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Author Topic: Season nearing an end...and I find this  (Read 455 times)

Offline Pokerdaddy

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Season nearing an end...and I find this
« on: December 15, 2012, 11:17:00 AM »
Well, haven't filled a tag yet this year.  I was very busy with work throughout October and most of November.  Finally got a chance in early December to start getting out in the woods more.

I have a wooded 80 all to myself at my wife's grandparents.  The only other hunter on the property is my father-in-law who gun hunts the second half of November.  While I've seen a fair amount of deer on the property this year, it's been does and small bucks.  Nothing wrong with that, but who doesn't want to see a big bruiser on their hunting ground?

Well, I made it out this morning, looking to fill any deer tag in my pocket.  As is the case in many of your areas, the deer are pretty locked up post gun season and rut.  But, I ain't giving up!

I decided to still hunt the east end of the property, a low lying, thick area that I had been leaving alone.  I enter this property from the west, hunt the west half (which has some nice deer habitat), and leave the east so I leave the deer somewhere to "retreat" from any pressure without pushing them off the property.

Being that there are only two weeks left in our archery season, the gloves are off and I still-hunted this morning into the east end.

Now, most rubs here look like this
 

But this morning I came across this
 

I'm pretty sure I kicked this buck up as I was still hunting in...all I could make out was his massive white tail on a big ole butt!  And as he bound off, there was that beautiful sound of a BIG deer crashing through the thick brush.

I've got two weeks left in our archery season.  Hopefully I can be writing part two of this story before the first of the year.
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Offline bowslinger

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2012, 11:25:00 AM »
Are you sure your father-in-law isn't having some fun with you?  That is an impressive rub.  Hope you get a shot at him!  Good Luck!
Hunting is the only sport where one side doesn't know it's playing - John Madden

Offline Hopewell Tom

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2012, 11:27:00 AM »
We'll be watching for it...
TOM

WHAT EACH OF US DOES IS OF ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE.
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Offline JV Rooster

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2012, 11:28:00 AM »
Good luck, Hope u get him.
>>>------John------>

Offline maineac

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2012, 11:41:00 AM »
That will be getting you back into the woods as often as possible.
The season gave him perfect mornings, hunter's moons and fields of freedom found only by walking them with a predator's stride.
                                                              Robert Holthouser

Offline Pokerdaddy

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2012, 11:42:00 AM »
I looked at this "rub" and the chunks of bark on the ground for some time.  While I've never seen a rub this big, I couldn't figure out what else it could be.  Also, there were two smaller rubs within 50-70 feet of this one.  If anyone has any ideas as to what else it could be I'm all ears.  Looks like one of our Michigan elk migrated down to Tuscola County.   :dunno:
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Offline WESTBROOK

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2012, 11:59:00 AM »
Poker, those are the signs of the Emerald Ash Borer. Notice the the little holes in the tree. Those ash trees a doomed. We have the same thing on our place here in Wexford county.

Eric

Offline Pokerdaddy

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2012, 12:13:00 PM »
Thanks for the info, Eric.  My first instinct was to call this a rub, but the more I thought about it I started to doubt it.  I've never seen evidence of EAB (until now).  There were chunks of bark roughly 2"X6" on the ground...devastating.
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Offline Cory Mattson

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2012, 12:42:00 PM »
I've seen whitetail rubs like that - elk would be way higher (unless that was a joke) - anyway great find - and that deer is not going to move in daylight - gonna have to stalk or push him - or formulate a plan for pre-rut and rut next year - I just don't see him moving now - but I could be wrong.
Good Luck
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Offline Cory Mattson

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2012, 12:46:00 PM »
unless that is bugs only sign ?? do those bugs cause the bark to come off an small area like that or attract other animals to scrape it ?? serious question ? I see the holes but it still looks like a rub is that possible
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Offline ti-guy

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2012, 12:53:00 PM »
looks like a social rub used by the whole herd,from fawn, doe and bucks.    :)
An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward.So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great.

Offline Pokerdaddy

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2012, 01:03:00 PM »
Yeah, the elk thing was just me having some fun.

Because the area in question was from 1ft to 4ft off the ground, and only on one side of the trunk, and the pieces on the ground looked rubbed or peeled off, I assumed freakishly big rub.  But it wouldn't be the first time I was way wrong!  Appreciate the input, all.
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Online fishone

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2012, 01:10:00 PM »
Per WESTBROOK, that is an ash tree that has been invaded by ash bore. I have 30 plus trees that look exactly like yours on my property that have been killed by the ash bore.

Online kstout

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2012, 01:25:00 PM »
Bark is knocked off by woodpeckers trying to eat the borers.

Offline Cory Mattson

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2012, 02:52:00 PM »
ok all makes sense thanks - makes me wonder now if I was hunting ghosts - worked a piece of woods that had rubs that looked like this but they coulda been real - long time ago. I dont even know if I have ash trees here - unless and acorn drops and hits me in the head tree identity is difficult for me.
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Offline flinthead

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Re: Season nearing an end...and I find this
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2012, 08:13:00 AM »
I have seen 2 trees that big hit by bucks. One in Floyd and one in Franklin county. Both of these looked like he set hit horn tips against the tree and dug the tines in. Have heard huge bucks will do this to strengthen their necks for fighting. We saw the Floyd deer on a drive-but the hunter was so struck by his size he siezed up. By the spread of the tines on the trees it would have been a huge buck. Thanks, Roy
Maybe it is time to shoot what I have on the rack

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