# Scrapes in July



## andrewmoquin (Jul 15, 2009)

Went walking around Saturday morning scouting some bean fields and came across a scrape all ready.... I've read they use them year around but this is about as early as I can remember seeing one on the edge of a field... Anybody else see any?


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

i've seen them year around


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Ive seen them year round as well.

Nothing to get excited about till the last week of october.


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## mrb (Aug 22, 2007)

the first real scrape I have found was in late August, 
However, I think some deer make them all year as a marking there territory deal, not as a rut sign.
or maybe just light digging for some minerals


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## TRMichels (Apr 2, 2008)

In all of the research papers I've read, I've never heard of deer actually scraping other than during the rut, with most areas of the US scraping beginning in mid-August. It occurs earlier down south than here in Minnesota, when in 10 years of study, I never saw a scrape "new" earlier than the loast week of August.

When researchers, and writers etc. talk about year round use of scrapes, they are talking about the forehead rubbing, licking, chewing behavior that ocurs to the overhainging branch.- not to physically pawing the scrape. Scrape making generaly is a product of rutting behavior, which is dependent on testosterone levels. And those do not generally begin to rise in most areas until late August.

IF what you saw is a scrape - it is an abnormaliety.

God bless,

T.R.


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

i've had a trail cam over a scrape since april and have got lots of photos of bucks both working the licking branch and pawing. same group of bachelors that have been hanging out since late winter.they are not urinating in it but keeping it vegitation free note, this is tight up to a 18 acre bedding area on a river bend that we never enter unless trailing a wounded deer. it's the most god-awefull thick stuff imaginable and they visit it anytime of the day. this has been in the same spot for about 4-5 years and it does not grow in size even during the fall. it;s about 2x2 foot. the over head branch is a stout one and the end where they lick is about as thick as a pingpong ball. they do urinate in it starting in the fall though,it just never turns into the "classic" primary scrape although i do have one spot on my propety that does get a huge stinking scrape every year for 10-12 years now. its not uncommon to get pic's of over 20 different bucks using this scrape starting about oct.25-nov.5 or so and its only about 30-40 yards from the one used year round


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

just checked/pulled my cuddeback from the year round scrape. 106 pic's in a week. 7-8 different bucks, several does.not a blade of grass in the scrape, just dirt. time to leave the area alone for the year. come-on bow season :beer:


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