# Rubs & Scrapes



## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

What time do you usually see rubs/scrapes in your area?

I ahve only seen two noticable rubs & they were in the direct area of a large buck I mentioned in another post. These rubs seem very fresh too, possibly 10/2 or 10/3.


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

For my area, Greene county, it is normal after the second week of October. Do you think the rut will be early?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Typically I find rubs starting even as early as mid-September. The rub activity seems to increase as fall approaches. I seldom see any scrape activity until nearly mid-October. I have heard that the larger more mature bucks are the guys that begin the scraping so if that is true the number of scrapes would be low until they all get in gear.

TheKing asked about the rut timing. I tried the last few years to understand the timing and the factors involved but had little evidence that was consistent. There are several articles written describing these factors with one of the major ones being the lunar phase. Even with all of these factors it still turned out that the rut cycle ran about the same time as prior years. It does not seem to fluctuate very much. I think in most of the state if you are hunting the beginning of November hard you will find plenty of rutting activity.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

You may find it hard to beleive as I myself did, but this big buck I saw was hanging w/ a doe. Now the only thing I can think of is that the cold weather turned them on a little. It got down I think to 29 degrees in Hocking Hills, which is where our cabin was.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

He may have been cruising with her but I doubt that he was courting her. 


Most bucks become more solitary at this time of the year but there always seems to be some that are more social. I had someone else tell me the other day that they saw a rather large group of deer that had a couple of bucks. Perhaps these guys just have not to get the urge yet to set their territory.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

So the the equivelant of going out to a movie for the 1st date? Sort of hoping it leads to more......


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## Richs63Corvair (Apr 6, 2004)

The woods I hunt has 3 rubs [that I found so far] and 1 scrape which I found this morning..........Rich


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2004)

I have seen about 10-15 different rubs so far this year on different properties. Some were rather large.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Rubs and scrapes should start showing up as soon as the velvet is off, usually early Sept. or late Aug. They'll continue to increase in frequency and intensity and peak just before peak breeding.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

wish I had the time... on my way to work...
rubs and scrapes...
there are diff reasons for each and each has 3-4 meanings...
learn each one and you'll be a better hunter for it...


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