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Scrape numbers this year

Allegheny Tom

Allegheny Tom

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2018
Messages
6,059
Location
Western Pennsylvania
The number of perennial scrapes seems to be way down on my place this year. Spots that normally have well developed ground work in most years have almost no sign.
Anyone else noticing light scraping so far?
I realize its a little early but I should be seeing more than I have.
 
Our rut isn't until late january or February but...

Nope. No scrapes here. I walked 500 acres in about a 100 yard grid pattern and saw zilch for scrapes this weekend.
 
Young bucks are regularly hitting branches over mock and natural scrapes and mature bucks are sporadically hitting branches, but none are working the ground yet. A normal year should have a little more ground work happening by now.

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Funny you say that, I usually see way more as of a week ago in Butler and Allegheny counties. But I haven't been out in a week so I'm hoping that's changed.
 
I can say this year was indeed low until this last weekend. Mock scrapes are being hit and 2 new scrape lines popped up over the weekend. What I have observed on "my" land is a significant acorn crop, like last year, there is significantly more ground sign e.g. scrapes and territorial rubs. Poor acorn crop on the public ground I hunt this year.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
The number of perennial scrapes seems to be way down on my place this year. Spots that normally have well developed ground work in most years have almost no sign.
Anyone else noticing light scraping so far?
I realize its a little early but I should be seeing more than I have.
Click to expand...
Scrape activity is going to be dependent on the number of resident bucks (3.5 and older) that frequent your property. Thru the years I've spent extreme amounts of time observing scrapes, and when you experience scrape inactivity in the early going...it usually means a young age structure. Your going to find the field edge scrapes first...I hunted opening week in northern iowa and found a really big scrape on the 5th. I suspect the age structure and bucks returning to their claim sets the stage for hierarchy communication. Alls I can tell you is sooner or later bucks traveling thru your area are going to open up scrapes and leave their scent from their forehead and orbital glands...check your trail camera pictures and determine your buck age structure...good luck
May The Magic of The Whitetail Forever Enrich Your Life
 
There is a significant amount of older bucks on the land I hunt this year. Overall buck kills were way down last year in southwest PA, as the statewide herd was his with EHD the previous year and was recovering. Compounding EHD with torrential rains during rifle season let some bucks graduate to a new growing season. The privately owned bean fields adjacent to the gamelands were full of big big bucks nightly and my trail cam has some big dudes on it - yet ground sign was low. It's a matter of time before it becomes a zoo.
 
DennisGL285 said:
There is a significant amount of older bucks on the land I hunt this year. Overall buck kills were way down last year in southwest PA, as the statewide herd was his with EHD the previous year and was recovering. Compounding EHD with torrential rains during rifle season let some bucks graduate to a new growing season. The privately owned bean fields adjacent to the gamelands were full of big big bucks nightly and my trail cam has some big dudes on it - yet ground sign was low. It's a matter of time before it becomes a zoo.
Click to expand...
The only thing I can say, bucks are not scraping yet in your area or theres one very active primary scrape being visited you havent seen yet
 
Finished a scouting trip to an area with known mature bucks today, but very few scrapes or rubs after logging 10 miles. Couldn't go 50 yds last fall in the same general area without hitting a rub or scrape. At least here it has been extremely hot and dry, has to be part of the equation.

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Silvio said:
Scrape activity is going to be dependent on the number of resident bucks (3.5 and older) that frequent your property. Thru the years I've spent extreme amounts of time observing scrapes, and when you experience scrape inactivity in the early going...it usually means a young age structure. Your going to find the field edge scrapes first...I hunted opening week in northern iowa and found a really big scrape on the 5th. I suspect the age structure and bucks returning to their claim sets the stage for hierarchy communication. Alls I can tell you is sooner or later bucks traveling thru your area are going to open up scrapes and leave their scent from their forehead and orbital glands...check your trail camera pictures and determine your buck age structure...good luck
May The Magic of The Whitetail Forever Enrich Your Life
Click to expand...
This is one of the reasons why I think it's not what it should be at this point. I can assess my property very closely and I have for over 30 years. Our buck herd this year is probably more mature than it's ever been. And these are bucks that live here, they aren't just pass-thru bucks. I have perennial scrapes that are right under the same trees, year in and year out. This year, the more mature bucks are walking right by them...my trail cams prove it.
I assume the scrapes will get active when the bucks decide the time is right. Apparently, the time ain't right for whatever the reason. It's just an odd year here on my place.
I was wondering if it's like that in other areas.
My buck:doe ratio is really bad this year. Way too many does. That may be a contributing factor.
 
Several scrapes here for the past few weeks. I had 6 in my area that should be there and a few new ones. I found 2 today in completely new area.


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I’ve got a couple scrapes getting hit hard every couple of days here in southwest Michigan. Scrapes started a few weeks ago prior to our opener 1 Oct. One of them being a scrape that has been active for the last couple years now.

Big change on my property is the rubs. Huge uptick in run activity in the last week. Got two utility poles getting ripped up. A couple good size tree rubs. And a boat load of little skinny trees. We do have an increase in young bucks in the area but I’ve also got at least 3 mature bucks on it near the property that I’ve seen on cam or in person.
 
I am not seeing many scrapes this year either. I saw some early but no real fresh ones now. I figure it is because it is so dry. The dry rocky soil I hunt really doesn't hold much scent when it is this dry.
 
BenG said:
Funny you say that, I usually see way more as of a week ago in Butler and Allegheny counties. But I haven't been out in a week so I'm hoping that's changed.
Click to expand...

Was out yesterday, still not seeing them where there is always a scrape line. No idea why, I have trail cam pictures of bucks.
 
I found a triple scrape in late Sept - dropped a camera on it, there are 5 bucks working the crap out of it - 2 very mature ten points to boot. Tons of does and button bucks licking the branches. The biggest ten has visited it 15 times since 28 Sep - a lot of early morning/late evening visits. If he keeps this up I plan on sitting that scrape area pretty hard last week of oct. Hunted an approach to area last night but he did not show. Right now he is just outside shooting hours - but come late Oct and a good rain - I will be waiting the following morning.

The primary scrapes are out there - just tucked away near doe bedding areas.
 
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I read an article that said they are evolving and no longer using dirt or trees to communicate. Instead, there are two new online social media apps that the bucks are using to find the hot does. One is "Scrapebook" and the other is "Tindeer."

I suggest you download these immediately if you want to have a chance in 2019... :laughing:
 
DB4x4 said:
I read an article that said they are evolving and no longer using dirt or trees to communicate. Instead, there are two new online social media apps that the bucks are using to find the hot does. One is "Scrapebook" and the other is "Tindeer."

I suggest you download these immediately if you want to have a chance in 2019... :laughing:
Click to expand...
:tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 
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