tedicast Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 My brother and I walked through this are last night on our way to put up a ladder stand. This is an area that borders his property, and these pics were taken 10 yards off his property on state owned land. We have seen absolutely no buck sign anywhere we have scouted. Tonight he is shooting in his yard, and notices this. It is definately deer, as there are no other tracks, other than deer in the area. He saw a sapling that was rubbed. Around this sapling there are smaller saplings that are broken. Some a foot high some 3' high. As he was looking around he noticed about 15yds across from this area was another area that had the same damage to the saplings. Some of these were broken 4-5' high. There are also noticable rubs and tracks all through the area. This is all in an area about 40yds long. This is a high traffic deer area, but the level of aggression seems extremely high for this time of the year. What are your thoughts??? what he has labeled as scrapes in the pics, he meant to label as rubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvonLKHunter Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Great detailed pics, we usually never find rubs in southern Ohio until around Halloween. That seems early to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billygoat Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Boy, John, you got me stumped... certainly does seem over aggresive? Absolutely sure it's not bear? What are my other options? Certainly could be an over zealous young buck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Bg...the only prints i nthe area are deer. If you look at the bigger rubs, you can see what I believe are tine scratches above them. I haven't seen the area in person, but my bro is no slouch in the woods. I have seen deer thrash an are like this, but at least 2 months later than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG_BUCK_1 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! im sorry i can't help you on this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! It got cooler down here earlier, I would imagine it is up there. Maybe this cool snap has them a little excited for the upcoming rut, and they might have started a bit early? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! bucks will usually start rubbing as soon as the velvet starts to shed. younger bucks will usually start rubbing a little earlier (saw this on D&DH) than mature bucks. I bet it was a young buck or two showing off. Great sign though and cool pics. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! There is no way this was done by another hunter. My brother said he could clearly see his bootprints when he walked in the area, and there are no other prints other than deer. It just surprised me to see this kind of aggression over a large area so early. The other thing is that this is virtually in his back yrd. He was pulling arrows from his 40 yard 3D when he saw this 30 feet away. You can see this area from his kitchen window. I wonder if it was a young buck, showing off for the 3D target? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Dont usually see any rubs around here untl around the end of October. Setup a trail camera in the area and see what you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! It's hard to say. It does look really agressive, especially for this time of year. If deer tracks are the only tracks there, then I'd assume it was probably a deer. I'd say a little more investigation is in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longknife Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! I agree with dogdoc on the early sighns of young buck aggression after the velvet.Well you can look at it this way when two humans try to out do each other they end up destroying everything around them up.In this case you have two very territorial bucks that staked claim and someone if they hunt that area will get a tag filled.You might be surprised on the size.Try a game cam,it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWiggely Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! *DELETED* Post deleted by MrWiggely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitteken Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Looks like some one drove an ATV through it....w/ a bushog on it. I don't know I'm confused. Put a camera out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horst Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Shouldnt be to hard to figure out.Some of them trees are real close together, are there tine marks on the trees behind them?Ive run into rubs early but nothing like that.The ones Ive found this early just apeared to be from them trying to get rid of there velvet.A trail camera will answer a lotta questions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheDanishDanger Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! yeah putting a camera out there would help solve this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! The rubs on smaller sapplings is normal, but all the snapped off sapplings suggest a big buck. You need tines..and good ones to get the leverage to break branches. Especially in that quantity, in one area. The adage that big bucks rub big trees and small bucks rub sapplings is true, ...but big bucks will also have a hay-day with smaller sapplings. My guess is you have a big buck in the area, and he thinks he's boss. Maybe he is boss I'd make circles around that area and see if you can find any big tree's that have been rubbed yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spineshot Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! my guess is small bucks trying to figure out who is the boss or an older buck trying to get that itchy velvet off once and for good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddhunter Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! I usually see rubs around the last part of August. in my area, sometimes even find velvet hanging from them. We had a big 8 point making rubs in the first part of Sept. one year, no scrapes just rubs. I guess he was just polishing his rack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted September 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! Well, I went and looked at this area first hand last night. I have never seen anything like it. If it wasn't so early, I would say 2 big bucks had one heck of a fight. The ground is torn up, and pawed up like nothing I have ever seen. I found one sappling that was rubbed really hard, and had a bigger tree about a foot behind it, and the were tine marks in the bigger tree too. In my opinion, there is absolutely no doubt this was done by deer. Every tree that is marked has obvious tine marks, and there is nothing but deer prints in the soil. There were sapling and branches that were broken, that I had trouble re-breaking over my knee. I really would have loved to witnessed what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bubbles Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! i tihnk its the old sapling monster messing with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatetomiss Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! i agee with the camera idea that will tell you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbuckdown70 Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! i agree with buckee except the part about little deer rub little trees little bucks rub little trees (sometimes dont know about this early) seen spikes rub big trees here in Missouri we start seeing rubs at the end of Aug.just remeber that it takes tine lenght to break the limbs off good luck this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! I've seen rubs this early, but the ones in the pictures don't really look like classic rubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KSNimrod Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Re: Opinions Needed!!!!!! I'd say the deer that did that is going to be a candidate for rattling as soon as you can get into the stand. Deer have different "personalities" and a super aggressive deer will often come to horns more than once. If you rattle him in one day and don't get a shot don't be afraid to do it again in the following days. My guess is he'll give you a good look. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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