Occasionally, two evenly matched individuals meet, and the resulting battle for dominance is quite serious. Adult bucks can injure or kill one another. Sometimes antlers become locked, and both animals perish. About the time bucks decrease their sparring activities, they increase their antler rubbing. Most rubs are thought to be signposts made by bucks to advertise their presence.
Rubs provide visual cues and scents that inform other deer about the rub maker.
Although no one knows for sure, these rubs probably relay information about social status. The number of rubs a deer makes seems to vary among individuals, but studies of penned deer have shown that adults rub more often than yearlings. The pattern and frequency of buck sign in an area often reflect the age structure and sex ratios of the resident deer herd. Areas with mature adult bucks have more buck sign, and these areas show signs of rubbing and scraping activities earlier than areas with predominantly yearling bucks. Scrapes also are signposts made by bucks.