September 2024 - 35

Deer rubs start close to the ground because of how their antlers grows. (Photo by Lisa Ballard)
on the trunk. The top of an elk rub can be 6 to 7
feet in the air, whereas a deer rub might end 3 feet
above the ground, and that would be a big deer. "
While it makes sense that higher rubs were left by
an elk, which are taller than deer with much bigger
racks, the size of the rub does not necessarily tell
you the size of the animal.
" Big rubs were made by big bucks or bulls, but
you can't tell if it's a small rub, especially with elk
which rub multiple trees, " Short said. " Deer rub
only a few trees. Elk do a lot more challenging
during the rut, and they've got a lot more antler
to rub. "
Certainly, rubs tell other bulls or bucks whose
turf it is, but it serves two other purposes: to help
remove the velvet on the antlers and add color to
the rack. The velvet on antlers is living tissue that
provides nutrients to the antlers as they grow. Once
the antlers are done growing, the velvet dies and
falls off, exposing the bone underneath. As it falls
off, it bothers the bull or buck, so the animal rubs
its antlers to help shed the velvet more efficiently.
It continues to rub after the velvet is gone to bring
color to the white and blood-stained bone.
" For elk especially, darkness of antler must be
a sexual attractant, " Short said. " Deer don't rub
enough to turn their antlers really dark brown, but
elk rub until their antlers turn chocolate, or black
if they're in a burned area, which contrasts with the
white ivory tips. The color comes from rubbing sap,
bark and the blood from the velvet. "
Short added antler color is partly environmental.
For example, the antlers of deer who live in sagelands
are not as dark as those of deer in the mountains.
It depends on what they rub against. The same is
true for elk. If elk live in the desert or sage, their
antlers are not very dark.
Another important aspect of rubbing is to leave
scent. When an elk or deer rubs, a gland at the
base of its antlers releases a musky, oily substance
that tells other bulls or bucks of their presence or
to attract cows or does.
SCRAPES
Each type of ungulate species has different breeding
behaviors. Scrapes are a good example. Whitetailed
deer scrape to the dirt and will revisit the spot
over and over, but mule deer don't as much.
" White-tailed deer inherently get to the dirt
because they scrape the spot many times, but with
mule deer, I would ask anyone to show me a mule
deer scrape, " Short said. " Mule deer scrape more
Wyoming Wildlife | 35

September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2024

September 2024 - 1
September 2024 - 2
September 2024 - 3
September 2024 - 4
September 2024 - 5
September 2024 - 6
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