Sign Post Rub behind my house

[Graybeard]

I was rambling out back today as my neighbor to the east had our mutual line and all of his property surveyed so I took a hike back to see how different the line was than I thought it was.

The hike too me to my "back 40" (joke I have less than six acres) and while rambling back there I found a cedar about 4" in diameter that had been shredded by a big buck. I've seen a few old rubs back there in the past but no fresh ones before. The bark was shredded around close to 75% of the diameter and went higher up the tree than any rub I've seen previously I think. I dunno what the buck looked like that made it and since I have neighbors back there I don't know or know I can trust I'd just as soon not trust a trail cam back there. From the rub I can see three different neighboring homes but not my own as it's over the hill from there. The area is kinda thick and it appears the deer does like my land. Once I get the back side fenced to keep the neighbor's mutts off my land I think the deer will begin to use it as a sanctuary. I was amazed the buck was willing to thread the needle between the dogs to get to my land back there but the proof was there.

[Slowhanddd]

GB who's to say what a old buck will do to feel safe?I have a big one that's kinda becoming the neighborhood buck.Stay in behind my neighbors' pasture.He has 11 acres and I have three.See him quite often,but wouldn't shoot him on a bet.It'd be legal,but him and my wife would hang me up in the barn.He'll die of old age I'm sure.Slow

[Graybeard]

I'd like to at least see the rack on him. There are quite a lot of deer around here I just don't have enough land to hunt on. My neighbor to the east is about to by the property owned by his neighbor to the east of him. There is a heavily used travel corridor on her land that leads back to the woods behind my house and both their houses from the beaver pond across the highway. Several deer a year are killed trying to cross the highway along the front of their land.

There is just enough woods around here for deer to move thru mostly at night I'm sure but just not enough to hunt on at least not on my side of the highway. I'd sure love to have permission on the hill behind that beaver pond but it's owned by folks who live out of state.

We've seen lots of tracks in the past down near our pond in front along the highway and a couple weeks ago I saw a huge track up near the barn which I'd bet was this buck that made the rub. I've toyed with the idea of setting up a shooting house back there to sit and watch from to see what I might see. If it were comfortable enough I might put in some time back there.

[30-30man]

Deer will do some weird things but that is not unordinary with all the houses that are springing up. I see most of the deer on my place right around my house.  My stand is only about 100yards from my livingroom.  Most of the deer around my place are so use to cars and people they won't run unless the vehicle stops are you stop walking.  They get very use to things.  I've had deer walk through my yard on many nights.  I've even got pictures of them eating the bird feed the blue jays scratch out of my wife's bird feeders.  This is only about 40ft from my house.  My dog has gotten so use to them he doesn't even bark at them anymore. I once put scare crows in my pea field to keep the deer off.  They ate all the peas but a 10ft circle around each scare crow.  I still laugh when I think about it.

[Graybeard]

We've seen tracks in our yard as well and during blueberry season they often come into the orchard at night to feed on berries. We find droppings from them in the orchard and even in the yard from time to time.

[youthpastorjon]

I had a big 10 point that made my 4 acre property his bedroom.  I saw him a couple times but it crossed the road one night and was shot by my neighbor.  I had two scrapes getting worked every night that were about 60-70 yards from my back door.  Who knows, you may have walked right by him when you saw the rub.  I know I have nearly stepped on bucks only to see them run the other way once I walked on by.

[theoldarcher]

I received a really strange request from a non-hunter once a long time ago.  He moved into our neck of the woods, from Chicago, buying a farm two old maid sisters had owned for years.  With no hunting on this farm for more than 60 years, it was a refuge for several whitetail.  Finally, the owner asked my brother and I if we hunted deer.  Not appearing too overly eager, we sort of kicked the dirt and said, "Ah, shucks, once in a while we do..."  He invited us to look over the farm, and especially his yard and garden.  There was a deer trail around the edge of his house to the window boxes on the front of the house--the deer loved the flowers his wife was trying to grow.  He had given up on any fruit trees, and he finally erected a woven wire fence about 8' high around his garden.  The deer were waking them up in the night making so much racket in their yard.  We told him we could probably help him out with his problem.       For the next three years, we killed some very nice deer on the farm--all within eyeball shot of his house!  It was great! 

Arch

[youthpastorjon]

That's awesome arch.  I could just see it now.  You sitting on the front porch roof with a gun waiting for the deer to eat the flowers:)

[spikehorn]

on the trail threw the hedge row leading to my tree stand I found a big rub this year. I also have two apple trees in my back yard, which draws the deer in. They also have a travel corridor just on the other side of the swamp. Over the years I have seen two bucks fighting in my side yard,and have killed close to two dozen deer in my 1.86 acres just by sitting up on my back deck with a cup of coffee and my slug gun in the morning before work.

[Swampman]

Sounds like a good one.  I found this one last year.