Hunting Rubs for The Big One

[bowriter]

Better hunt him while he is there.

 

[REM7]

good luck

 

[woodsman87]

I do not see how any body could wait to hunt him, unless you had plenty of other spots to go. What if he leaves? What if somebody else shoots him? I am out everyday I can, even though I know that pressure is what causes them to get smart, obviously. I can't help but to not go because I am a hunter. If I didn't go, my buddies that neighbor and hunt with me would go and kill him. Or the competitors from across the road would kill him.

 

[bowriter]

Given this a lot of thought and can think of no reason to wait. You know he is in the area. You have an idea how he is traveling. He is not spooked. I would hunt him smart and hard and go for a bow kill.

Do it right and even if you don';t get a shot, you still have a chance during gun season. wait and he may be on my place by mzl. You can bet I won't wait.

 

[Coach]

Better hunt him while he is there.

x2

 

[redblood]

u never know.but i have good success by waiting for a more efficient weapon. he may relocate with the rut, true. but i believe in most every situation, odds are better holding off for gun, than pushing in with bow

Then how do you explain all of the mature buck bow kills during archery season?

same way folks win the lottery. a few prosper on rare occassion, but most walk away broke. all about percentages.

 

[recurve60#]

Hunt the rub line. But better yet, figure out why the rub line is there and insert that into your stand site selection. Are they incedental or do they mean something? If they mean something, what?

I almost slobber when I come into situations like that because they are so much fun to figure out.

For sure, forget the scrapes. 85% of all scraping activity by mature bucks is nocturnal and at least half of the remaining visitations are done from quite some distance downwind. I would also bet those scrapes are made by smaller bucks.

Keep us posted on this one.

x2. Forget the scrapes...Hunt the rubs! Be sure to post pics.

 

[redblood]

Hunt the rub line. But better yet, figure out why the rub line is there and insert that into your stand site selection. Are they incedental or do they mean something? If they mean something, what?

I almost slobber when I come into situations like that because they are so much fun to figure out.

For sure, forget the scrapes. 85% of all scraping activity by mature bucks is nocturnal and at least half of the remaining visitations are done from quite some distance downwind. I would also bet those scrapes are made by smaller bucks.

Keep us posted on this one.

x2. Forget the scrapes...Hunt the rubs! Be sure to post pics.

i have 8 deer on the wall that are proof that some activity occurs over scrape lines when the lights are on.

 

[bowriter]

Of course you do. Mature bucks check scrapes only 15% in daylight, 85% at night. However, younger bucks and does may check them at any time. That is according to a QDMA collar and camera survey. I don't hunt scrapes so I would not know. :sleep:

 

[Pursuit Hunter]

Most of the bucks I have killed with a bow have been near rubs and/or scrapes BUT those rubs and scrapes have been around feeding areas (dominant trees). I wouldn't hunt random scrapes on logging roads or rublines that appear to have been made by travelling bucks, or even signpost rubs, but show me a hot dominant tree with a concentration of buck sign and I will get very excited.

 

[RutMutt]

I had a similar situation last year. The sign was so hot I knew it needed to be hunted. I ended up hunting it and on the first morning I killed a 110 inch 7 pt with my bow.

What I really wanted to do though was to get my son in there on the juvy hunt and not pressure the area. But that was a few weeks away.I was afraid though when the leaves and things they were feeding on where gone by then this spot would die. That was exactly what happened too.

My opinion would be if the sign is perfect hunt it. If not wait.

 

[Mike Belt]

You never know but I don't ever expect to take the same caliber of bucks with a bow as I have the chances at with a rifle. That being said though one thing I learned a long time ago is to hunt an area while it is hot. Whether it be food sources, estrous does in the area, etc. If the deer are using a particular area now then now is when you need to take advantage of it.

 

[156p&y]

You need to hunt as close to his destination (bedding area) as possible. The closer to his bed, the more chance you have for catching him at shooting light. I wouldn't count on him making a mistake and standing out in a field too late.

Couldn't agree more try to figure out where he is going and get downwind of him. He WILL without a doubt change his pattern before gun season or muzzleloader, so scout him and hunt him now.

I've learned that most mature deer early season will make rubs on the way back to their bedding area and often all around it in early season. They will also do this around feeding areas, but you have one leg up on this deer. You saw him moving which means he was going back to bed in my opinion.

 

[JGreg]

Just don't do like I just did and blow the shot...

 

[htnseymour]

Update, I hunted Friday all day in the area and once in the stand 10 yards from the rubs. Heard one grunt, but couldn't get it out of the thick stuff into view. Hung a new camera on the trail across from the rub line that is used to go through corn field and toward lake and bedding. We'll see if anything shows up.

 

[Football Hunter]

Be very careful with those cameras,good way to put your scent in the area,and he moves on........