JD IN ALBERTA

Well I'm pretty sure it wasn't a moose based on the tracks around the area, but I may be mistaken. I'm thinking the trees were bent down by a big whitetail, but we could hardly bend them ourselves. Either way, it was pretty amazing to come across and I guess we'll never know. It's a long way from home so a camera is out of the question.
Question: Don't moose have an earlier rut than deer? I don't hunt them.

JDinAB

Omega50 cal

Moose or elk - way to tall for a deer. Most deer would never rub on a tree of that diameter either.

Tribal

They are Moose. I know it is great hoping those are deer hoping you just found godzillas area but those are moose.

moosehornhunter

JD...To answer your question, yes, moose do indeed have an earlier rut that deer. The moose rut takes place at the end of September and the first couple weeks of October. However, moose have different rubbing habits than deer. They rarely rub trees such as these in the rut. When moose are rutting, they prefer to stick there heads in brushy type trees like alders and swamp maples and small spruce and thrash their heads violently. They start rubbing again in earnest in about mid november on trees like the ones you have pictured, poplar, as well as larger spruce trees. Unlike deer, they are not marking their territory, but rubbing to knock their horns off. Once a bull has it in his head that it's time for the horns to come off, he will rub trees incesantly until they come off. This occurs anytime from mid november right through march, typicaly with the biggest bulls dropping first. Judging by the photos you posted, i suspect you are in the vicinity of a moose wintering area, and you might want to take a trip back in and look for some sheds. But for your own sake, don't waste your time hunting these rubs for deer or any like them for that matter. I am 100% certain that the pics are of moose rubs.