Early scrape found

[bigbore442001]

After leaving the doctor's office( it appears I have a sinus infection) I did some pre season scouting. I took a long walk along this path of some land that hasn't been hunted for quite some time. I suspect people have trespassed but that happens. As I rounded this bend in the path near a beaver dam I was surprised to see a couple of scrapes.

I recall seeing scrapes in the woodlands of southern New England at the end of October but not the beginning of sorts. But my heart skipped a beat. I am excited to see this sign. The scrape was triangular in shape about 3 x 3 feet and another smaller one with three drag marks like a giant turkey track about ten feet away.

I poked around and spotted some fresh tracks below the beaver dam. I set up a trail camera and located a nice tree to set up a stand with the large beaver pond to my back and the run to my front. The back is facing east thus I should be down wind most of the time. I intend to cut a small path on the top of the beaver dam so I can more or less sneak in during the wee hours and begin a long sit.

I should have taken a camera for images. It is a nice place and not far from where I work and live. It is a blessing to have access to such places nearby to escape the drudgery of modern life.

[86er]

Hopefully you are on to something good. However, be aware that this is the time of year HUNTERS make mock scrape lines. Typically the deer do not engage in scapes extensively until late October or when a weather front brings the first cold for your area. You did say there was a possibility of trespassers. One tell-tale sign is a low hanging licking branch over the scrape. Deer just about require this but I see lots of mock-scrapes where the hunter didn't consider this. Also, I have seen what appears like a big turkey track and it ended up being made by a three-prong hand garden rake that was used to make the mock-scape. Again, I hope you are on to a big buck but for everyone's sake, examine all the signs of early scrapes to rule out that they are mocks make by humans.

[Pete44ru]

Yep - I watched as a young 7-point buck with thin tines/rack, worked over a scrape at 7:15AM, 20yds from where I was set up, a little over a week ago in a Water Supply Company forest (around a huge reservoir).

Too bad it was a short/early, antlerless deer only (muzzleloader) season....................................

Of course, if I was bowhunting, he would have been legal. (sigh)

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[muddydog]

they have been scraping hard the last 2 weeks in SE OK. I found 19 scrapes on Sunday.

[bigbore442001]

If I can shake this sinus infection thing going on I plan to do some after work scouting. Almost tempted to call in again. I have a suspicion that the deer are circumnavigating this large beaver bog. I am not sure if they'll cross it as it is quite large and appears deep in some places.

[Pete44ru]

In my experience, deer will almost always cross a large body of water like a bog or pond at either the outlet/dam or an inlet - and is the first place I look for crossings.

Some are so heavily-used, they look like a cattle crossing.


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