There has been a lot of activity at the mock scrapes throughout the week from both bucks and does. The does are checking the scrapes to see which bucks are in the area, while the bucks are actively working the scrapes to signal their presence to the does. In the next two weeks, a few older does are expected to come into estrus, triggering the chasing behavior. If you’re in the woods, you may be fortunate enough to witness some of this early chasing, and scrape activity will likely increase.
Cause and Effect
I love heading to my scrapes during the second week of October to refresh my existing ones. I enjoy reintroducing a “Phantom Buck” using my Head-Scratcher Gland Lure and Contender Interdigital mix. The use of gland lure is essential in my year-round inventory of bucks. Deer communicate daily through their eight glands, and in October, the secretion from these glands becomes particularly important. During this time, bucks work the scrapes, make rubs, and rub-urinate more frequently to communicate with other bucks and does.
Take a look at this video of a buck working a scrape after I refreshed it. I set up two SpyPoint cameras on the scrape to capture close-up footage of how deer interact with it. I was impressed by the footage from both angles. The best part is that the buck never got spooked and kept working the scrape.
Cold Morning Scrape Action
Last week, a cold front moved in, creating ideal morning temperatures for deer activity, particularly for scraping. The inside corner scrape at the neighboring farm was particularly active every morning. Numerous bucks emerged from the cold morning air to work the BuckRope. If I had been in the corner stand, I could have taken a shot at a buck each morning.
Rub-Urination
You know that the activity is picking up when bucks start rub-urinating in your mock scrapes. Bucks produce a lipid in their tarsal glands, and when they urinate on these glands, it creates a unique scent specific to each buck. However, they don’t rub-urinate in scrapes year-round; this behavior begins during the pre-rut period. Does will visit these scrapes to gather information on the local bucks before the breeding season starts. Keep a close eye on your scrapes to see how many different bucks are rub-urinating in them. You may want to focus on those active scrapes, as more bucks will likely be attracted to them.
Aggressive Behavior
Bucks were displaying aggressive behavior during the cold front. My good friend, Scott Spaid, sent me a video of a mature buck working his scrape. Scott uses my Head-Scratcher Gland Lure on his mock scrapes, and this particular buck visited his food plot in broad daylight. The buck walked through at 4 a.m. and intensely worked the mock scrape before heading to bed. This turned out to be the last time the buck would visit the vine. Later that day, Scott harvested the buck when it approached the scrape once more.
Be Ready
Hunting near or over scrapes can significantly increase your chances of tagging a target buck. When bucks are focused on working scrapes, they become preoccupied, giving hunters the opportunity to prepare for a shot. During this time, hunters can often move more freely without alarming the buck. If you’ve done your homework and positioned your stand close to the scrape, you’ll likely have a clear shot when the time comes. In the video, the buck pauses to interact with the BuckVine, presenting a perfect broadside shot. Could you make this shot?
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