Hunting Rub lines..
 

Just wondering how many folk's love to hunt Rub-lines Pre-rut..

I personly love to.. Iv'e been able to pattern many nice Bucks over the years this way..

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

i stick to my one lucky spot, but it has lots of rubs and scrapes luckily

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

i do on a previous post i explained,on opening day of shotgun season i killed a 8 pointer and a button buck of a huge rub line in the creek,[didnt realize it until we were tracking}spotted several bucks at this rub line

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

You can really learn a lot about how and where the bucks are moving from rub lines. We have followed them to bedding areas with rubs all around the permiter. I'll let you know how well it works for us in a few weeks.

JMO

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

Rub lines are a great place to hang out early season. You can get a lot of information from a rub. Direction, rough time, regularity of usage and how many deer follow it from tracking. One other great sign post is a licking branch. You will find bucks frequenting these from velvet up to rut. The rubs are close by.. I like a light camo chair with no arms and a 3d leaf suit. Hunt with the wind in your favor!
Good Luck.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

Different strokes! I can't imagine hunting the "sign" as much as there is around here. I hunt where I think the does will be.....and sooner or later...that's where the bucks will be. It might be November before I see over a handful of bucks.....but I'll see my share when they start getting "antsy".....and start chasing.

I also can't snuggle up tot heir bedding areas.....so this option isn't viable for me. I'd love to have a property to hunt to try this, sometime. Their bedding area, where I hunt.....is off limits.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

So...GMAT...there is a ton of buck sign around your area, but you don't expect to see them until the pre-rut kicks in? I'm not following there.Maybe you're referring to droppings and feeding sign and nothing gender-specific.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

No...I'm referring to buck sign that appears later in the season. I see multiple (very many) rubs and scrapes.......too many to set up on and hunt (in my opinion).

I did hunt over a scrape I thought was a "major" scrape a couple of years ago. I watched 4 bucks work it the same morning....but none I was interested in. The only buck I WAS interested in trotted by the field without giving it a glance (of course...he could have very well scent-checked the scrape).

Too much sign, here....and too few bucks.....so....I just go where the does are.

Like I said.....different strokes.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

OK...gotcha. Sounds like you're doing the right thing....and you get results.

Hell, I'd just like to know where the does are hanging out where I hunt...I would have plunked one already! :D

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

Moose.....I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing....lol....and I don't want to give the wrong impression. The bucks I saw that morning were a half rack 4-point....a BB, a six pointer and a spike. The one that didn't check it (although he may have scent checked it) was a nice 8 I've been after for 3 seasons, now. Go figure.

I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not....I'm just learning by trial and error.

Good luck in your season.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

[/align]
[blockquote]
[/align]GMMAT, Don't feel bad about not being able to hunt the bedding areas. I saw a show a couple of years ago the suggested it is bad to hunt the bedding areas. They said it is better to let the deer have a place of security. Somewhere they feel totally safe. They said it will help to keep the deer in the area. Don't ask me the source. It was a while ago and I was trying to teach myself everything I could back then. I was just getting my feat wet back then. I have only been hunting for 5 years . This is my 6th bow season. But after seeing that show; I have always tried to stay out of bedding areas. Right or wrong, I just felt better about it. [/blockquote]

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

I hear ya.....but it would be nice to be able to have access to ALL sides of the bedding areas. I only have a way to cut them off if they come out on my side. I'd love to have access to all sides.

I'd also LOVE to be able to crowd it at certain times of the year.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

[/align]I feel your pain. I am landlocked everywhere I hunt.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

Years ago befor mineral licks, bait piles, and trail cams, being able to read rub and scrape lines was the only way you had to improve your chances of killing a mature buck. Sure you had an average Joe score on a mature buck from time to time but the steady Eddies knew how to read and hunt scrape lines

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

Yeah....especially this time of year before the pre-rut and rut has them running around willy-nilly looking for hot does. A rub line this year definitely speaks volumes about a buck's travel pattern. He's just trucking along between bedding and feeding without having his mind clouded by thoughts of poon. I have some bucks that I can't hunt behind my house which are fun to watch. There has been a rub right in my backyard for several weeks now...right after they came out of velvet, which didn't surprise me. BUT....a scrape appeared over a week ago and I got to watch a smallish 8 pointer (9 with a kicker actually) from my family room window tend it a few nights ago. I've hunted for longer than I should admit...but don't recall finding (or even looking) for scrapes where ever I've hunted prior to mid-October.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

We hunt rub lines and runs all the time. We also have several stands near bedding areas. Question is; how close can your stand be to still offer them the comfort level they need?

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

i have been walking ALOT lately looking for rublines. not having any luck yet. found plenty of last years but no fresh ones. i know theres 5 nice bucks in the area but cant locate any rubs. i gotta do sumthing because i seen the other guy that hunts the land go in this morning w/ his stuff. i dont think they are rubbing here yet

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

It all depends on how much scent you leave and how much contact you make with them.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

TommyGunn, if the trails are being used on the last years rub and scrape lines, start there if you cant find someplace else you would like to hunt. Check the over hanging branch above old scrapes to see if they have recently been mouthed or nibbled on, and look to see if they have fresh tracks in them and how big they are.
Read the little signs, till theBIG SIGNSshow up.
Good luck.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

i tend to stick to the food plot till alittle bit before rut then move to the rub lines idk its what ive done and ive had luck doing it...

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

rubs are great early but i love a good food source during rut gotta be with the does to get the big ones

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

I have been noticing the same rub line for a couple years now. So I set up a trail camera and BOOM...all the pictures I got were bucks. There is another rub line that I want to buy a trail cam for. I think if there is a rub line that shows up from year to year, it is a given that deer frequent the area.

RE: Hunting Rub lines..
 

I can tell you my ol' man makes sure we take every precaution possible. We even take out all branches cut out for shooting lanes. :)

I can't wait for cooler weather.. Got the itch to get out!