Deer sign primer: Interpreting rubs, scrapes, tracks & droppings will boost your chances at a big white-tailed buck

SCRAPES

Made from early October through to December, scrapes are the best sign of buck activity you can find. An active scrape is a patch of exposed soil roughly two or three feet in diameter where the buck has pawed away leaves and other debris with his front hooves, then urinated to both mark his territory and attract does in heat. Hunting over scrapes is one of the most successful tactics for the pre-rut and post-rut weeks when bucks are cruising their territory at the beginning or end of the day.

Before pawing the ground, the buck will stretch his head up to nibble and moisten the tip an overhanging branch, aptly called a “licking branch.” He also rubs his face and forehead on the tip to deposit scent from his preorbital and forehead glands. After several seconds of licking, the buck will paw the ground directly under the branch, then step forward to urinate over the tarsal glands on his rear legs as he rubs them together. This creates a musky odour in the freshly disturbed earth, completing the strongest communication hub of the whitetail rut.

Breeding bucks will rework their favourite scrapes every few days, unless they’re tending a doe (which usually only lasts for approximately 48 hours). By keeping his scrapes fresh, a boss buck can entice receptive does to stay in the area while he makes his rounds. The best time to scout for fresh scrapes is two or three days after it rains. Since scrapes will have been smoothed over by the rain, any defined tracks you find will be fresh, meaning the scrape has been worked very recently.

Which scrapes are bucks most likely to hit during legal shooting hours? It’s all about location. Most daytime scraping occurs in areas where the buck feels safe, often near a habitat transition zone back in the timber near his bedding area. Once you find a fresh scrape (or rub), select an ambush location for a stand or blind that’s within range on the downwind side.

Some scrapes are hit perennially, as long as there continues to be a licking branch. Keep this in mind when you find a hot scrape, as it could be used year after year. Never hang scent wicks on a licking branch, as the spot is already set up with ample scent for success.

Should the licking branch break off from all the head rubbing, however, it will effectively kill the scrape. If there’s another branch nearby, the buck will likely switch over to it. If not, you can keep the scrape going by replacing the broken branch. Simply cut a similar branch (typically four or five feet long) and attach it in place over the scrape using zip ties.

If you can’t find any scrapes, you can create a mock version to test if there are bucks nearby. Select a sheltered spot with an overhanging branch along a habitat transition zone, and use scent-free rubber boots to kick away leaves and other forest debris to expose the soil. Then snap the tip off the overhanging branch while wearing scent-free gloves. To monitor the scrape for evidence of fresh activity, set up a trail cam.