I mentioned before, there are no big bucks in Vernon County....:rolleyes:

Wildfire, I use the same cheap cotton rope I use to train my apple trees with. I buy it at Menards.

 

[dipper]

I did basswood posts and they had a ton of use. I never knew bucks sparred that much. I would have 4 or 5 bucks at the posts for an hour or more. I couldn't tell you how many sparring video I got. Some pretty intense ones with the bigger bucks.
I also just left a branch on the post which was used by spot of does too.

 

[foggy]

^ I've heard / read that basswood was good for a rub post too. Maybe better than cedar? Any other wood types that are preferred?

 

[BluffCountry]

I've had this idea for a while and will try it this year. I have a number of trees the bucks had rubbed last fall that are 4-6 inches in diameter. I'm going to cut one down and use it as a post. I'm not sure what kind of trees they are but the bucks sure tear them up.

 

[j-bird]

I don't get many rubs at my place period. But lastyear I found one on a basswood tree that they simply tried to shred. I have cedar around as well but they attacked that basswood. I have also been told to trytorough up the surface of the post to help promote rubbing - something about the visual aspectand smell ofit seems to help. The buck in my avatar photo was shot within 100 yards of the tree I speak of. My son shot another buck roughly the same size about a month later 100 yards or so from the same rub but in a different direction. Both deer are 4 year old deer - they punished that poor basswood tree.

 

[dipper]

I personally think it is the smooth bark that they like. Smooth bark plus softer wood, that's golden. Cedar-smooth bark, tag alder-soft wood smooth bark, etc. you just don't see many rubs on oaks, elms, hickory.

They don't mind a little branches on the trunk either, but I cut them off of rubbing posts. I do keep licking branches on.

 

[sagittarius]

Cedar, Apple, cherry ... seem to be prefered rubbing trees, might be a smell thing. But if the location is right, almost any type tree could be rubbed. JMHO

 

[huthut]

Any cedar tree by us gets rubbed. I have used cedar posts and had some success, but tried basswood also with even better luck. Licking branch or rope is also a good add on to get better utilization.

 

[j-bird]

I don't use rubbing posts but set up sapplings to facilitate licking braches and I have had some luck with that. You can see the sapling I have attached to a "t" post in this pic in the background behind this little guy - it helped get this guys attention - I just need to see him in the daylight. You can just faintly see some trees further back (that's where my stand is).