Bull Elk rubbing trees in March?

[Adrock]

So I have hunted whitetails most of my adult life but since moving to Colorado I am trying to get become a good elk hunter. Last year when I moved here I made it just in time to get a 3rd season OTC tag. I never saw an elk the entire time but it was a great learning experience as I spent a few days exploring a particular section and I saw plenty of elk sign.

Well this past weekend I went back to this location to scout and found some areas where there was a lot of fresh sign from the past couple of weeks. It looked like a large herd had moved thru the area. Hundreds of Aspens with fresh bite marks, tracks and fresh dropping that were still shiny black and soft. The other thing I seen though was new rubs on trees. There were trees that had been completely rubbed raw and other that had been lightly hit. Now with whitetails I thought they only rubbed pre-rut and during the rut and quit, but these elk, that have to be close to dropping their antlers, are still rubbing trees? Is this a common thing? There were so many rubs it had to have been multiple bulls. Maybe a herd of bachelors?

Maybe some of the experienced guys can explain?

 

[Hobbs]

I am in no way an expert, but I have heard of elk and mule deer rubbing to try an knock off their antlers when they get loose, or after they drop one and they feel lopsided. Just something I have heard, I have no proof to substantiate this.

 

[widnert]

^^^ This. The new antlers beginning to start under the skin are making their heads itch - at least that's what I've perceived. They will rub the old ones on anything at hand to get them off about this time of year. Another month or so and you can pick up some extra cash collecting their sheds and selling them. Pay attention to where you saw this and head back in there soon!

 

[squirrel]

Don't believe all you read on the internet about "when" they drop... location, location, location... Tons of bulls still wearing them on May 1st.

Yes they rub and fight any time they piss each other off as long as they have hard horns. starts with "your mother!!!" progresses to competitive rubbing then if nobody backs down it is the real deal. They fight with soft horns, just don't use their horns!! The rut just re-enforces the entire years worth of interactions.

Muleys are still fighting. I've seen a bloody headed just shed one pick a fight before remembering he has no "gun" to fight with then beating an embarrassed retreat from an obviously over matched opponent.

Lots of left/right sheds together that are not a set. Sparring when a sudden twist pops off both.

 

[squirrel]

If you keep hunting the latter seasons you will eventually see a snowy "migration year" when way after the rut the big groups re-unite and the bulls go absolutely nuts with bugling and sparring as old enemies meet again and the old hatreds surface. They don't even have the internet either.

 

[BrentD]

I have seen it in Whitetails. I heard somewhere that there is a hormone flush that goes with shedding and that causes the rubbing behavior as a side effect.

 

[Sytes]

I am in no way an expert, but I have heard of elk and mule deer rubbing to try an knock off their antlers when they get loose, or after they drop one and they feel lopsided. Just something I have heard, I have no proof to substantiate this.

Same boat. Far from an expert though I've watched this before with a muley and heard from others. Come to think of it, I recall a friend who mentioned as his family returned to their campsite, an elk was racking his antlers on the camp picnic table and they had one antler to take home.

 

[belly-deep]

I found not one, but two fresh elk rubs at the end of November last fall. I think they just rub at random once the velvet comes off.

 

[dcopas78]

I found a whitetail shed wedged in a small sapling the buck had been rubbing. I believe this was late March. The other antler was about 3 feet away and both had blood on the bases.

 

[Elkdog]

I have found muley sheds at the base of a rubbed tree. I think they must start itching.

 

[kad11]

Yea, I've found moose paddles at the base of shredded sapplings with blood spatter all around in the snow. I think they try to knock them off...

 

[hank4elk]

My neighbor had a cage around a ponderosa tree that a bull had just destroyed last year. 10 ft tree he had planted was almost girdled.
Went out yesterday and the cage had been smashed,a tee post bent & several branches broken. Just like in a rut.