I recently gained access to 40 acres of heavy woods and swamp to hunt this fall, mainly for bow hunting. I also received a new GPS for Christmas to play around with. Last night I went out to the land with my GPS and started by walking the perimeter and recorded it to the GPS. Then I moved in about 30 yards from the perimeter and started walking back, looking for trails, rubs, potential stand locations etc and marking that information into my GPS. I plan on gridding out the rest of the land over the next few weeks.


My question is when bucks create rubs one seasons, do they return the following season to make rubs in the same area? Also, are they likely to revisit this area prior to the rut again this fall?

Thanks for the help

If you find a community rub/scrape. The bucks in the area will visit it each year. Do not put alot of stock in rubs. I see them as indicators that there are bucks in the area. I normally hunt the nearest food sources or bedding areas to the rubs.

Find high ground and the nut trees, remember that their taste changes with temperture. If you land has a bedding area, find the trails leading into/outof and place stand away from the area, but close enough to catch them coming out are in.

This might help...
BUCKRUBS

Thanks for the link

rubs are like when ya dont have a toof pik and need one, ya just use what ever ..how ever ya can.

I would caution against over scouting a 40 acre area. Anything we do as hunters that is "different" may effect deer. I would complete your pre-season scouting, and mark a map as you described, but I would be careful not to check the game camera's too often, or at times where I would be likely to encounter deer.

I enjoy the outdoors, but I try to avoide "my" hunting spots unless I'm hunting. Instead, I walk public land that already has human interaction like walking trails. I have found that deer in these places have a greater tolorence for me.