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| The Scrape |
Midday scouting hike about the deer woods, I found an interesting development on the trail not far from my south stand! A buck has created a sign post we hunters call a scrape. The scrape is much like the fire hydrant on a street corner is to dogs. The story the scrape tells other deer is; who has recently passed by, who is nearing heat, what bucks are in the area. So, as to a hunter, the scrape is a great place to keep an eye on during season. It's no guarantee mind you, but a place of interest to watch.
This scrape was made within the past few days and is not 30 yards, if that, from one of my stands. So, keeping an eye on it will be somewhat easy.
The Scrape be will freshened by the Buck that created it and by other Buck that can stand as a challenge. The Scrape is pawed by the Buck hoofs, leaving scent from glands. Raked by their antlers and peed upon. Does, will visit these scrapes and leave her signature by also peeing upon the scrape.
A Licking Branch was also created by this but. If you are familiar with a licking branch, well it is nothing more than a different type of sign post, most often above the scrape. The bucks will rake their racks on these branches, leaving behind scent from a gland at the base of the antlers. Often the branch is broken, but not torn off. It hangs down just above the scrape below. My guess for why the branch is broken is, so the does that are much smaller in size compared to buck are able to smell the branch. In this case, this branch was at least head high, and I am about 5'11. I've witness many scrapes under branches that are much closer to the ground and these are not broken. The breaking of the branch is just a guess mind you.
The relationship between this Scrape and Licking Branch to my South Stand, is my luck. So keeping an eye on it will be easy enough.
Again, this is signs posts are not a slam dunk in getting a deer. It's a spot of interest to the deer and hunter, which both can and will end up ignoring as the season progresses.
To those that hunt, be careful and make sure of what you are shooting at. To those that don't hunt, this is who I am and it is my winter's meat supply. -Bill
This scrape was made within the past few days and is not 30 yards, if that, from one of my stands. So, keeping an eye on it will be somewhat easy.
The Scrape be will freshened by the Buck that created it and by other Buck that can stand as a challenge. The Scrape is pawed by the Buck hoofs, leaving scent from glands. Raked by their antlers and peed upon. Does, will visit these scrapes and leave her signature by also peeing upon the scrape.
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| The Licking Branch |
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| The Stand |
Again, this is signs posts are not a slam dunk in getting a deer. It's a spot of interest to the deer and hunter, which both can and will end up ignoring as the season progresses.
To those that hunt, be careful and make sure of what you are shooting at. To those that don't hunt, this is who I am and it is my winter's meat supply. -Bill
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