Rubbing Bulls?

[progono]

New to the elk scene. Wondering if any of you have experienced Elk rubbing trees in spring. I have found some (what look to be) fresh rubs. Wondering if a bull will rub to loose his gear or if I am up in the night?

 

[bonepicker]

I have found sheds near rubs before but it's not common for me, once every few years. I think they scrape all year long (though not while in velvet) it seems like during the rut is when most of the scraping takes place. Both because of the rut and because they are trying to get the dead velvet off. But, if you are seeing fresh rubs right now, watch for horns for sure. On your question about whether a bull will try to get his horns or other horn off, I would say that some do. I have found several sets with one antler dropped and the other one stick in the dirt with tons of thrashing evident. Most that i have seen don't really care though, they let their horns drop where they may (and that usually means so far from the first one that I never find the other side )

 

[progono]

Thanks! Most the rubs seem like this fall. I hope to get in this area during the rut because I am finding an insane amount of rub pockets but a few inter mixed seemed oddly fresh so I was just wondering. Still haven't found any horn. I saw eight bulls in the area the other day with two still packing but either I haven't hit the sweet spot or others have beat me two the punch. I will keep looking for sure though!

 

[massNtrash]

I'm not sure if elk do this but I know that deer do and here is the proof.
I found all of these fresh deer sheds a few years ago within a few hundred yards of each other on a irrigation ditch.

I looked for weeks for the other side to this pig and never found it. if the other side matched it would have been in the 190s with 7 in bases. None the less sweet atls

 

[4x4muley]

Here is a shed I found last week laying just below a fresh rub, there was still green bark laying all around the antler. I contend the bull was trying to knock his antler off. I've also found several sheds around areas where the ground was completely torn up for several yards all around, it appears the bull was digging his antlers in the ground in an atenmpt to knock one off. Usually in these areas it's just a single though.

 

[progono]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-19-12 AT 10:35AM (MST)[p]Thanks for the response. I was trying real hard to convince my self I wasn't crazy when I kept seeing rubs and thinking they looked fresh. They just looked way to fresh to be from last fall. Very nice shed and pic btw!

 

[pheaz]

Nop not crazy at all. I always find singles layin next to fresh rubbed aspens. I assume when the antlers are gettin close to detatching the burrs start to itch. Most rubs you will see are lower on the trunk and are about the width between the burrs.