Not sure if this is posted in the right place or not?
On my farm in NE KY.
Highest spot on tree is about 4 1/2 - 5 ft. off ground
Suppose a mature buck did this?
or a young guy saying "look what I can do?"

I'd say a younger one...it doesn't look wide enough to be a really mature buck.

I have never heard the term "push tree" used before now.
What is the difference between a push tree and a rub?

I have a few fence posts in my area that get worked over by bucks of all sizes. In 2007, I had 27 different bucks rubbing one post that is along a travel corridor. These were all sizes ranging from small spike yearlings to mature, heavy racked trophies.

I have had a video camera set up there recently and in watching their actions I believe the rubs are used as communication tools as much as to build muscle and release energy built up in the rut.

Check out this video, http://www.vimeo.com/2339702 as well as the clip on the Whitetail Supply home page which is also taken at the same post. Notice how much time is spent sniffing or licking the post after a rubbing sequence. I think this is to sense how much scent has been deposited on the post from the hair and antlers.

I the case of the tree on your farm, it does seem to have some deep gashes in the bark which must have taken some aggressive rubbing (or pushing) which I would say might be from a bigger buck than the average yearling.

Wow! 27 bucks thats alot. I hope my farm has that many
Is it possible to see any of that video footage? That sounds really interesting and would be a good learning tool.
I'm no expert by any means. I guess I've been deer huntiing for about 10 or 11 years now and am still trying to learn their behavior.
Each year I seem to see rubs like this in about 2 or 3 different places on the farm and the rest of the rubs I see are generaly on smaller trees (saplings and up to about maybe 3" across), and I usually see lots of those.
I have read that the rubs usually mean a travel path to or from a bedding or feed area. I did have trails of rubs this year around several of my feeders.
The "push tree" was told about to me by a cousin of mine who lives localy there around the farm and has been hunting since he was old enough to shoot.
He says it is a tree that is used just for a workout buy a mature buck(especially if you see deep 1/4" grooves). So to see one means that something of good size is in the area.
I don't know how accurate he is, but it souds logical.
It is an awful big rub, so my guess is that it is a mature buck.
but just a guess.

kymullet, I think your guess about it being a mature buck is correct. Big bucks rub big trees, small bucks rub smaller trees. Ah but smaller bucks will also rub big trees but big bucks seldom rub small trees unless it is a group or a brush tree. The deep gashes in the tree are usually done by the brow tines. I suppose you could call a rub a "push" or a rake but it is usually called a rub.
I also have seen multiple bucks use the same tree. It is a sign post.

I have never heard of the term "sign post". What does that mean?

In watching several bucks working rubs, I believe it is the short sticker points near the antler burrs that make the deep gouges on the trees. The tips of the normal antler points rarely contact the tree. Most of the rubbing is done with the beams near the bases. Deep gouges on a rub could be a good indicator of a buck with some non-typical characteristics on his rack.




A sign post rub is one that every buck checks out. The fence post in my video is a sign post rub. Many rubs are located along an individual buck's travel path but he is following his own route so few other bucks find those rubs. A heavily worked rub on a travel corridor that is used by several bucks could be described as a sign post rub.

You asked about seeing more video from from the hot rub I mentioned above. I have only recently set up a video camera there. I have used still cameras in the past to determine the number of bucks using it. I will go through my pics and show some of them. Since using a video camera I have learned much more about it than I could ever hope to learn from still photos.

Thank You Canis!!! Sounds like you've been watching this behavior for some time now. I would appreciate seeing your pics and even more some of those vids.

If you find a rub, and the tree is really tore up with deep gashes in it, that usually means 1 or 2 things.

1. The buck has sticker points around his bases
2. He has a really knotty section of antler between the base and brow tine.


If rubs you find are smooth, more than likely the bucks antlers are smooth above the bases.

I have many rubs in my area this year with deep cuts in the rub, and trail camera pictures show me that i have a few deer around here with stickers on their bases.

Another thing to look for is tine marks on trees behind the rub. Try and find a rub that has a tree behind it, and look and see if it has antler marks on it, this is a good way to determine the size of the buck that made the rub. One I have here at the house, the tree behind the rub is about a foot away so I know the buck that made the rub, his rack is over 12 inches tall.