I've always been curious about scrape locations and a bucks logic on where he wants to dominate. Year after year, i find scrapes in the same areas on the property i hunt. It is that predictable that i can go out in mid-july and flag spots where a scrape will show up come mid october. i know it cannot be the same buck each year marking his territory. So what prompts these bucks to scrape in this particular area and why? If anyone has answer to this, please pass it along.
must be thick enough and close enough to their bedding area that they feel safe to check it during daylight. Maybe shed or buckeye can chime in, they're the experts
It's probably in an area well traveled by other deer. It does a buck no good to make a scrape in an area where no other deer will see or smell it. Kinda like putting up a billboard on a gravel back road. The scrapes purpose is to advertise that this buck is in the neighborhood. Most time other bucks will also use it and try to steal does that come advertising their availability too.
I have a scrape right now in the middle of a field. As far as I know there is no rhyme or reason as to why it is there. It isn't a beaten down trail or anything, it's just there.
Bucks will make scrapes for any rhyme or reason. I've saw scrapes In places you'd laugh at. There's 2 different kinda scrapes out there. Primary's and secondarys. Primary's are the ones you want to keep an eye on, there the ones getting worked up till the rut. Secondary scrapes are mostly stupid young 1.5 year old bucks trying to feel their oats. They'll make many of them and allot of times never touch one again. Allot of times you'll see these on field edges. But I have seen field edge scrapes turn Into some hot scrapes In the years pass.
most field scrapes are community scrapes and most any buck will check it out,and during the rut all bucks like to be seen by local does kind of like gobbler during spring turkey seasons, but find a scrape near thick cover in the woods and it can be a hole new story,my largest deer came from a large wooded track deep in the woods on a old logging road that had a multiflora patch next to it about 100 yards wide and about 300 yards long the scrape on the road was about 7 foot across with a overhang lick branch, bucks of all ages would circle down wind of the scrape but none would go near all would stay 40 yards downwind but does would walk right up to it and then stand around in the multiflora bushes the buck i killed came straight thru the multiflora and i could hear him coming for a few minutes, i can remember thinking what idot it trying to push his way thru that stuff and thats when he stood up out of the bushes right at the scrape... 155 7/8 gun kill
Remember, when a Tom gobbles he wants the hen to come to him. Not only do bucks try and stake their territory and inform other bucks of their presence, they are also counting on hot does to urinate in the scrape and then seek them out . Sexual communication. Hunting active scrape lines (or scrapes ) can be very productive this time of year.
