Licking branches used year-round?

[xpauliber]

Pulled a cam today that was setup on an intersection of 2 trails that I found this spring. There was a scrape from last year here and an old busted licking branch above it. When I viewed the videos, I was surprised to see a doe actually rubbing the licking branch with her head. The scrape wasn't opened up, but she clearly was sniffing and rubbing the branch. It was a day later and a small scrubby buck still in velvet came and worked the branch as well followed by another buck that came over and just sniffed it.

I never knew that licking branches were used year round? Must be a way the deer keep in touch with each other throughout the year.

[Black Squirrel]

I have seen this behavior before. Licking branches are a form of comunication for deer, and they do use them year round to keep track of each other.

[phade]

I have lots of photos and vids of deer using licking branches year round.

I think some people discount how often does will come into a scrape/licking branch. I'm not saying it's equal to bucks or even close to it, but certain does will visit.

[dan]

Yea... I have shot a few great bucks early season on scrapes. Including a monster opening day buck in early September.

[cbigbear]

Here's a good read on licking branches.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20175&hilit=vertical+limbs

[Sam Ubl]

Some scrapes are used all year, but most do not for natural reasons. For one, a scrape doesn't exist without a licking branch and what happens when crisp autumn air has nuts, berries and leaves falling off of the branches? The weight is lifted off the branch and it sometimes becomes too high for a deer to reach it... So they move on. I know a lot of hunters who are big into hunting scrapes and they'll actually tie mesh bags of rocks to branches to keep them at the right height once the foliage begins falling off the branches. Whitetail'R­™ came out with the Lick'N Branch™ as another form of resolution for folks who are trying to remedy licking branch height.

[PK_]

I saw a huge (bodied)buck during spring gobbler working a licking branch. Also came across a fresh scrape and a licking branch that looked like it was getting constant work that same week in another area, I later realized the scrape I found was very close to a buck bed.

When I told my father and uncles that I saw a big buck use a licking branch and I found a fresh scrape they laughed at me and told me the buck had an itch and that I found turkey scratchings. 'Bucks only scrape during the rut' they told me...

What can you do.

[dan]

This buck was shot opening weekend (early september ) over a scrape.


Here is the story:
viewtopic.php?f=159&t=1345

[JoeRE]

In my experience does use licking branch heavily year round. Bucks use licking branches occasionally in the spring/summer months but only use them heavily once they loose their velvet. I have put a number of trail cams out on heavily used licking branches in the off season over the years and almost always its a few momma does doing the work.