Too soon for rub? Maryland

[HuumanCreed]

Went scouting after a thunderstorm the day before. Is this recent or actually old but got discolored by all the rain? Or is this not actually a rub at all? I'm very green on this aspect of hunting.

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[NMSbowhunter]

It looks to me like a rub, but from last season. One way to tell is to look for the bark and shavings on the ground at the base of the tree and see if they look fresh and where they are in relation to the leaves on the ground. Are there shavings on top of the leaves or are they not visible or have leaves on them?

Another way to tell is to lightly scratch the tree and see what really fresh scratching looks like.

 

[Slabzilla73]

All the claw marks have me thinking a squirrel. Definitely been climbing the tree but maybe was eating the bark this past winter too.

 

[Holt]

It's some kind of rub, but don't think it's from a deer. Deer rubs are more gouging and shavings. You can see in the pic that what ever doing it is peeling the bark off. You can see the peeled edge all the way around it.

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[thedutchtouch]

I don't think rain discolors trees that much UV and oxygen exposure over time is that does it I think and like others have said, looks like it's from last year. I need to get better at this aspect of hunting as well, a few years ago I marked all the rubs I found, then realized that at least half were old, then stopped paying attention unless they had hair on them or smelled like deer or were wet with sap. Didn't translate to a big buck last year (or ever... Yet) but it's a work in progress.

 

[ShooterMike]

How far off the ground is it? Typical rub height?

I’d think you’d see some antler felt somewhere if it were a deer rub.

To know for sure, maybe throw a camera up on the area.


Semper Fi,
Mike

 

[Plebe]

@Bwhana , lol.

 

[raisins]

That's either not a deer rub or an old one and the opening caused disease/weather to work on the tree. I often see old rubs and the tree responded by creating scar tissue.