Good-sized trees with scars that have healed and thickened over the years, are “sign-posts” which indicate that current bucks may rub their antlers there each fall.
Some biologists believe these trees are mainly rubbed by older bucks (3.5 years and up). Tactically speaking, these “signposts,” are usually in a high-traffic spot where bucks are likely touch it, lick it, smell it and rub their forehead scent on it. It is both a visual and olfactory communication post for deer in the area… depositing their pheromones is an important role in the dominance process of a herd.
Does and all sizes of bucks have been observed interacting with sign-posts—they often nuzzle and smell them, but generally only mature bucks rub them hard enough to leave scars. As such, sign-posts are sometimes used in our strategy while hunting in Hawaii.