Raking?

[WapitiTalk1]

What does it mean? What causes a bull to beat the snot out of a peaceful chunk of alder trees? OK, let's put this in a hunting scenario. As you move across a ridge top and are getting ready to move down into the next draw or basin early one fine Elktember morning, you hear a bull violating a small group of alder. Furthermore, you physically see the tops of the alder moving back and forth down the draw in the direction you heard the commotion. What's going on here....why do you think the bull is assaulting the alder, and, what would be your move to try and bring this bull home for dinner. What are the unknowns when you hear/see this phenomenon that may affect your next move/hunt?

[saddlesore]

Some might be still thinking there is some velvet left, some may be practicing sparring for when the real fight begins. Don't know if there is any superiority linked with it to show how much of a bad guy they are. Some just wake up with a bad hair day and are pi$$ed with the world. I had one run my wife up a tree in Yellowstone like that. It might be like why a dog licks it's butt. Because they can.

[Swede]

I think it is a hormone thing. If that is correct, maybe a few close in cow sounds would bring him your way.

[Navesgane]

Kinda like chest-pounding

[>>>---WW---->]

Several reasons for raking!

1) raising testosterone levels

2) rubbing velvet off

3) building up neck muscle

4) displaying to females

5) leaving scent markings

6) Frustrated and just plain p1$$ed off!

[ishy]

I don't care why-if the winds right I'm running that way.

[Swede]

WW makes an interesting point on several reasons bulls rake. I still think it all boils down to high testosterone levels. I.e. Removing velvet may or may not be done by spikes. If they do it is often later. Why? Low testosterone. I don't know about WW's #6, but all of the others can be attributed to high testosterone. Mind you this is a Swede theory only.

[ElkNut1]

X2 WW, much of it is situational!

ElkNut/Paul

[Navesgane]

What are some differences between raking and rubbing, if any?

[Swede]

Raking and rubbing are two terms for the same basic thing. Someone might suggest rubbing refers to removal of the velvet on the antlers, but it still is the same thing.
I understand that as Elknut says it is situational. Obviously they are not removing the velvet after it is all gone. We see 90+% of the rubbing in late August through September. That is probably you first clue as to what is causing them to do it. I have never seen a fresh rub with peels on the snow in December. If they are angry because some other elk just ate their bush, why not?

[Thunderfoot]

I've seen three completely different situations of bulls "raking"

1. Second week of October I was rifle hunting. It was late morning 10:30-11:00 and I was headed bak to camp. Across a small draw I see this small bull standing there. I watched him for probably 10 minutes or so and he would occasionally rub his antlers on a small aspen tree, not aggressively of violently, just lightly rubbing against the aspen bark. Obviously he had been out of velvet for quite some time and he wasn't showing off for females or trying to intimidate another bull, just lazily rubbing.

2. I cow called a bull right to me, 15 yards away maybe. He was right where the cow should have been. He grunted and went to town on the lower branches of a spruce tree staring in my direction the whole time.

3. I was bugling back and forth with this bull for about 30 minutes. I knew the patch of quakies he was in but there was a lot of open country between us. Finally, I decided I would have to go to him, as he was not coming to me. I slowly worked my down the ridge to where I thought I was about 70 to 80 yards away. I would bugle, he would bugle right back, but he still wouldn't come out. I finally worked to within 25 yards of the thickest clump of quakies on the ridge. I bugled and he started thrashing those saplings to death. I still couldn't see him, but a patch of trees about ten feet across would sway back and forth every time I would bugle. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and came charging out of the trees about 20 yards right in front of me, where he met a .54 cal slug.

[Swede]

It seems wallowing and raking follow very similar time patterns. They are real heavy in late August and early September and taper slowly off after that. Bugling goes on well after the wallowing and raking.