Ek rubs and scouting

Crippledsledge64

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Went to check trail cams today and ran across some rubs. Would these be from this year already? Also would you be concerned about pushing elk about by Scouting this close before season?
 

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Ucsdryder

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Jan 24, 2015
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Easiest way to tell if it’s from this year is to look at the needles on the ground and on the tree. Green needles are from this year. If there are zero needles or brown it’s from last year. Also, usually the tree will ooze liquid/sap when it’s fresh.
 

Ross

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If you see many rubs from very old to more recent could be a rutting ground each year versus if all look the same could be one year and one bull
 

Swede

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Mar 24, 2012
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Warren Oregon
You should be able to find some fresh rubs in a couple of weeks. They start rubbing mid August. It is still too early.
 

Swede

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I pay attention to places that have rubs from multiple years. Check and see what is going on there. Is it a convenient bedding area? Are they spaced out on the route to a water hole? If you have any place where elk show up frequently, it can be a good spot to ambush them.
 

Gerbdog

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CO Springs
I pay attention to places that have rubs from multiple years. Check and see what is going on there. Is it a convenient bedding area? Are they spaced out on the route to a water hole? If you have any place where elk show up frequently, it can be a good spot to ambush them.
Especially this year, I don't know about other states but colorado is pretty stinking dry, watch for rubs and wallows /water
 

cnelk

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Last year rub. And others nearby from previous years. I’ll be hunting in this area

3CF788C8-4D62-4121-971C-EA705E87BDCE.jpeg
 

5MilesBack

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A few years ago I found an evergreen about 4" in diameter that had every green branch stripped from the bottom to about 5 feet up the tree. It was so fresh that the needles on the branches were still pliable and wet. The next day I found the tree uprooted and laying on its side. I shot that bull a couple days later.
 

N2TRKYS

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Alabama
I found a couple of places that has rub lines on trees the size of gallon paint cans. I’m wanting to get in there during the rut the next time I drew a tag.
 

ElkNut1

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Feb 25, 2012
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Idaho
I enjoy seeing them but put zero stock in finding elk nearby unless I physically hear or seem them, outside of that they get no special attention, I move on & find them!

ElkNut/Paul
 

N2TRKYS

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I killed my first elk last October in the area that I found the last rub line. All of the rubs that I’ve found were made in September.
 

Swede

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Warren Oregon
The difference between Paul/Elknut and me is based on our hunting technique. If I was calling and covering a lot of territory, I would not spend a lot of time monitoring a rub line either.
I set up a tree stand where I see elk are likely to show up so I can ambush one. I am not chasing them. When I see a line of rubs, I follow it out to a water hole and/or there are active trails coming together and set up there. Also I may set up where there is a large cluster of rubs like in a bedding area, and place my tree stand close by.
What I am doing is gaging bull elk activity by the rubs. I need to see current rubs to get interested, and having past years rubs helps to know it is not just a one or two time occurrence.
Ultimately rubs, like wallows are just helping to show me that elk are likely to come around again soon. Other factors need to be considered.
 
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