Why do male deer create deer rubs?
In the late summer and fall, the male deer are usually rubbing the velvet off of their newly acquired antler growth. If the deer rub occurs later in the deer season, during the rut for example, it can be a sign of an aggressive buck strengthening his neck muscles or marking his territory. The area between the forehead and antlers of the deer contains a large number of apocrine sweat glands. These glands are very active during the rut. The scent left by these glands on the deer rub is a way of communicating a challenge to other male deer in the area.
