Fall rut season is underway along the Front Range, and young trees near greenbelts in Littleton, Centennial, and along the South Platte are taking the damage. Bucks rub their antlers against small trunks to mark territory, and they can shred bark in a single night.
Rubs usually hit trees with trunks between one and four inches across, from about knee to waist height. The bark and the tissue just beneath it carry water and nutrients, so a rub that wraps most of the way around a trunk can kill a young tree, and partial damage leaves an open wound for insects and decay.
Simple protection goes a long way through the end of the rut: a ring of sturdy fencing or a rigid trunk guard set a few inches off the bark and tall enough to cover the rub zone. If a tree has already been rubbed, Bear Creek's ISA Certified Arborists can assess the wound and whether the tree is likely to recover.
#LittletonCO #DeerDamage #TreeCare #FrontRangeTrees
A real photo of a young tree trunk with fresh buck rub damage (shredded bark at knee to waist height) in a Littleton or Centennial yard, or a young tree protected by a fencing ring or rigid trunk guard. Authentic photos strongly outperform stock images.
Canva text suggestion: "Buck Rub Season Is Here: Guard Young Trunks" or "Protect Young Trees Through the Rut"