Season nearing an end...and I find this

[Pokerdaddy]

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.

[bowslinger]

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!

[Hopewell Tom]

We'll be watching for it...

[JV Rooster]

Good luck, Hope u get him.

[maineac]

That will be getting you back into the woods as often as possible.

[Pokerdaddy]

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.  

[WESTBROOK]

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

[Pokerdaddy]

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.

[Cory Mattson]

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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[Cory Mattson]

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

[ti-guy]

looks like a social rub used by the whole herd,from fawn, doe and bucks.    

[Pokerdaddy]

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.

[fishone]

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.

[kstout]

Bark is knocked off by woodpeckers trying to eat the borers.

[Cory Mattson]

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.

[flinthead]

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