Help settle an arguement
 

Please help me settle an arguement between me and a buddy of mine. My friend thinks that the larger bucks will use the larger trees to rub their antlers on and the younger bucks will use the smaller trees. I think he's fricken crazy! Your thoughts???

I think he's crazy, too. It's been my observation that any buck will rub any tree in his territory.

i seen a big ol buck rubbin on the smallest sapling...another buddy of mine suggested that they are trying to get to the smaller places...i dunno, i never talked to a deer b4.

the answer is ............not worth the arguement........simply say I know you wrong, and there is no way to prove otherwise that your theory is correct .

My thought is anything that feels good to them they will rub. Kind of like me !

Well on one side of the coin sometime you can tell the size of the deer by the rub. If you see a tree that is almost as thick as a telephone pole you can be pretty sure that a spike didn't do that. But thats about the only thing you can tell. Some people say larger bucks prefer to rub on littler trees because they can really mess them up.

also look for how high the rub is on the tree !

Thats what Ive always gone by....

Agreed with the telephone pole comment. But I've also seen big deer tear up small saplings. So you are both right.

The height of the rub is all that I really look for

I don't think the height of the rub is as important as it's made to sound. If you watch video of bucks rubbing, you'll most often see them lowering their heads to rub on trees and bushes. I think the size of the tree being rubbed is the best sign. Big bucks will rub small trees, but small bucks don't usually mess with big trees. jmo

I think you are right on there.

yep i think all bucks hit small trees and usually the big trees are hit by the bigger deer.

Stove pipe size usually not small bucks,they can work bigger stuff but seems better with a little give.
Tracks are more dependable for me,specie of tree too, individuals have favorites. One of this years racks were orange.(sumac) another liked poplar,have seen one liked sassafras. Rack shape affects choice when rubbing near antler bases. Great question though! Have watched some decent(o.k. very for me )bucks work stuff under 2 inches and stuff around an inch.