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BJE80
Guest
Still going to try and install a man made licking branch / Rub post in one or both of my plots this year if I can find the time. Lets see pictures of yours and any tips. Thanks.
Deer Kar
5 year old buck +
Last year was my first attempt at a man made one. I read an article by Steve Bartylla!!! I used a 6 inch red oak that had 2 limbs on it already. Worked awesome!!! Most deer that came out to this food plot stopped by. I planted it 20 yards from a ladder stand and 40 yards from a ground blind. I wish I would have tried it years earlier.
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BJE80
Guest
Got a link to the Steve B article? Or maybe Steve can just in himself?
tooln
5 year old buck +
Not the best picture but here is one of 2 licking rope I put up last year. The second is the same design. This one is on a trail leading to the plot the other on the edge of the plot. The bottom of the rope is around 48" high.
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bigeight
5 year old buck +
I usually put mine in around September 1st when I do my fall grain plots. They usually get hit within the week by bucks.
I like to use red cedar, or basswood for the post. 4" ish in diameter to get the little guys involved as well. The more scent on the post the better. The BW, and cedar seem to have more of a shreddy/stringy bark/wood that seems to hold the scent better (theory).
We have an abundance of Basswood that I can drive right up to, so I've been using them the last handful of years. The cedar worked great when I did those as well, but I don't have any growing locally to use :)
I like to use red cedar, or basswood for the post. 4" ish in diameter to get the little guys involved as well. The more scent on the post the better. The BW, and cedar seem to have more of a shreddy/stringy bark/wood that seems to hold the scent better (theory).
We have an abundance of Basswood that I can drive right up to, so I've been using them the last handful of years. The cedar worked great when I did those as well, but I don't have any growing locally to use :)
scott44
5 year old buck +
Thanks for the tutorial and like they say a pic is a 1,000 words. I'm definetly going to have to try this.
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dipper
Guest
Big 8-did you notice any obvious increased scraping activity with the ropes? Looks like you have some with and without. I just left a branch on my posts. I had some scraping going on, but I'd like to have one of those 6"s deep.
I don't think I put my posts in until Oct. and they were hit right away. I'm gonna get mine in earlier this year though.
I don't think I put my posts in until Oct. and they were hit right away. I'm gonna get mine in earlier this year though.
bigeight
5 year old buck +
I didn't notice "more" activity with the ropes, but they did make it through the whole season ! That was my goal with the ropes, was to get them to last longer. Each one with the ropes also has natural branches on it as well.
The norm for us was just to put all natural and call it good, and they got pounded every place we put one....BUT, by mid October the branches were beat to crap and usually our rub/scrape combo was just a rubbing post. Still got use, but with the ropes attached above deer head height and hanging down, they weren't able to break it off.
I really liked how that worked adding the wooden dowel with the ropes. They usually pound the branches and get the scrape started, then when they are broke off, the rope remains. That extra scraping with the post brings a LOT of does into range adding to the scent on the post/rope, as well as just having more activity within bow range. I figure all good things :)
The norm for us was just to put all natural and call it good, and they got pounded every place we put one....BUT, by mid October the branches were beat to crap and usually our rub/scrape combo was just a rubbing post. Still got use, but with the ropes attached above deer head height and hanging down, they weren't able to break it off.
I really liked how that worked adding the wooden dowel with the ropes. They usually pound the branches and get the scrape started, then when they are broke off, the rope remains. That extra scraping with the post brings a LOT of does into range adding to the scent on the post/rope, as well as just having more activity within bow range. I figure all good things :)
Steve Bartylla
5 year old buck +
Sorry, I have been literally writing every hour of the day, nearly every waking hour, since taking a break to spray 35 acres of clover. the good news is that I just polished off a 60,000 word book moments ago. now it's all in D&DH magazine's parent company's hands. The bad news is I have 4 articles due the 1st, and should do a 5th for Bow & Arrow Hunting magazine (they let me write whatever, whenever...I've just ignored doing anything for them for too long)...Still, that's nothing compared to all the words I've pumped out lately.
I'll address this and some other stuff tomorrow.
for now, I'll just leave it at this. BigEight obviously has more luck with ropes than I do. By far the best luck I have is with a "bushy" oak. softwoods work fine too, but I can get 2-3 years use out of the oaks, where 1-2 is common for me out of softwoods.
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BJE80
Guest
Thanks Steve. I look forward to it.
Steve Bartylla
5 year old buck +
If someone is going to try to get bucks to rub on the same tree, I'll tell you up front that you're better off going with Big8's approach. I personally don't. I just want to get a tree in the ground that's going to last me 2-3 years, so that I don't have to dig a bunch of holes and cut a bunch of trees each year. So, I use oaks, when I can. They all last 2-3 years. The one I show "planting" looks like it is going to make it through it's 4th season, this fall.
If I was just doing this on 1 property, I'd still stick to what I do, but that's because I've found it to work great for me. Big8's approach obviously works great for him. so long as it works "great" I don't see there being a "wrong" way to do it. As mentioned above, I've tried all sorts of variations of the rope stuff. I just have never had great luck with it, but obviously others have. For me, I get a lot more action on a "bushy" tree than I get on ropes...some, yes, but not as much. I believe that the "sticking out like a turd in a punchbowl" factor, while offering licking branches at around nose level, are the biggest keys.
There's not much to my approach. Try to find an oak that's around the diameter of my bicep - calf, that when cut and "planted" about 3' deep can offer licking branches pointing towards my stand, that can have the back branches trimmed off, while still offering that "bushy" look. After the first year, you'll lose a lot of that "bushy" look, but the bucks have generally taken it over by then to the point that it no longer matters.
Unfortunately, the kid that was helping me last year deleted all sorts of pics he was supposed to be putting in specific directories for me (I'd go through each card, delete all but the pics I wanted to save and he was supposed to be keeping a master file system for me...He didn't). I had some super cool stuff in pics. the below stuff makes the point, but couldn't even sniff the quality of really great pics I'd gotten off of these last year (first year I went out of my way to document this with scout cam pics)
If I was just doing this on 1 property, I'd still stick to what I do, but that's because I've found it to work great for me. Big8's approach obviously works great for him. so long as it works "great" I don't see there being a "wrong" way to do it. As mentioned above, I've tried all sorts of variations of the rope stuff. I just have never had great luck with it, but obviously others have. For me, I get a lot more action on a "bushy" tree than I get on ropes...some, yes, but not as much. I believe that the "sticking out like a turd in a punchbowl" factor, while offering licking branches at around nose level, are the biggest keys.
There's not much to my approach. Try to find an oak that's around the diameter of my bicep - calf, that when cut and "planted" about 3' deep can offer licking branches pointing towards my stand, that can have the back branches trimmed off, while still offering that "bushy" look. After the first year, you'll lose a lot of that "bushy" look, but the bucks have generally taken it over by then to the point that it no longer matters.
Unfortunately, the kid that was helping me last year deleted all sorts of pics he was supposed to be putting in specific directories for me (I'd go through each card, delete all but the pics I wanted to save and he was supposed to be keeping a master file system for me...He didn't). I had some super cool stuff in pics. the below stuff makes the point, but couldn't even sniff the quality of really great pics I'd gotten off of these last year (first year I went out of my way to document this with scout cam pics)
Steve Bartylla
5 year old buck +
Here's one off of a 2 year old softwood. On the softwoods I do make them so they'll get rubbed. regardless of if they're soft or hard woods, tamp that dirt in really firm, so they don't tip over....I could see how Big8's use of cut 2x4s would work well, also. Unfortunately, the diameter of the trees I use are generally too big for that (I'd also end up buying enough 2x4s to build a 3 story house)
Steve Bartylla
5 year old buck +
P.S. I don't worry about if they "lean," so long as the lick branches are usable. If it gets too bad, I just puch them back upright and tamp them in good again, but I don't have to do that often
scott44
5 year old buck +
Great pics Steve! Thanks to you and bigeight for keeping such a detailed pics and sharing them. Quick question, is there any rhyme or reason to where you put this in your plot?
