Anyone Hunt Rub Lines?

[Vinny_HC]

I have been scouting for two seasons now where I hunt and there are definitely bucks out there but I have never found these "rub lines" that people speak of, such as a rub every 20 feet along a trail. The best I have seen is a rub every 300 yds or so at best.

Do deer make rub lines like this in Alberta or have I simply never found one yet?

[Fer-Tak-Er]

Originally Posted by Vinny_HC

I have been scouting for two seasons now where I hunt and there are definitely bucks out there but I have never found these "rub lines" that people speak of, such as a rub every 20 feet along a trail. The best I have seen is a rub every 300 yds or so at best.

Do deer make rub lines like this in Alberta or have I simply never found one yet?

They sure do make rub lines. Every 20',perhaps not. But if you can find the trail that the buck is using you will certainly find more. If I find a good rub,I than try to find the scrape to go with it(usually comes closer to rut). But next year I like to put my camera on that line. Usually get some good pics in the summer of velvet bucks.

[IHUNT]

I live up in the fort mac area and have seen lots of scrape lines and they are awesome to hunt!

[cmdalexander]

I only hunt rub lines. It is easy to identify fresh ones come late October, by now most ofthem will be brown.

The buck I shot this year had frsh green wood at the base of his antlers.

Whitetails like rubbing young alders (less then 10feet tall), from my experience. However where I hunted this year, there were some good rubs on young pine trees as well.

Check out the valleys and wood lots close to the fields you are going to hunt. Once youget toknow an area well, you will start to notice howfrequently buck is in the area, by examining the rubs daily. If there isa bit of snow on the ground, youwill even see the flecks of bark at the base ofthe trees.

[catnthehat]

I hunt the same rub lines and scrape lines every year!
Cat

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I hunt the same rub lines and scrape lines every year!
Cat

Same here! The area I hunt the rublines are stacked over one another from year to year! Numerous deer have been shot on this little area including my deer this year!

[Vinny_HC]

Wow, so how do you guys find rub lines in the first place? Bucks typically don't use very well defined paths. Do scout in the spring or something?

[catnthehat]

I have been hunting these same general areas for about 30years, and know the rub lines well, some of them I have been hunting since the late 70's, others only for about ten years....
Cat

[buckbrushoutdoors]

Originally Posted by Vinny_HC

Wow, so how do you guys find rub lines in the first place? Bucks typically don't use very well defined paths. Do scout in the spring or something?

Spring is one of the best times to scout new areas. You can see scrape or rub lines from the fall. And you won't hurt the area and blow deer out of that spot.

[Tatonka]

I have a rub post right behind my house (I can see it out my living room window). It has been rubbed like clockwork starting about the end of October since we first moved into this place (about 20 years ago). What is interesting is that there is a post a few feet from the rub post that the bucks never touch.... In 20 years, this post has never been rubbed, but the post next to it gets hit every year... Here are a couple photos..

[Zuludog]

LOL. That's awesome! ^^ Funny how they always rub one post but not the other.

[Vinny_HC]

Originally Posted by buckbrushoutdoors

Spring is one of the best times to scout new areas. You can see scrape or rub lines from the fall. And you won't hurt the area and blow deer out of that spot.

I have been spring scouting for 2 seasons now and clearly I haven't looked close enough. I have a lot of bush in my area so I think I over extend my search area.

Do you guys try to find a field-edge rub then walk it back in the bush to find the rub line, because I haven't found many of those field edge rubs? Most rubs appear once in the wood a ways.