There is nothing more beautiful in my eyes than watching a buck attack a homemade, handmade buck rub post. Here on my land in central Wisconsin, I won’t harvest a buck unless it’s bigger than the ones I’ve had mounted, so I haven’t shot a buck on this property in many years. Instead, my passion is following them year after year, and one way I do this is by installing a buck rub post and wildlife cameras.
I will place a new rub post around the beginning of September when the boys lose their velvet and start traveling to areas that they haven’t been to since last fall. Here’s how you can make your own buck rub post.
Building the Rub Post
Start with a 3- to 4-inch diameter green popple (aspen) sapling about 8 feet long, preferably smooth, and trim off any existing branches. In the upper one foot of the post, drill ¾- to 1-inch holes through the sapling to receive the cross pieces. Then cut a couple of 5- to 6-foot branches of oak (tougher wood) to become the licking/chewing branches. Slip those branches through the drilled holes and wire them in securely, because bucks are going to trash them by pulling at the branches and beating them up with their antlers.
You must make sure that the post is securely planted in the ground about 2 feet deep to withstand the abuse. I also attach a couple of pieces of wood, screwed about 18 inches from the bottom of the post just under ground level. This will help steady the post when the buck tries to rip it out of the ground and push on it as hard as he can. Make sure the licking branches are around five feet off the ground. You don’t want anything in the way when they go into destroy mode to strip the bark off the post.
Rub Post Location
Selecting the placement of the pole is essential. You’ll want to install the post out in an open food plot, but not in the middle. The best location is where deer gain access to the field. Place the rub post 20 to 30 feet from the edge of the field and set up your camera.
A buck will watch the rub post from just outside of the plot, sometimes observing it for several minutes while he checks the wind and watches for other deer. He may even put in a scrape at the rub post. I have observed the post getting muddy from so many bucks working it. I’ve seen every size buck give it a push, a rub, and a nibble on the branches, even this year’s buck fawns. Interestingly, a doe passing by will sniff the area and licking limb, but she will usually not come close to the post.
A post will only last a year, and the process of building a new one starts over again in the fall. Traditional rub post placement has been a draw to the bucks on my property and has been very fun to watch. Good luck with your own buck rub post!
About the Author: Red DeBraal is an NDA member from Wautoma, Wisconsin.
