Cedar Rubs - can we induce them? Need opinions!

[Jim Boyd]

Folks,

I have a project I would propose to you and get some opinions.

We have long known that cedars prove almost irresistable to bucks when they want to make a rub.

Historically, also, some of the most prominent rubs I have ever seen have been on cedars.

I have a lot of cedars on my lease - and a lot of them get hit as "rubs" - but I also have a lot of these that have branches all the way down low and these seem not to get used as rubs.

I saw a few last year where the buck simply shredded the lower branches to get to the trunk of the tree - but - here comes the question:

Do you folks feel like we could entice bucks to use cedar trees if we cleanly removed the lower branches up to about 3.5 to 4.0 feet?

I am going to identify about 12-15 like this, trim them and then see which ones actually get used.

Thoughts or ideas?

Best of luck this year.

Jim

 

[fishtail]

I trimmed the lower limbs on a pile of small planted pines to allow more visibility.
Almost immediately the deer started using them for rub lines. No the deer didn't start using my clearings as theirs, they just marked up the trees I had cleaned along their established trails.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Excellent point, FishTail...

 

[anhieser]

rubs

Took my 14 y/o daughter to the camp for a work day. I had gotten her a new machete of her own. while putting up stands she wouls wander off and tear bark off trees. The cedars, oaks and magnolias that had bark missing were irresistable to bucks as they completly tore them trees up. I thought it was weird at the time, but i guess it may not be that odd. Thanks guys

 

[Forest Grump]

I have tried trimming up big ones to try to entice a big buck to rub 'em up & declare his territory, but I will be honest with you, seldom if ever has it really worked that I could tell. Most of them look like big, nice Xmas trees, in visible spots along trails (though often if they are not in the "wrong" spot, the deer have already hit them, & you can't make one go out of his way to rub a tree), but they don't seem to care for the help. I take the limbs off, & try to give it a nice clean trunk like the ones they pick, but they ignore it. I always figured dominant deer didn't like being told what to do.

 

[NCHillbilly]

We don't have many cedars up here in the mountains, they're few and far between. But I can about gaurantee you that every one you see out in the woods will be rubbed if there are deer there. They're like deer magnets.

 

[BOWHUNTER!]

Works wonders. I trim the lower branches on the wrist size ones and smaller and just about all of them get torn up. Not sure if it's the scent after they are cut that does it or the availability of the exposed trunk?

 

[Dbentley40]

You'll have a better chance of getting a buck to rub a tree that is on the edge of an open area or close to a trail but yes, it works. Scent control is important. They won't touch it if it smeels like anything other than a cedar tree.

 

[BreamReaper]

Most of my cedars are rubbed every year it seems and they dnt get the chance for new growth. I never cut the little limbs cause I figure it feels good to them. Ive killed a number of bucks that would have little green cedar leftovers around their bases. Good Luck!

 

[DAVE]

Why do you want them to rub a certain tree for?

 

[across the river]

Why do you want them to rub a certain tree for?

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[hikingthehills]

So you could put a trail cam on it and a stand near by. Maybe even get the buck to change his behavior a little bit so you could get a shot. Or maybe Jim just doesn't like cedar trees on his property

 

[shakey gizzard]

Post hole diggers and a cedar fence post will get em to stop!

 

[Jim Boyd]

It is not that I want them to rub a certain tree... it is that I want them to rub as many trees as they will, particularly cedars - as these seem to be used many times as "sign post" rubs.

A buck that does not usually use the property comes cruising by during the rut... sees a few sign posts and potentially thinks "hmmm, may be some action around here" and starts to set up shop in the area.

...or, some of the bucks that do live in the area know the cedars are there... and like them... so they think, "hey, I will cruise over there and touch them up" - this MAY help to keep and hold them on the property.

I know rut crazed bucks are going to do whatever they want to do and hanging around one place is probably not high on their list.

I guess the better question is this - it is free, it MIGHT help and there seems to be no downside to it, as long as you do not scent the place up - why not try it?

Make sense?

Thanks!!!

Jim

 

[kc65]

we put cedar posts from lowes or home depot at field edges adjacent to tree lines and make mock scrapes at the post site, works like a charm, experiment with one and c for yourselves. add in a buck decoy about 25 yd faceing toward your post and watch out..

 

[Jim Boyd]

KC65 - when you say you add in mock scrapes at the fence post site, is that to say that you do this with an adjacent overhanging limb?

I will give this a try for sure!!

Thanks for the tip...

Jim

 

[Killdee]

Jim I started using this stuff a couple years ago in conjunction with mock scrapes on the licking branch, might help entice em. The BF gland, Buck forehead gland scent.
http://www.huntmdown.com/HawgsLimited.html

 

[Mike 65]

It is not that I want them to rub a certain tree... it is that I want them to rub as many trees as they will, particularly cedars - as these seem to be used many times as "sign post" rubs.

A buck that does not usually use the property comes cruising by during the rut... sees a few sign posts and potentially thinks "hmmm, may be some action around here" and starts to set up shop in the area.

...or, some of the bucks that do live in the area know the cedars are there... and like them... so they think, "hey, I will cruise over there and touch them up" - this MAY help to keep and hold them on the property.

I know rut crazed bucks are going to do whatever they want to do and hanging around one place is probably not high on their list.

I guess the better question is this - it is free, it MIGHT help and there seems to be no downside to it, as long as you do not scent the place up - why not try it?

Make sense?

Thanks!!!

Jim

Why wait for a buck to maybe rub them, stay completely scent free and use the edge of your machete and create your own rub after you clear the limbs off. Make it as big as you want to, put a little buck scent on it. Works as good as a mock scrape and using a deader tree does seem to work well.