Scrapes in May???

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Randyflash
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Scrapes in May???

Unread postby Randyflash » Sun May 26, 2019 2:04 am

I’ve been scouting a chunk of public land swamp in Michigan. I came across not one but two fresh scrapes with licking branches yesterday. Curious if anyone else has found fresh scrapes in odd times of the year. My real question is why would this be here... a doe going into way early or way late estrus or some other type of communication? Be curious to hear what you guys think.
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First Sit
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby First Sit » Sun May 26, 2019 2:11 am

Deer will use licking branches in annual scrapes year round as communication. I see bucks hitting the licking branches all summer however they usually dont paw it till early fall after velvet.
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby 218er » Sun May 26, 2019 2:34 am

They seem to hit scrapes in the spring to check and see who’s around, who made it through winter maybe? This spring between March and early May I saw nearly every scrape I was familiar with on a particular tract had been opened with two days based on a rain storm that had passed through a few days prior to my visit.
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Sun May 26, 2019 2:52 am

Primary scrapes near bedding some are year round.They are often quite large.

If your finding year round scrapes your in a decent area.
Last edited by Tennhunter3 on Sun May 26, 2019 2:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hawthorne
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sun May 26, 2019 2:56 am

That’s a good sign imo. You probably have a mature buck in the area. Maybe they’re looking for some bachelors to join the group.I can’t recall seeing a scrape worked this time of year. I’ve seen the ground pawed has early has July before
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby jmaas07 » Sun May 26, 2019 3:02 am

First Sit wrote:Deer will use licking branches in annual scrapes year round as communication. I see bucks hitting the licking branches all summer however they usually dont paw it till early fall after velvet.


Iv seen the same and the scrape doesnt actually open up until closer to fall. Seems on those types of scrapes every deer uses the licking branches all year round. Iv even seen spotted fawns trying to check the licking branch, maybe it's just instinctual.
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby may21581 » Sun May 26, 2019 3:17 am

Primary scrapes will be checked periodically all year long, some of these scrapes are special and when treated this way will produce year after year. It has to do with the bedding and food layout.
Ok so now on to my theory and to some info I gathered because I too was in this situation last year. In the summer time the bedding will be totally different than fall bedding, this can be a 100 yards or a half mile but it will be different so this can explain the random spots if this be the case. As far as making the scrape mine I was investigating was around the same time period. I am under the understanding it has to do with the photo light period and the amount of daylight there is. We are very close to the summer equinox which is max daylight and when this happens it can cause a small rise in the bucks testerone therefore creating what I view as a little micro rut so to say that may get him aroused but not breeding.
I firmly believe that the older age class and mature bucks will be affected by this more so than the younger ones. This has just been my observation and also info I gained from reading. I dont suppose this scrape was around a doe feeding area, bedding area, or travel corridor was it?
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Randyflash
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby Randyflash » Sun May 26, 2019 4:28 am

Thanks for the input fellas. Here are some more details. The location is long skinny swamp island surrounded by bog type vegetation and flooded timber. I marked scrapes in blue, rubs in white and the bed icon is obviously a bed. The tree icon is a stand location I picked out for a hang and hunt setup. To the north I’ve marked an old logging road. The one rub I marked was made last fall and is headed toward the bed and scrapes on a worn down east west trail. There are dozens of generational rubs all around but I generally only mark last years rubs on my gps.
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may21581
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby may21581 » Sun May 26, 2019 1:07 pm

Pay attention to all the rubs old and new. There were reasons they were rubbed before and things change year to year in the woods. What worked last year may be different the following year. This can be due to acorn trees going through biyearly cycles or food sources that change. Never write a spot off and look for the freshest sign wherever it be when you go in to hunt it. You have to make your own luck in the woods and the more info you have the better!
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby Quest1001 » Sun May 26, 2019 3:56 pm

This is very cool because I found a couple scraps a few weeks ago! Right next to swamp bedding and an ag field.
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby teebone8 » Tue May 28, 2019 11:38 am

Have a new property that I scouted two weeks ago and found what I believe to be a primary scrape line, first thought that may be done by turkeys, but did not see any other sign of turkeys in the immediate area. Question is is this sign from last year? It's a side-hill trail on the 1/3, just below two 40 acre hay fields. I plan on putting a camera there to see if deer are working that loicking branch. Should I freshen them up now or wait till later in summer? upstate NY hill country.
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jmaas07
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby jmaas07 » Tue May 28, 2019 12:06 pm

Saw a scrape that was already opened up yesterday, first time iv seen the ground tore up this early. One of the bucks I shot last year worked this scrape right before I shot him, that was early October
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may21581
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby may21581 » Tue May 28, 2019 12:17 pm

teebone8 wrote:Have a new property that I scouted two weeks ago and found what I believe to be a primary scrape line, first thought that may be done by turkeys, but did not see any other sign of turkeys in the immediate area. Question is is this sign from last year? It's a side-hill trail on the 1/3, just below two 40 acre hay fields. I plan on putting a camera there to see if deer are working that loicking branch. Should I freshen them up now or wait till later in summer? upstate NY hill country.


You already have all the info you need except one piece. The bucks will use this trail to scent check for does in the field above. They can stay hidden in the security cover without exposing themselves to do this. In the evening with falling thermals and the correct wind will dictate when to hunt it. Putting a camera in on a licking branch now would be like going to the store to buy xmas lights now. It's not the right time for them to be there, however placing cameras off in a distant feeding area or travel corridor could possibly tip you off to a buck that may work this line come prerut/rut time.
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may21581
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby may21581 » Tue May 28, 2019 12:21 pm

We will be seeing some scrapes open up as the summer solstice gets closer. I firmly believe it affects the older age class bucks more so than the younger ones. May be a good time to run some cameras around these spots, I highly believe the buck if still around will work it at some point once the real rut arrives. I will bet my bottom dollar we will all be seeing a few random scrapes in the next month.
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Re: Scrapes in May???

Unread postby teebone8 » Tue May 28, 2019 1:00 pm

I should be able to access this from above, but thernals concern me and I believe they are bedding in thicker area below the trail.


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