Tracks tell you the size of the deer and where it went. Big bucks sometimes rub smaller trees, but only big bucks rub big trees. In September, check old rubs for new use, a sure sign that last year's mature buck is still alive and using this territory. Keep notes to remind yourself where large rubs are located. Big bucks make the earliest rubs each autumn.
Bucks rub trees to mark territories and strengthen their neck muscles for fighting.
Wherever big bucks have been observed moving in daylight, they will move in daylight again. Deer sign is diluted while crops are standing because food and cover are everywhere, and deer are scattered. Once crops have been cut, deer sign will be concentrated in travel corridors and wooded cover. Use U.S. Department of Agriculture and County Farm Bureau aerial photos and plat maps to locate farms that offer a mix of crops and wooded cover. These photos and maps give excellent indications of where deer are likeliest to bed, travel, and feed.