Rubs

[razorback]

I normally don\'t get too excited about rubs in the whitetail woods and don\'t do a lot of scouting anymore. Typically hunt the same ground year after year or scout new ground during turkey season. Normally though if you find a lot of rubs early, you\'re close to a buck\'s bedding area or at least that\'s always held true for my experiences. Is this true for bulls? If I should find rubs, what do they tell me other than a bull has been there? Any particular way you guys hunt over rubs or just ignore them about like I do whitetail rubs unless they are in a line and in conjunction with good scrapes and multiple licking branches. In other words is there any specific sign that will tell me a good bull is using an area?

 

[timberland]

I\'ve marked bedding areas that are full of rubs on my GPS and plan on still hunting into some of these areas during mid day instead of napping. Only in spots that won\'t screw up my morning/evening hunts. Some spots have several years worth of rubs because they are perfect bedding areas and these can be tough to hunt into, but its another piece of the game plan.

 

[razorback]

About what time of year will bulls start rubbing?

 

[cnelk]

By mid/late August the bulls will rub their velvet off.
It seems like they like to bugle when this happens.
Once the velvet comes off, then pre-rut kicks in and they can go kinda quiet.

So, there are two kinds of rubs, the ones that take the velvet and the ones during the rut.

 

[razorback]

So are either worth taking note of during the first part of bow season?

 

[cnelk]

Of course.
I put more \'stock\' into rubs than I do wallows

 

[razorback]

Any way to tell the difference between the two other than the rut rubs probably look a little more aggressive. Are these likely located near a bedding area similiar to a WT?

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Of course.
I put more \'stock\' into rubs than I do wallows

+1

I can usually tell the difference by the amount of signs left behind. Green pine needle branches on the ground and the lack of dripping sap usually means fresh rut rub.


jf

 

[Pop-r]

I agree with Brad on velvet rub\'s & rut rub\'s but I wouldn\'t put too much stock in velvet rub\'s. I have seen the wood\'s demolished & not an elk for mile\'s! No kidding! They tend to b hanging in some pretty accessible places when they shed but very shortly after when a lil pressure comes in they\'re gone!

 

[razorback]

So are the rut rubs primarily located around bedding areas or staging areas or just random? How does that impact the way you hunt the area? Is that an area you call more and spend more time in? If so at what time of day?

 

[Swede]

You should find multiple rubs in good bedding areas. I prefer to find a nearby water hole with trails coming in and set a tree stand up there rather than going into a bedding area and risk spooking the elk away. During the day the elk get up and often rub. They will travel to water and rub trees along the way. Often you can tie the water hole to the bedding area by following a rub trail. Just knowing what you are seeing should help you plan your encounter.

 

[razorback]

Thanks, sounds a lot like WT hunting. Only difference is I\'m normally focussed one particular bucks bedding area. I don\'t plan on packing tree stands but when I set up on a water hole with sign I was going to check make sure I had the wind and maybe make a small blind with natural material. I kind of have my hunt pictured like a cross between a deer and turkey hunt. The only problem is when I hear birds gobble I ususally take off and stay on the move. I know I don\'t the experience to call like to Troy so I\'ll have to be really conservative if and when I do start moving on vocal elk.

I have always hunted bucks between bedding areas and feeding areas, would the watering hole be equivalent to a feeding area? If so would it be better to try to catch him in between the two areas, especially if I\'m on the ground?

 

[timberland]

Elk are quite as pattern dedicated as WT. With that in mind, I hunt the destination area, waterhole, feed, etc. instead of a trail somewhere in between. Especially if the destination is in timber to up the odds of a visit during daylight, which can be a challenge with WT.

 

[razorback]

Timberland-That\'s good to know. More than a few times, I have been busted climbing down after dark. Big bucks really seem to get on their feet when the sun is down. So elk tend to get up earlier than deer?

 

[Swede]

I agree with timberland completely on his point. A destination will likely find elk coming from several possible directions. You might as well be where they are coming to, rather than just passing by. You will have more opportunities that way. Elk are very rarely running around an area like people at a mall.