Nubby Buck only scrape?

[160classbuck]

I have a pretty active scrape in an area that year after year has an active scrape. First saw it scouting before opening weekend and it has since grown to 3' in diameter. Put a camera on it and was surprised to only get nubby bucks over a 5 day period.

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Now in this area I have gotten pictures of nice bucks in the past around rut time but that is usually the time I have the cameras out. My question is it usual for nubby's to start the scrape and is there any hope a larger buck would be visiting this early in the season?

[NatureBoy]

This late in the game, button bucks will often visit old scrapes, and will start opening up small scraps like crazy all over the place. This will drive inexperience scrape hunters nuts as they try hunting over scrapes that were opened by button's or 1.5 year old's and may never or very rarely visited after that. Perennial scrapes that are found/opened in August/September and that are in heavy cover are worth noting. They are typically made by mature deer with at least one breeding season behind them.

[headgear]

Sounds like you are running a nursery over there. Don't worry the moms take care of the babies and soon the dads will come in and fight over the moms. That is pretty funny to see a button buck on his hind legs working a licking branch.

All kidding aside if you do have an area with a primary scrape the big boys should at hit it at some point this fall. They usually know when things are going to break open and show up accordingly.

[huntinnurse]

Boys will be boys!!!!!!!

[Wrinkleneck]

I agree scrapes can be very hard to read, if hunting the rutt I like to hunt close to doe bedding areas. I know there will be some kind of action in a doe beding area come rutt. The real trick with hunting doe bedding is, not getting busted by the does bedding in it. Early season I just try to hunt where I believe is a big bucks bedding area in the right conditions. Maybe if I new more about scrape hunting I could use it to my advantage. I would love to know more about scrapes, so this is a great topic.

[160classbuck]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I may just keep a camera devoted to that one scrape and see how things develop as the season progresses.

Headgear - probably 75% of fawn crop I see spotting and pick-up on camera have been button bucks. I'm glad to see that but with the population low I struggle with harvesting a mature doe but wouldn't mind taking one for the freezer and to keep her from driving off (my property) the buck fawns.