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Why Do Deer Rub On Trees?

You’ve probably seen some deer rubbing their foreheads and antlers against trees and wondered, “Why do they do that? Why do deer rub on trees?”

Well, here’s why: Deer like every other animal, have to mate. So, during the mating season, male deer(bucks) rub their antlers against tree trunks to attract female deer(does) to mate. This is essentially their version of a mating call. Asides mating, this activity is a way to mark their territory. While this might be fun for the bucks, it causes serious damage to the trees’ trunks, and it erodes their vascular system.

why do deer rubbing trees
Deer can damage tree trunks by rubbing or scraping their antlers against the bark to remove the velvet and polish. Bucks also rub against trees to mark territory and attract females.

You will most likely catch deer rubbing on trees in the period between early fall to late winter. During and throughout summer, deer grow velvet on their antlers and wait till early fall to remove these. They do this by rubbing on small trees of around 1-3 inches diameter. A time of year comes when bucks compete against each other to “win” mating partners (does). This period of the year is called the “rut” and the deer rubbing on trees spectacle dramatically intensifies. Rubbing also peaks in late winter when the bucks shed their antlers. Rubbing on trees helps them shed their antlers.

Asides damaging your trees, deer can spread Lyme disease. They carry deer ticks which transmit this disease. Now that you know why you keep seeing deer rubbing on trees hire us to keep those pesky deer from getting into your garden. We specialize in a deer repellent.

Some interesting facts about Deer rubbing on trees

  • Bucks rub trees to mark territory by leaving scent and visual indicators. This rubbing also helps them build up neck and shoulder muscles, sort of like working out for them.
  • Buck rubs are also an avenue for dominant males to deposit primer pheromones. This is proof of social dominance and also serves to stimulate does as well as suppress the younger bucks’ sex drives.
  • While the rubbing of thicker trees (four inches or thicker) is mostly exclusive to the older bucks aged three years or more, all bucks will rub the smaller one-to-three-inch trees.
  • Mature bucks start rubbing earlier in the year and rub three to four times more than the younger males.
  • Deer traveling through their core home range often leave trail rubs from feed areas to bedding covers.
  • Buck rubs made on trees measuring 7 to 15 inches in diameter usually indicates the area of an older buck of about 4-8 years old. These are called giant buck rubs.

Why Should You Hire a Deer Repellent Company in New Jersey?

Deer have been known to revisit the same eating area, and if they get into your garden or yard once, they are very likely to return.

The goal is to make your yard as inhospitable as possible for them to discourage them from getting in your yard and push them to other feeding areas asides your yard.

The way to achieve this is to hire a deer repellent company.

Call Us Today For A Quote!

Deer can be a real nuisance year-round, causing damage to your garden by stripping your shrubbery and trees of their foliage. To keep the deer away from your garden, New Jersey Deer Repellent offers environmentally friendly and humane deer repellent services. We apply professional deer repellent treatment to your vulnerable plants and trees. With our services, we can prevent the deer from feasting on your gardening.

Contact us today at 973-494-1101 for a free quote for deer repellent services. We are servicing Somerset County, Essex County, Union County, And Morris County.

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