Buck rubs or.....?

[rjm158]

Our deer season ended January 15th but on our farm we have continued to find what appear to me to be buck rubs. This has been consistent up to, and including, today. I know it's the wrong time of year and we haven't seen any deer with real world antlers in person or on trail cameras.
I contacted our state's department of conservation, explained the situation, and sent pictures since they're worth a thousand words. The reply (long story short) was they really didn't know what caused it but it wasn't a deer. The bucks we're seeing have antlers starting as you would expect this time of year but I've never seen/heard of them using them for rubs this soon.
Does anyone here have any insight?

Ron

 

[nhenry]

Do we have a Squatch in MO?

 

[rjm158]

I dont think so. Pretty sure my ex-wife moved.

Ron

 

[Ridge_Runner]

where are you located? porcuepines in the area?

 

[rjm158]

Central Missouri. No, we don't have porcupines, at least in my area.

Ron

 

[Ridge_Runner]

we never had them here in eastern wv either, but we do now!

 

[hunter24605]

Interesting, if the “rubs” were caked with mud I say hogs. But I think you’d also the the tracks.

 

[rjm158]

That had been suggested by a brother in law but we haven't seen or heard any indications of feral hogs in our vicinity. The only things we've seen on camera or naked eye are deer, turkeys, squirrels, and one coon.

As an aside, on March 19 my wife and I cut some brush so we could have a better view of our pond. When we arrived at the area we were gonna work at, we found a fresh scrape (not rub) with a rub nearby.

Ron

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Beaver maybe?

 

[ShadeTree]

I know you say you don't have porcupines, but that would be my first guess just looking at the pictures. Can't tell just off the pictures but you ought to be able to see some tooth marks here and there. Sometimes they actually chew on wood they find tasty for whatever reason and other times just strip the bark.

 

[cloverleaf]

I dont think so. Pretty sure my ex-wife moved.

Ron

Yikes!!! CL

 

[rjm158]

Well, my wife did what any red blooded American would do and Googled it. She found a site that had photos of similar marks on trees/ saplings and it said deer will eat the bark. I don't recall ever seeing this occurring this time of year but it would at least explain how/why it is happening.

Ron

 

[salmonchaser]

I was also thinking porcupines.
Give me a few details. Location- generally, species of woody plant structure if you know. I’m having dinner Saturday with a couple of folks with extensive forestry backgrounds. They may have an idea.

 

[hunter24605]

Well, my wife did what any red blooded American would do and Googled it. She found a site that had photos of similar marks on trees/ saplings and it said deer will eat the bark. I don't recall ever seeing this occurring this time of year but it would at least explain how/why it is happening.

Ron

Ugh! They make a buffet line out of some little birch trees we have behind the House.

 

[Vince]

I’m pretty sure my ex wife didn’t move to Missouri so we can rule out Sasquatch.

This time of year I’m thinking beaver, porcupines, and hogs. What does the ground say?

Vince

Edit to add:
There is no love lost between my ex and I as she was given a pair of stainless steel bracelets and had a documented plan to collect on my life insurance.