Most of the white-tailed bucks in our area have already rubbed the velvet off of their antlers. They are all hard-horned now and that got me thinking. I recall sometime ago watching a deer hunting show on television and the host and hunter placed out an antler rubbing post to draw bucks to within bow range. This was done by creating an artificial buck rub location by using a real tree, but it involved digging a hole and putting the post exactly where you wanted it. Seemed like a great way to get the job done, especially for positioning while archery hunting.
The antler rubbing post strategy involves planting a vertical log in your shooting lane or food plot. Place the post about 24 to 30 inches deep and tamp it into the ground so that a big buck does not just destroy your little tinker toy project before the deer hunting season. Also, it is important to leave a licking branch on it for bucks to use as well, where the animals can leave some additional scent either before or after rubbing the make-shift rubbing post.
A lot of what I’ve heard is that that bucks will hit these post hard, especially after the competition has started working on it. The key is to have it adjacent natural habitat or just within a food plot. A little rubbing post use leads to some other bucks checking it out. Now they may not visit it when you are there, but if they come around while you are hunting then there is a really good chance the buck will be within range. I’m thinking about “building” my post 20 yards from my lean-to stand.
But I’ve also talked to some local hunters the other day and they mentioned using horizontal rubbing post. The idea around a horizontal antler rubbing post or stick would be creating a structure somewhat like an H brace on a fence. These guys use a cedar post that is 3 to 4 inches in diameter and and put it horizontal between two other cedar post that are the same size or even better, just a little thicker. I plan on trying just the vertical post and watching it closely while deer hunting this fall. Just need to get out there and get it in the ground soon.