Hunting rub line can drastically increase you odds at harvesting a great buck this season. Hunters wonder where the bucks go during the day? Hunting rub lines can help you determine where the buck spends his day and help you get a shot during daylight hours.
Hunting Rub Lines
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ken_Mcbroom]Ken Mcbroom
Hunting rub lines may be the single most effective way to harvest a great buck this season. There is a couple different rubs in the woods and it is important to know the difference. Early season rubs are usually to remove the velvet from the antlers but there are rubs made early in the season that you need to pay close attention to. Early in the season, usually around the first part of October, there are some does that will come into estrus. This is natures way of assuring that the most mature doe breeds with the most mature buck in the area. This early rut activity can go unnoticed unless you are in the right area. When looking for rubs in the early season pay close attention to the size of tree that is rubbed and are they located where does are likely to be, like next to a field or heavy thicket where several does might bed down for the day. Bucks just removing velvet rub trees haphazardly through the woods. These rubs will let you know where the bucks are early but these bucks will change there location later in the season as the rut approaches and that is when hunting rub lines become so effective.
Hunting rub lines really becomes effective as the rut nears and bucks are spending time with does during the night and hopefully, for the hunter, a little while during daylight hours. Many times mature bucks are nocturnal, especially in heavily hunted areas like mine. Hunting rub lines will help you get in the bucks living room where you have the best chance of seeing that buck during shooting light. Rub lines tell you, without a doubt, that a buck walked along that rub line either to where the does hang out like field or thicket or away from these areas. When you locate a rub line notice on which side of the tree or sapling that the rub is on. Once you establish that indeed this is a rub line you can see in which direction the buck traveled when making the rub.
Deer do not like hanging out in the thick stuff at night. They prefer open areas so their eyes can gather more light and help them spot predators sneaking up on them. Rub lines are either going to or from these open areas. Once you determine which way the deer was traveling you can tell if this was a morning route or an evening route that the buck took to or from theses areas. If the rubs are made on the same side as the field or open woods then the buck is moving away from that area and more than likely is an early morning rub line as the buck moves to his daily bedding area as the sun slowly rises. These bucks don’t want to get to these thick areas until the sun is at least lighting the horizon in the east. Now heavily hunted bucks will reach their thick bedding areas well before dawn because the human predator is more dangerous than all others at day break or night fall and that is why, in these areas, so many mature bucks move very little in daylight hours.
The beauty of hunting rub lines is that no matter where you hunt you can get close to where that buck spends his days. This will increase your odds of seeing this buck when you can get a shot. Once you have determined which direction the buck traveled, when making the rub line, you can establish a better than educated guess on where the buck is bedding. This is where it gets tricky because you want to slip into the bucks bedding area without spooking him and this could take some time but be patient and you will have a better chance at harvesting the buck. Follow the rub line until it ends then continue on that line of travel until the woods become thicker and set up your stand there. You can hunt this stand, when the wind is right, and see if you spot the buck in the area. I like to hunt daylight to dark, especially in these areas, but if you can’t do that slip in and out quietly and more importantly scent free. If your stand fails to produce at least a sighting then move a little deeper into the thicket and I mean just 30 or 40 yards closer to where you think the buck may be bedded. You would be amazed how much more new woods you can see with that little bit of move. Continue this until you see your buck then you can watch and learn exactly where he is traveling and set up accordingly. Remember that when you are trying to spot your buck this way you have to constantly be on the lookout and use your binoculars. The further you can spot your buck initially the less chance you have of moving in too close and spooking him out of the area.
Learning to read rub lines can be tricky but just keep in mind that the buck is either going to or coming from his bedding area and when coming from his bedding area, during the rut, he is going to where the does hang out and likewise when going to his bedding area he is leaving the area with the does. I hope these tips will help you learn more about buck movement when you are in the woods and where to set up for your hunt. Remember that nothing replaces being in the woods hunting but information like this can hopefully shed some light on some of the question you might have about hunting rub lines.
About The Author: Ken McBroom is a freelance outdoor writer and photographer based in Indiana. For more information please visit http://www.ramblingangler.com send comments to [mailto:ken@ramblingangler.com]ken@ramblingangler.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Hunting-Rub-Lines&id=7360819] Hunting Rub Lines
