[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-hunting-terms-you-might-be-getting-wrong\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-hunting-terms-you-might-be-getting-wrong\/","headline":"3 Hunting Terms You Might be Getting Wrong","name":"3 Hunting Terms You Might be Getting Wrong","description":"Discover common hunting terms that you might be using incorrectly so you can sound like you know what you\u2019re talking about next time at the cabin.","datePublished":"2017-03-07","dateModified":"2018-11-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_3008.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_3008.jpg","height":2448,"width":3264},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-hunting-terms-you-might-be-getting-wrong\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":1224,"keywords":["Humor"],"articleBody":"You\u2019re telling me horns are different than antlers? A backstrap isn\u2019t the same as tenderloin?\u00a0 And a rub isn\u2019t the same thing as a scrape?Since when? I\u2019m sure we\u2019ve all heard or used the above terminology interchangeably, but it\u2019s time to set the record straight once and for all.\u00a0 Consider this a Public Service Announcement.It doesn\u2019t necessarily bother me to the bone, but for conversation\u2019s sake it would be nice to have everybody on the same page \u2013 especially when it comes to understanding the difference between a scrape and a rub.\u00a0 So, with that, here are three common things (or words) that hunters often use interchangeably, when in fact, they shouldn\u2019t.A Backstrap is not the same as a TenderloinSay whaaatt??\u00a0 Yup, they are in fact two entirely different cuts of meat.\u00a0 As a butcher\u2019s son, I learned this difference early on while labelling white freezer paper for my dad, but there\u2019s still plenty of people and hunters who use the two terms interchangeably.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure most people know the physical difference of the two and just choose to use the terms interchangeably because they are both prime cuts.\u00a0 From my travels around the country, it seems like this switch-up is more prevalent further south.Here\u2019s the difference . . . A backstrap is a much larger cut of meat that sits on top of the back and is nestled in along the spine and top part of the ribs on both sides.\u00a0 There are two of them (one on each side of the backbone) and they are roughly 24 to 32 inches long on a white-tailed deer.The two backstraps are on the top and the two tenderloins lay side by side on the bottom.Tenderloins on the other hand are much smaller and reside inside the body cavity \u2013 which is why most hunters remove them right after they\u2019re done field dressing the animal.\u00a0 They run on the underside of the backbone and begin right where the ribs stop and extend back towards the rear of the animal.\u00a0\u00a0 They are usually 8 to 12 inches long and are quite stringy, hence the term tenderloin. Despite their differences, backstrap and tenderloins are both recognized as the best cuts of meat off a deer by most hunters.A Scrape is not the same as a RubIf there is one that bugs me more than any other, this is it \u2013 mainly because they are two vastly different things!\u00a0 The terms \u201cscrape\u201d and \u201crubs\u201d are most often used interchangeably by inexperienced hunters, which is fine because it\u2019s just part of the long learning process.\u00a0 I know I used the two terms interchangeably when I was a young hunter. Heck, my uncle still does.\u00a0 I suppose by looking at the definition of each word, it\u2019s easy to see how they can get confused because they have essentially the same meaning.Here\u2019s the difference . . .A scrape is on the ground and a rub is on a tree.\u00a0 Yup, it\u2019s that simple.\u00a0 Scrapes are what you see when you come across a usually oval shaped patch of bare dirt in an otherwise leaf or grass covered area.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good bet there\u2019s a low overhanging branch above a scrape as well.\u00a0 A scrape is made by a buck who uses his hooves to paw dirt away from an area and then urinates over his tarsal glands to disperse his scent. \u00a0They are most commonly made leading up to and during the rut.Hunters looking at a big fresh scrape.A rub is what you are looking at when you see a bunch of bark stripped from a tree.\u00a0 This is a result of a buck rubbing his antlers on them and marking them up. Buck rubs are pretty noticeable because the peeled bark is easy to spot. Both types of sign are good indicators of bucks in the area and are worth hunting near.\u00a0 We have a ton of information on both below.A big buck scent checking a fresh rub.Learn How To Read Buck Rubs: Reading Buck RubsLearn How To Hunt Scrapes: Understanding Whitetail Scrape BehaviorAntlers are not the same as HornsI haven\u2019t heard many people say, \u201cLook at that cow\u2019s antlers!\u201d But I have heard plenty of people say, \u201cCheck the horns on that big buck!\u201d\u00a0 This mix-up seems to be a one-way street with the antlered animals being accused of having horns, not vice versa.\u00a0 Whether or not most people actually know the difference is still up in the air.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to think most hunters do . . .Here\u2019s the difference . . . Antlers are found on cervids (deer, elk, moose), are made of bone, are typically branched, and are shed every year. In fact, antlers are the fastest growing tissue on Earth!A big set of\u00a0shed antlers…Horns on the other hand are found on bovids (cows, buffalo, goats, sheep), are made of a bony core with a keratin sheath, are not branched, and are a permanent part of the animal.\u00a0 In other words, if you\u2019re shed hunting for horns, best of luck to you, you\u2019ll find me looking for antlers.This beast of a bighorn sheep\u00a0is supporting a giant set of horns.Got a hunting buddy that can\u2019t seem to ever use the right terminology?? Share this with them so you can quit arguing about it."},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-hunting-terms-you-might-be-getting-wrong\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"3 Hunting Terms You Might be Getting Wrong"}}]}]