Rub height / deer size study...

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dan
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Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:33 am

I was planning on going out and measuring a lot of rubs and seeing if we can't come up with an accurate system for determining rough age estimates based on rub height. I notice that the rubs seem to be at 4 distinct different heights. Maybe its me, maybe its more accurate than we know... What I want to see is how many rubs (percentage wise ) fall in between the heights we feel are for two age classes... Lets say 16 inches is what we determine is the height we feel is a 1 y/o and 24 is the height of a two year old... How many percentage wise fall in a grey area like 18 to 20 incheS.

If any one else wants to participate, it would be cool to get results from different areas... What we can do is measure rubs from the ground to the center of the polished portion of the rub and get as many samples as possible with pictures if possible, but try not to measure them all along the same rub lines, or where the same deer hangs out... We can chart the heights and see if we can come up with a guide for everyone for future reference...

For accuracy lets set up some rules. Midwestern rubs only. ( those from outside the Midwest make a new thread) Lets not measure any rubs that are on flimsy trees or branch's that could bend while being rubbed and give a false reading, lets also avoid crooked rubs on trees or branches that are on angles greater than 45 degrees, and areas where the ground is on an angle and the height where the buck stood is in question... Lets skip over rubs that appear to have several bucks rubbing the same tree and look for straight trees on level ground, and a variety of heights to catch different age classes... And since we are doing this, it would be cool to measure the tree diameter ( approximate ) too, so we can see if the tree diameter = buck size theory holds up.

Measure the rubs from ground where buck stood to the center of the polished portion of the rub. Not the center of all the markings, but only the center of the polished portion cause this is where he rubs the bases of his antlers and thats the established height we are looking for:

Image

Image

Please reference this post for more details:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11198

The next post in this thread will be the measurements we find in the field. I will edit them in order of height to make it easier to evaluate. When people post more measurements, me or a moderator can update the top list, just add a note on the posters thread that they have been added...


dan
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:49 am

Height / Diameter

15 --- 1
16--- 3/4
16--- 1
16--- 1
16 --- 1
17--- 1
17 --- 1
17 --- 1
17 --- 1
18--- 2
18--- 2
18 --- 1
18 --- 3/4
18 --- 3/4
18 --- 3/4
18--- 3/4
18--- 1
19 --- 1
19--- 1
20--- 1
20--- 2
20--- 2
20 --- 3/4
20--- 1
20--- 1
20--- 4
20--- 1
21--- 2
21---- 2
21--- 3/4
21--- 2
22--- 3
22--- 2
22--- 1
22--- 2
22--- 2
23--- 2
23--- 5
24--- 1
24--- 1
24---- 3
24--- 2
24 --- 1
24 --- 1.5
24 ---- 1
24 --- 1
24 --- 1
24--- 2
24--- 2
24--- 1
25--- 2
25--- 2
26--- 1
26 ---- 1.5
26 --- 1.5
26--- 3
27--- 4
27--- 4
27 --- 1
27 ---- 1
27--- 2
27--- 2
27--- 2
27--- 1
27--- 1
27--- 2
27--- 3
28--- 1
28 ---- 1
29--- 3
29--- 3
30--- 3
30--- 3
30 ---- 2
30 ---- 1.5
30--- 2
30 ---- 5
31--- 3
31 ---- 1.5
32--- 4
32 ---- 3/4
33--- 2
33--- 2
33--- 3
33--- 4
33--- 1
33 ---- 3/4
33 ---- 1.5
34--- 3
34--- 4
35 ---- 1
35 ---- 1
35 ---- 2.5
36--- 3
36 ---- 1
37--- 1
38 ---- 5
38--- 3
38--- 2
38--- 3
38--- 5
39--- 3
39 ---- 6
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Zap
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby Zap » Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:58 am

Cool idea. 8-)
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby headgear » Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:53 am

Very cool idea, I will log some the next time I get out scouting.
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby Pullintoobs » Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:19 am

Ya, I think this is a cool idea too... I never really put much thought into rub height to estimate the age of a buck. One of those details that I overlooked...
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby Czabs » Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:21 am

Awesome. Looks like I'll have to put a tape measure in my backpack.
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby dan » Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:24 am

Anybody collecting samples please avoid measuring in muck or on ice where the buck could of been at a different height. 3 or 4 inchs off could throw off our graph results.
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:23 pm

Keep in mind if the ground isn't level that the deer stands a ways from the tree. This could affect the rub height if measured from the trunk level.
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby dan » Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:29 pm

magicman54494 wrote:Keep in mind if the ground isn't level that the deer stands a ways from the tree. This could affect the rub height if measured from the trunk level.

Exactly... Anybody taking measurements skip any rubs your not sure about. I want the ones we get to give accurate readings for the graph.
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby Czabs » Sat Jan 07, 2012 4:02 pm

Here is some small clips I put together of deer rubbing we got on film this year. Something to watch atleast. The last buck in the video seemed like it was rubbing fairly low for his size, would you agree? Sorry about the quality still haven't figured out the rendering settings.

[bbvideo=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ade5L1NpUSc&feature=youtu.be[/bbvideo]
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Jan 07, 2012 4:07 pm

Czabs wrote:Here is some small clips I put together of deer rubbing we got on film this year. Something to watch atleast. The last buck in the video seemed like it was rubbing fairly low for his size, would you agree? Sorry about the quality still haven't figured out the rendering settings.

[bbvideo=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ade5L1NpUSc&feature=youtu.be[/bbvideo]


cool video thanks for sharing 8-)
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby dan » Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:09 am

Thanks for putting that video together! Cool stuff.
I did notice that the last buck rubbed a little low at 1st and then at the right height after... I have seen them rub there antlers at differing heights but it seems that when they get the leverage to work an area bare with there bases its in line with there back... I am sure some will fall outside of the boundary, but it did not look as though there was a worn bare spot on that tree, at least not from that brief rubbing sequence?
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby Czabs » Sun Jan 08, 2012 3:55 am

dan wrote:Thanks for putting that video together! Cool stuff.
I did notice that the last buck rubbed a little low at 1st and then at the right height after... I have seen them rub there antlers at differing heights but it seems that when they get the leverage to work an area bare with there bases its in line with there back... I am sure some will fall outside of the boundary, but it did not look as though there was a worn bare spot on that tree, at least not from that brief rubbing sequence?


I would have to agree that he started rubbing higher later. I think it makes sense to say that, it would be less work for a deer to stand and rub instead of bending down or crouching and rubbing.
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby Bucky » Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:06 am

The last buck looked like he was working a community rub, he smelled it 1st then put what looked like prorbital gland scent on the tree prior to rubbing it?

Cool footage by the way
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Re: Rub height / deer size study...

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:42 am

I'm wondering how you can determine age -rub height unless you actually see the buck that made the rub?


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