I stumbled across another rub today.



I was hunting an area made up of two enormous reprod patches that are separated by an old grassy road. while walking down the road I saw the rub and upon closer inspection of the area I saw two more rubs within ten feet of this one. the other two looked like last years rubs. the one in the picture looked pretty fresh and is right at the head of a game trail leading into the reprod. I'm guessing that trial will lead to a bedding area. I didn't go in because the blackberry bushes were intense. I'll be scouting there a bit!

The rut kicked in about 3 weeks ago and peaked last week. It's on the down swing right now. I have an orchard with apples still falling and have not seen a deer in the past week during daylight. They go nocturnal every year at this time. A tree stand in a cluster of rubs like that is a great bet. The rubs mark the edges of a dominant bucks center zone which can be as much of a square mile. Be in the stand before light and stay until dark. Rattle some horns and watch for movement. They bed down in the black berries and you will see them stand stretch piss and reposition through out the day. They also like to bed under big cedars that have sweepers all the way to the ground. Most people walk right past them. When the wind blows they bed in the open on steep hillsides that face the wind to avoid falling limbs. Does are real jumpy right now from being chased by the bucks for the past month. They have been separated from this years fawns and are looking to join back up now.

I'm gonna let this spot cool down but will be scouting it pretty hard soon. Two huge patches of 15' reprod with alders mixed in and an alder filled creek bottom make up the area.

here's a question...my fear is that in the spring and summer the black berry bushes in there will be out of control and make it so I cannot scout. would it bump the deer out if I did some low impact brush clearing to blaze a trail for me to get in the reprod and hang cams and such? Like maybe make my own trail as to not disturb normal traveling lanes for the deer?

Any trimming you do will attract the deer. They eat the soft new growth where you trim.

perfect. I'll just make sure and wear gloves and rubber boots to keep my stink to a minimum. I'm pumped to get a camera or two in there and to do some shed hunting in there soon.