One ruined my best apple tree. I planted an orchard for the wildlife about 3 years ago and have plastic growing tubes around all the trees. These protected them for awhile, but i just discovered one of the best trees with the plastic tore to shreds and the trunk skinned halfway around. So i formed some tubular wire enclosures and put around the trunks of the best trees before i ran out of wire.

This was the first buck rub i've noticed this year so i scouted nearby deer paths and only found one more on a small shrub. Things will go fast from here on out though. The rut is near! According to Field and Stream mag they will be making scrapes from October the 26th to the 30th, Seek and Chase stage from Nov 3 to 9th, and the majority of the breeding will take place from the 14th to the 24th. Since most rifle seasons don't come in till Thanksgiving week, it's smart to be a bowhunter .

Plinker

They started rubbing here just last week. I took the girls for a bikride in the park and saw some rubs. Finally getting to go out tonight.

good luck everyone

I've been finding some rubs for a few weeks now. Some belonged to the little buck I missed but some were way bigger. I have a little patch of private land that I've hunted most of last week. It has some of the biggest rubs I've ever saw. Unfortuntely, I still have to see the first deer on that property. Obviously a big buck is using it, but apparently at night?? I've only got a little more time to get it before muzzleloading comes in, so I'm losing hope.

One of the best ways to protect your young apple trees is to put 3-4 metal fence posts around them about a foot away, if a buck wants to rub he can rub the metal!

Dulcinea