Convinced the wife to go camping in Eastern Ohio this weekend and take a walk through the woods. In a large oak flat we must have seen over 30 fresh rubs and 4 fresh scrapes. I've read that more mature deer usually start rubbing and scraping earliest. Hoping some of the more experienced hunters can say their opinion on if this is true. Also just to let everyone know acorns were dropping everywhere in good numbers.
Early season rubs and scrapes
- Thread starter BCamp
- Start date
I believe it's mostly mature bucks making these early scrapes, but I think bucks of all age classes rub this early to get velvet off.
Spencie
Senior Member
Bucks work scrapes year round to some degree. It's just more prevalent in the fall leading up to breeding.
I concur with the above. All bucks will rub to get velvet off. Seems like the mature bucks open the scrapes first. Some are used year round by does and bucks though. This is based off some of what I have read, some of what I have seen. I'm sure there is no "standard" answer or guarantee unless you witness the scrape being opened.
ickle:
There are no absolutes in the whitetail woods. The only exception being our excitement every year when we start seeing fresh sign pop up in the fall. Won't be long before we get to chase those big boys leaving all the sign!