shed33

I am finding some tremendous rubs on my latest scouting forays. My question has several parts and I hope to use your advice in my upcoming archery whitetail season starting August 30th and running through Decemeber 23rd.

1. How much stock do you put into rublines that you find in your winter/spring scouting right now, for the upcoming season in the fall?

2. Those of you that do hunt rublines annually, What do you look for in a quality rubline and ambush area?

3. What phase of the " hunting season' (pre/scraping/rut/post) do you spend most of your time bowhunting rublines?

4. How many bucks have you personally harvested on rubline set ups?

Thanks for your imput on these questions.

Shed

Cougar Mag

Hi Shed! Personally, since I hunt generally the same areas yr after yr., I hunt the same rubline " area" every season. The biggest rubs seem to be in the same general vicinity.

I don' t always hunt on or even near the biggest rubs many times, again because of where I hunt, some of the biggest rubs are too close to the buck' s bedding area, so I spend more time hunting the most used cluster of rubs and they are not big rubs in many cases, but are many more rubs concentrated into a localized area.

I hunt rubs earlier in the season, and closer to the rut I look for the bigger rubs and clusters and hunt on the trails, not necessarily near the rubs themselves. I find that many rubs are not even on a well used buck trail, but off of it a ways in many cases. As far as rublines themselves, anywhere along a good rubline " trail" is good and can be productive. In my areas at least the bigger bucks roam a long ways seeking out does, many times I see bucks I have never seen before, and I know its not just because they may have been nocturnal.

Personally I have no idea how many bucks I have harvested right along a rub line, because most of my success has been right in the rut and I choose to hunt where the does are concentrating and that is not aways among the rubs or rublines. The bucks will be where the does are in the peak of the rut which generally occurs sometime within the 2nd week of november here in Illinois.

shed33

MAG,

Thanks for all the quality info. Correct me if I am wrong but I see the same picture painted here where I hunt. Clusters of rubs, I usually find in staging areas near concentrated food sources. Rublines near bedding areas and Rublines scattered along funnel trails.

I too spend a lot of time hunting the doe concetrated areas during the rut. I like hunting near bedding areas, but only if all the conditions are right for me to get in undetected.

Thanks again,
Shed

logs

Shed33, JMO
1. How much stock do you put into rublines that you find in your winter/spring scouting right now, for the upcoming season in the fall?
I look at them as a sure sign that a buck was in the area. There is no way of knowing right now if that same buck made it thru the season but I believe that if that buck was taken, another will fill in that area. I also believe from what I' ve seen that the same rublines will reappear year after year. No one sign by itself causes me to hunt an area. But rublines are up there near the top.


2. Those of you that do hunt rublines annually, What do you look for in a quality rubline and ambush area?
Agian rublines are only part of the equation. I hunt them in conjunction with other factors. I believe that the rubbed area is the direction that the buck approached. I' ve seen bucks make rubs and that is the way it occurred and It only makes sense. Therefore when I set upI locate my stand between two well established rubs taking the wind into consideration as always.
As far as the rub itself goes, the bigger the tree the better. Even the largest buck will rub a small sapling but only the large buck will rip up a 6 inch tree or cut into adjacent trees when rubbing. Those rubs are special.
Also the line itself will be clear. It will fit into a natural travel pattern.

3. What phase of the " hunting season' (pre/scraping/rut/post) do you spend most of your time bowhunting rublines?
I hunt a rubline when it is the best of the signs Im seeing but it is not my primary method during the rut. Then Im hunting over does and scrape areas with does. That usually relates to feed areas and the areas between the bedding area and food.

4. How many bucks have you personally harvested on rubline set ups?
I never kept track of it but there have been several times when the rubline was the only or primary reason for stand placement and I scored from those stands. Other times it was a combination of factors if that makes any sense.

shed33

Logs,

I really like what you have to say. I too like to find an areas that encompasses more than one factor of the ambush equation. One particular area I just found has a rubline that runs about 300 yards long through a natural funnel in a creek bottom. The rubs vary from old (years back) too fresh from last season and are dealt out on small saplings to thigh sized trees.

Thanks Again,
Best of Luck
Shed

Rack-attack

I only hunt rublines that enter/exit or smack in the middle of bedding areas or that run in funnels connecting two or more bedding areas. For me to bother with a rub line it has to be in thick woods. I spent too many fruitless hours hunting beautiful looking rublines in open woods to do it again.

shed33

Rack Attack,

Thanks for sharing your info. I would have to agree. I prefer hunting the low light areas here ie.... very thick stuff where bucks bed and will get up and move during daylight hours. Thanks again and nice photo. Its nice to put a face with a name.

Shed

skeeter 7MM

I agree, I love rubs. However, some of the best rubs I have seen are on food, near food or road ways to food, No point in hunting those rubs! I tend to hunt the rubs deep in the timbers, usually in draws, funnels, etc. I prefer to get as close to his " Bedroom" as possible, it just maximizes your odds of seeing him during the daylight hours, pre, rut or post...it just makes sense to be in his comfort zone.

I believe the deer will continue to use rublines...mainly because it is in or on the way to their habitat or grounds. Interpreting the sign and trying to figure out stand placement is much different. If I find a good looking rubline in open areas or food sources, I try and back track to find more activity deeper in cover. Even find a crossing intersection of trails or hopefully funnel that leads to the rub activity or food source. I rarely will hunt on a food source unless it is early or a doe is the target. I much prefer hanging in the shadows and waiting for the ghost to appear.

shed33

Thanks Skeeter for the reply.

I too do a lot of back tracking especially near food source rubs. 1 ? if you happen to read this. Do you have much luck real early in the season back in the staging areas say near the food? Here we can hunt in LATE August and I often stil see bucks in their summer routine.


Thanks again,
Shed

skeeter 7MM

Shed, are opener is around the same as yours. Basically in Sept I hunt them how I have scouted them or seen them during the summer, primarily food and water sources. However iInever hunt right on the source but rather back from it. While the does, fawns and younger bucks may feel comfortable coming...them bigger bucks still like dark. I try and locate the main funnels, corridors, intersections or trail that run parallell or circle the actual source. This is what I meant be lurking in the shadows. Basically in cover. I have also found heavy grassed fence lines that act as a funnel work really well, in the more open areas or when chasing mulies. In any situation I look for cover, travel routes, where are they going (food/water) and where are they coming from (bed). I try to locate myself in the middle of the equation and look for areas that will not only provide me a shot, but cover and the abillity to remain undetected. During the early part when they are summer pattern, bachelor groups, etc...I don' t like to get to close to the bed...more to the food. As everything progresses as do I.

My success in sept has been good for seeing, but I tend to hold out, evaluate, never really push it at this time...no pressure.

Does this answer your question?