Question about bucks

[freedomhunter]

So here is my question.  I found good rub lines which seem to be a little old, not much maybe a month or two are they still worth hunting?  Do bucks still use these paths even though the rut maybe over?

[damascusdave]

Not sure how you can tell they are a month or two old...I look for scrape lines during the rut...outside of that time all bets are off in my experience with our northern whitetails

DDave

[Whip]

They might be, but then again they might be worthless.  Is the rut over with in your area? Are food sources and bedding areas the same now as they were two months ago?  

In my area at least, those things have changed and what happened a couple of months ago doesn't help me much.  Find more recent sign including fresh tracks to tell you what is happening now.  But the rub lines give you a good place to start looking.

[nineworlds9]

Lots of time left here in north FL.  Our rut happens late, our consistent cooler weather doesn't start until December and even into January and onward.  I've talked with non trad friends and we agree it wouldn't hurt to push all the hunting seasons here ahead a month.

[freedomhunter]

Yeah FL, is so weird.  It could be late in the month for you Nineworlds but a county over it could be in August.  FWC's website is now asking people for information on what they observe and where they are located, because they just don't know.  I could never pin point when our rut occurred over here because you kind of have to see deer to do so.

I estimate the rubs are a month or two old by how dark the wood got from the air drying it out.  They were definitely this year.  I found some tracks but besides that there is not much to go on.  Flood cypress is now the name of the game here.

[John Scifres]

Fresh rubs are usually just an indicator of a buck's presence for me.  Old rubs might not mean anything now. But they could next year at the same time.  They are all just clues.

I've not had much luck hunting a rub line specifically.  If it correlates with a trail or other fresh sign, that area is worth sitting over.  If the rut is on, you never know where the buck that made the rubs could be.

[Michael Arnette]

I've killed a couple good books off of rub lines but mostly what I find is that the real spot to be lives very close to the rub line. If there are three or more robs in one row this means that a buck frequented this area but the chances are he was looking over other deer sign. I would try hunting just adjacent to the robs about 50 or so yards downwind or looking around for other clues as to where do you might be in the vicinity.
In most cases I found that even if the rub line may not be the spot to be the rubline leads to and or comes from the great spots. In these cases I believe that a buck made the rubs as he was crossing other Deertrails searching for a hot for.

[Michael Arnette]

I've hunted a bit in coastal North/south Carolina which I would assume might be similar to Florida in several ways.  

1) make sure you're shooting a big #%* BH! If the brush is the thick like I'm thinking you won't get longshots and you won't see the deer go down
2) get some trail cameras...well I'm not a big fan of them in thick cover sometimes it's the only way to pattern deer.
3) don't lose heart! December and January can be the best hunting!
4) from seeing a couple of your other posts it sounds like you been hitting it hard! Make sure you aren't overhunting any specific areas. You can do yourself a lot of damage this way.
5) don't hunt specific winds. In areas this thick it's hard to tell which way the wind is blowing. Find your local weather and go off of the prevailing wind forecast. I use  www.weather.com

[Michael Arnette]

...sorry for the terrible grammar/spelling! I'm using my iPhone and it's hard to edit

[The Ole' Bowhunter]

Even old rub line indicate that at one time a buck was frequentingthe area.  Definately would be something to keep Iin mind for next seasons scouting trips.

[freedomhunter]

I figured Michael, happens to me all the time.