UPDATE with pics. Take a load of this!
 

Itook a picture and itwas the last of my batteries, so I had to make the man law and post at least one. This guy has about 3 in a rowin this location. I have more on video, but I cant upload any video....dont know how.

This guy I have seen. He is at least a 5x4 but it was in velvet when I sawhim twice.I have hi trais al figured out. This is is his staging area just 25 yards from a bean field. What a monster rub though. Im starting to see several rubs. his on was don hours before I took the picture.



Hes all mine Joey....dont even think Im showing you this spot!

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Nice!
Good luck!

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Awesome!

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Are you sure that's a rub? It looks like its just bark pealing off a dead tree and it goes awfully close to the ground.

I could be wrong though! :D

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I agree with Dan.

Do you go into your hunting land every day?

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Looks just like bark peeling off

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Guys,

Its definately a rub. The picture doesnt do it justice. This guy picked this very healthy sedar...bark doesnt just peel off. His tracks are all around, as well as 3 other rubs in the vecinity. There is a scrape about 20 yrds away, wih fresh droppings.

All of this is in a staging area about 20 yrds from the corner of a bean field. His trails, rubs, and sign are not leading me away from being just a darn big rub. If its the 5x5 I have seen in the area, no wonder. I will get new batteries and go back to get all of his rubs in a row.

DEFINATELY A RUB.....no bark falling off, or that branch that he knocked off to the stub.

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good luck

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Doesn't look like a rub to me either. I've never seen one rubbed ALL the way to the ground.

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I'm guessing mature squirrels.

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Is there a B&C category for squirrels??:D

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You guys crack me up!! I have noticed several fresh rubs across my land (which I know every square foot of). Some are the typical rubs, but this is the mack daddy. I have seen termites, birch bark flake, dying cedar peeling, but this tree is alive and kicking. Its identical to the one standing beside it in the picture.

I have followed this spot because of the mast is already faling, the access to the filed, and the scrapes and general staging area just off the field. There are droppings all over the rub, and have hair on some of the scrapings from the rub.

Im not going to argue, but if you want to call it peeling bark, look at the tree standing beside it. Its the same diameter, and age as the rubbed one, and both are healthy.

It shocked me, enough to take a picture since nobody would believe me, and even went around 360 degrees with the video camera to get the whole picture of where he was wrapping around the opposite side s well. Its the monster rub I have been looking for, and several more around. I will take a picture of all them, and put side by side...and I want to see these who commented on peeling bark.

This time of the year they arefresh as can be, and this was no exception. Im setting up the ridge from the rub lines(20 yrds away), and when I will take him I will be sure to take some peeling bark to show you the difference. As I said the picture doesnt do it justice. If I could figure out how to post the video, you will see its not down to the bottom on the sides. plus the tree is in an awkward position on a hill, so the deer would be standing a foot below it....could be the reason to rub all the way down. Needless to say, Im keeping a watch on this one, as Im sure of the deer that made it.

GMMAT, sorry if you have those kinds of squirrels, we dont...I took care of most of them througout the summer. I will personally send a data stick with the video so you wont be having nightmares of squirrels eating a 4 /2 foot scrape on a cedar. You can see the antler marks plain as day in a closer picture. When I go tomorrow I will get some good zoom shots to put a foot in your mouth!:D

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I have seen them completely uproot a tree...why wouldnt they be going for the botom if the are low enough to knock it over from the roots?

I wouldnt have posted it if it wasnt genuine. I have many others that would almost pass for rubs, but whats the use...to be called a novice. We will see when he is on the scoreboard at about 160

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Different parts on alternating days

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Im not saying it is or it isnt.... But how in this world does a deer/mature squirrel,rub/chew all the way around a 1 centimeter Twig, removing all bark without breaking it??

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Why wouldnt the squirrels be going for the hundreds of fresh acorns on the ground. Wouldnt it be more of their character than tearing up a cedar tree. What food source does that supply. Come on...stop thinking that stupid stuff. You are a hunter, if you showed me a picture of that, would you expect me to say something like cockroaches....nope. Id wish you well, but that shows your pessimistic opinion of others.

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I looked at that too. Possibly while rubbing, he just went up and down on that limb. Its obviously broken. it may have not falle off, but give him another rub. lokks like most of the rub was lower than that twig.

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Dude it doesn't bother me one way or another...and I can promise you I've seen some I thought were rubs, at first, too.

I'm fully aware that rubs are being made, now. I saw at least a dozen in a 30' circle, Tuesday.

Answer the question Buckmaster did. It was a good one....and one I was wondering about, too. I'd let it go, though.;) I saw one that loked JUST like this a couple years ago. I thought it was a rub, too........then I got to wondering how the buck could've done that with three strands of barbed wire on the fence post.[8D]

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I believe you brother, and if I were you, I wouldn't waste my time taking more pictures/video or whatever trying to prove yourself to some guys on an internet forum.

I mean seriously, does it really matter if they believe you or not?

Stay out of that place until you can go back in with your bow and put that pig on the ground.--Then you can worry about taking pictures and videos:D

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Im hanging my climber just the right height to jump on and climb to where I will see him come into range and start to eat some of the acorns, or just come out of field. Once set up, Im out of there till October!!

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I think you might want to sit near those rubs early & catch him coming out of his bedding area. I've read that usually they mark them in a row on the same side of the tree, which indicates what direction he's heading to. Supposedly, they mark of the trees as theyr'e heading to bed down. A few yrs ago, I had one that marked 9 trees in a straight row of pines, right into a non-hunting zone. He'd been spotted several times, but as far as I know, no one got him. Can you put out a trail camera near there? I've hunted rubs before w/success. But it has to be early. I think you have a good shot, w/as many hoof marks as you say. Especially, if they're fresh. Keep us posted as to who is doing that.

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I thought the exact same thing, they just don't rub all the way to the ground like that......and that dead branch in the middle ofthe "rub"would have been toast with bark missing completely on either side of it.

It doesn't look like any rub I've ever seen, honestly. There might be a buck rubbing some part of that tree but I don't think a deer is responsible for the entire thing.

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I beg to differ. Last yr I had a buck not only strip it down, but trashed every little sapling near the big ones by it. He must have had 6-9 rubs concentrated in a 8' area. I guess he should be able to zoom in w/his camera & then post it. That would give more details on the tree. It appears to have shredding on the R side if you look closely.

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Porcupines love bark? They have killed more than a couple of trees by eating bark and that's why I shoot them!
I've gotten a few P&Y porcupines also B&C while hunting over "rubs" or I like to call them "chew marks" like these.

No one's doubting your scouting skills, but the picture shows a few bizarre sightings, like the branches on the tree still attached (I count 9 nubbies).
Also rubs that appear to go into the ground, my experience has been around 1-4 feet is the normal, the height may be closer to 5 or 6 feet?

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nk if it was a rub that the twigs would be brooke off

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Rub no rub, go get those bucks you have worked so hard for this off-season Jeff! Best of luck.

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Thanks Brett,

Ive been hunting for over 25 years, and this is not the first rub I have encountered. The droppings, tracks, and other rubs surrounding this one does not discourage me in any way. If GMMAT wants to walk by it and blame it on the squirrels, Im doubting his scouting skills. I know the picture doesnt do it any good, but there is no way of getting around that it is a very vicious thrashing on the tree. Just check out the other identical tree beside it. The squirrels must not have seen that one, or the porcupines were full. The picture does not do it justice, but when I get the other sides of the tree to show, it will be no doubt a huge rub, by a good size deer.

Especilly when I put him down with my picture and bow showing his VERY large rack.

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Dude:

I'm not the only one doubting it's a rub.....just the one you wanna focus on. My scouting skills tell me that some cedars look like old rubs....when the skin peels off the tree from non-whitetail critters and just "nature". My scouting skills have paid off pretty handsomely, also.;) See.....sometimes NOT scouting is the right call.

A rub tells you there was "a" buck in your woods one time. Nothing more. He could come back. He could have been passing through. He could have thrashed that cedar from top to bottom, bypassing the twigs there with surgical precision. "He" also could have been a squirrel, abear scratching his back or side,an opossum or a raccoon. Hell I'll give you the benefit of the doubt....(since I don't really care). It was definitely the 10 pointer. If you don't spook him into the next county by going in there every day.....smoking and leaving scent, everywhere.....maybe you'll also get a crack at him. Good luck!;)

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doesnt look like a rub to me either, but im not gonna say its not a rub until the season is over. I hope you get the big bastid, and post pic right in this thread.

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nice rub! good luck

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I was thinking bear, but no claw marks. If it's a rub, big boy is out there. Best of luck.

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OK, for all you that doubted me the first time. I went back to the area this morning and set up my climber. I was up about 20 ft when I heard some thrashing going on about 50 yrds towards the rub from yesterday. For GMMAT and the others who claim that porcupines and giant squirrels are the culprit, or even disease...This was as fresh as I could get to it.

He was definately a bruiser. I heard him barrelling down toward the creek when he caught wind of me and snorted like a freight train.



I figured I would zoom in and show the antler marks on the center.



I guess the squirrell that took off was n a horses back, The area around hre is loaded with sign. Acorns everywhere, scat, scrapes, and this is the third fresh rub since being there yesterday.

What do you think GMMAT? some weird bark disease that makes the tree shake its bark off? Or just the wind?

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Where are the bark shavings on the ground??:DLOL

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Umm......I have those all over my property and its not a rub. Its the bark pealing. First of all a deer doesn't stand on his backs legs to rub is antlers.

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.

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Good luck with him Jeff. Hope to see some pics come October.
Chris

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Ok...Its not a deer. The scat and tracks all around these trails are from last year, and what I heard was a mouse. I have seen the deer in these parts. Three singular sapplings torn to pieces. I guess its just a fluke.

I wont be taking your advice though, and will show you him when hes down on the ground with me holding his rack in my hands. I know this property like the back of my hand. The scenario for this part of the woods is prime whitetail habital, and the 9 pointer taken last year during muzzy was just a pretend deer too.

I wish you luck in WI with rubs that arent rubs. However the rubs have been popping up all this week in places where I know the deer are eating my corn, having pictures taken, etc.

I was just sharing my 25 years of scouting, and I have seen many instances where bark decays and falls, branches and trees dying and flaking, birches flaking...but never before, in these woods, have I seen this and it not be a buck rub. Usually they are alot smaller, on smaller cedars and sapplings, but this is not a small deer.

Im not the only witness to these markings, or the sighting of the deer. The neighbor was the one who pointed me to the edge of the field where he had been seen going in and out of. I guess I will tell them it was a fluke.

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Maybe the 4 ft squirrel ate them. I have no clue, but it does not in anyway sway me from KNOWING its a huge buck rub.

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Where in the hell do you see a deer standing on his legs to make a rub. its a big freakin deer I tell ya!

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Well if its a deer, I wish you all the luck in getting him.