Scrape help needed

[j-bird]

Ok - so for the first time I have what seems to be a pretty active scrape (4 different bucks and multiple does over a 2 week period). I typically find small scrapes here and there, but this is the first time I seem to have one that is seeing regular activity and this late into the year. I wish I had a cam on it back during the rut, but the pics included cam from the past two weeks here....and the rut was back in November. I have/had a mineral lick near this area and yet the scrape seems to warrant far more attention. So my question is...is this a community type scrape that I should anticipate seeing activity over for a while yet or is this simply in the right place and every deer that walks by is taking an interest? The bucks are not impressive, but these are ones that survived our gun seasons. It also seems that every doe seems interested in this scrape as well...which has me a little puzzled. My place simply tends to lack many scrape s and thus I have very little first hand experience with them.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

The bucks in my area were scraping heavily up until the last time i was in the woods (last week thursday) and may still be. This is very rare in my area.

 

[j-bird]

The bucks in my area were scraping heavily up until the last time i was in the woods (last week thursday) and may still be. This is very rare in my area.

I typically see the pre-rut scrapes but thats about it and they are useful to some extent for a pretty small window. This one I made and it didn't get much use but now seems to be of interest to them. I did't see any pawing or the like, but most of the deer made it a point to stand in the scrape itself....even the does. Some working the licking branch as well. I tend to only use scrape to help identify buck travel routes, but this one has me a bit stumped.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I've seen on / off interest in scrapes at different times of the year - but those scrape locations typically have been where scrapes have been opened up year after year. They also have been close to regular deer travel corridors. The licking branches also seem to get attention. This activity may just be a handy way to see who's in the deer neighborhood from scent communication. Bucks are capable of mating as long as their testosterone levels are up - so who knows - until the levels drop enough to shed antlers, they may still be " on the prowl ".

The locations I'm talking about have typically been nearer food sources, where deer activity is more apt to be concentrated. Field edges, apple trees, intersection of 2 or more trails, etc. Last fall & winter, we had a scrape under an apple tree that was holding apples into March. Fresh scraping was going on into February at that scrape. I doubt any does were still "hot" then. Mystery as to why they do it that late, but they seem to still have scent interest.

 

[Native Hunter]

I've seen on / off interest in scrapes at different times of the year - but those scrape locations typically have been where scrapes have been opened up year after year. They also have been close to regular deer travel corridors. The licking branches also seem to get attention. This activity may just be a handy way to see who's in the deer neighborhood from scent communication. Bucks are capable of mating as long as their testosterone levels are up - so who knows - until the levels drop enough to shed antlers, they may still be " on the prowl ".

The locations I'm talking about have typically been nearer food sources, where deer activity is more apt to be concentrated. Field edges, apple trees, intersection of 2 or more trails, etc. Last fall & winter, we had a scrape under an apple tree that was holding apples into March. Fresh scraping was going on into February at that scrape. I doubt any does were still "hot" then. Mystery as to why they do it that late, but they seem to still have scent interest.

I had a preacher to tell me once that he always kept an eye out for women - "... just in case anything ever happened to Linda..." (his wife). Last I head of him he left the ministry and was becoming a lawyer with plans of going into politics....

 

[Rit]

Ok - so for the first time I have what seems to be a pretty active scrape (4 different bucks and multiple does over a 2 week period). I typically find small scrapes here and there, but this is the first time I seem to have one that is seeing regular activity and this late into the year. I wish I had a cam on it back during the rut, but the pics included cam from the past two weeks here....and the rut was back in November. I have/had a mineral lick near this area and yet the scrape seems to warrant far more attention. So my question is...is this a community type scrape that I should anticipate seeing activity over for a while yet or is this simply in the right place and every deer that walks by is taking an interest? The bucks are not impressive, but these are ones that survived our gun seasons. It also seems that every doe seems interested in this scrape as well...which has me a little puzzled. My place simply tends to lack many scrape s and thus I have very little first hand experience with them.

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Just my opinion but with a lack of mature buck sightings this is what I think might have happened.

This time of year most mature bucks are trying to pack on lost weight from the rut to survive and they mostly disappear from sight and stop checking scrapes. I rarely see them outside of cold snaps in the evening on a food source.

To see that kind of activity this late makes me think that a doe or yearling came into estrous several times and wasn’t bred. If that first estrous cycle was November 10-15th the timing lines up good with what you are seeing now. One of the little bucks caught on and started scraping. You see small fawns every year sometimes with spots in September. Those were obviously conceived later than early November.

Once it opened up all the deer in the area minus the mature bucks started hitting it again. I have read that they use scrapes year round to communicate but that isn’t what I have experienced on my property. Or at least the communication is quite as noticeable outside of the rutting periods.

You said you don’t see much scraping on your property. Is that because opportunity isn’t there? I used to see no rutting actively at all before I started making habitat improvements but specifically no scrapes. I have created a lot of licking branches in prime spots and they now are used annually. Some of those scrapes I started on my own. I watch both does and bucks paw in them quite often from the tree.

One small kill plot that is about 3/4 of an acre literally has 15 scrapes all along the edges. Some only 10’ from another. Mostly under Autumn Olive and Cedar. I suspect in the next week or so that scrape will die out until next year.

 

[j-bird]

Just my opinion but with a lack of mature buck sightings this is what I think might have happened.

This time of year most mature bucks are trying to pack on lost weight from the rut to survive and they mostly disappear from sight and stop checking scrapes. I rarely see them outside of cold snaps in the evening on a food source.

To see that kind of activity this late makes me think that a doe or yearling came into estrous several times and wasn’t bred. If that first estrous cycle was November 10-15th the timing lines up good with what you are seeing now. One of the little bucks caught on and started scraping. You see small fawns every year sometimes with spots in September. Those were obviously conceived later than early November.

Once it opened up all the deer in the area minus the mature bucks started hitting it again. I have read that they use scrapes year round to communicate but that isn’t what I have experienced on my property. Or at least the communication is quite as noticeable outside of the rutting periods.

You said you don’t see much scraping on your property. Is that because opportunity isn’t there? I used to see no rutting actively at all before I started making habitat improvements but specifically no scrapes. I have created a lot of licking branches in prime spots and they now are used annually. Some of those scrapes I started on my own. I watch both does and bucks paw in them quite often from the tree.

One small kill plot that is about 3/4 of an acre literally has 15 scrapes all along the edges. Some only 10’ from another. Mostly under Autumn Olive and Cedar. I suspect in the next week or so that scrape will die out until next year.

The scrapes I tend to see are the one and done sort of scrape done in the pre rut. I tend to not have many mature bucks in my immediate area so most scraps are made by younger bucks on habitat edges. That is why this one is so different it is in the woods over 100 yards to the nearest "edge" of any sort. I created it originally way back when but it never really took off and then all of the sudden...now they are interested. It's possible a fawn/doe became receptive and that is what has upped the use, but the videos showed multiple does choosing to stand right in the scrape... Some where younger and some older. maybe this is more common than I though...it is just very odd from what I typically see....especially in January!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

J-bird - You said you created it. Maybe those does are after YOU !!! Just what are you drinking to attract deer to YOUR scrape ??

 

[H20fwler]

I think that some scrapes are kind of community calling sites about year round like some kind of deer Facebook. I've got a really big one in the back of my woods that I call a mega scrape it is the size of the hood of my truck and every deer through the woods stops by and smells it kicks around and hits the branch above, during rut it is Grand Central. And fox and coyotes will lay or sit in it for some reason, I've had pics were a yote laid in it and fifteen minutes later a deer comes by and pisses in it, I keep a camera on mine about ten yards away year round.

 

[Tap]

The actual ground activity tends to peak from late October to november 9th-ish around here. It drops off a bit during the peak breeding phase.
However, licking branch activity is YEAR ROUND affair and ALL deer in the herd visit and utilize them. Not opinion...fact.

 

[j-bird]

J-bird - You said you created it. Maybe those does are after YOU !!! Just what are you drinking to attract deer to YOUR scrape ??

I guess they like filtered diet dew!

 

[j-bird]

Soooo....does this activity, since I have not seen it before in the 20+ years of owning the place, mean anything from a herd or habitat perspective?

 

[Rit]

Soooo....does this activity, since I have not seen it before in the 20+ years of owning the place, mean anything from a herd or habitat perspective?

Does it mean you need some work on your observation skills? Kidding kidding. I have a small property that I have owned for 6 years that I think I know very well. I still find stuff I never knew was there and walk my property a lot.

 

[j-bird]

Does it mean you need some work on your observation skills? Kidding kidding. I have a small property that I have owned for 6 years that I think I know very well. I still find stuff I never knew was there and walk my property a lot.

Ahhh...funny guy? I find things all the time as well. I find scrapes, this one is just very different so far. What I was aiming at was - is this sort of activity a sign that maybe my herd is being more balanced, less balanced? Does this mean the deer are using this specific area more frequently? I'm just trying to learn what this may be telling me. I am a firm believer in trying to "listen to what the deer are telling us" if at all possible...this is just something I lack experience with.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have noticed this past early summer that I had an active scrape, and it is still being used now.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I don't know if this helps your question at all. I've made some mock scrapes over the years, while wearing high rubber boots, etc. and even picked up a mixed selection of turds from other areas of plots ( using rubber gloves ), using plastic zip-bags to transport them to the scrape site. I made the scrapes under easy over-hanging limbs, and sprinkled Tink's, Special Golden Estrus, and Silver Top doe-in-heat scents in the scrape. Some of those mock scrapes never had any re-working done to them by bucks, although they were in prime locations. Why did THEY get no attention ??

I guess we may never know all the answers to why deer do what they do, or neglect, and when. That's OK with me. Your situation may just be unique to your place, or to this particular year. In reading Gene and Barry Wensel's writings over many years, they seemed to think if there are more mature bucks in an area, the more scrape activity can be seen. They also gave tips in some of their articles to watch well-used community & breeding scrapes carefully, because they tend to appear in the same places year after year. Then they bold-faced " Hint - Hint ! "

 

[Tap]

...mean anything from a herd or habitat perspective?

I'm going to say "both". The occurrence is due to herd structure and the location is due to habitat. Quality scrapes are almost always relating to cover or edge.

 

[Bill]

I too see a few that last quite a while into the spring.
No hard data but I always suspected it was young bucks playing more or less. Kinda like young buck tinkling antlers right up unti they fall off.

Is it possible that what you are really seeing is more bucks that are now calling your place home more often than in the past?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^ X-2. More bucks I'd bet.

 

[j-bird]

I too see a few that last quite a while into the spring.
No hard data but I always suspected it was young bucks playing more or less. Kinda like young buck tinkling antlers right up unti they fall off.

Is it possible that what you are really seeing is more bucks that are now calling your place home more often than in the past?

If that is true...I have no issue with that. i still doubt they are calling my place "home" but it would be possible that their numbers in the area have increased and as such I am seeing more traffic and related sign I guess...