Buck rubs are not the effect of velvet shedding, nor are they made because bucks are purposely trying to polish their antlers. It's true that during the process of removing velvet, bucks do some rubbing on trees and saplings, but they typically complete this whole process within twenty-four hours. Increasing testosterone levels cause bucks to become more aggressive, which drives them to promote themselves through scent marking. Essentially, this is the purpose of rubbing. In a strict sense, white-tailed deer are not territorial yet rubs do serve to inform deer of the social hierarchy within a certain area.