I just took a walk in one of my hunting spots today after work and I came across about a dozen scrapes that only looked to be a day or so old. There was a wet spot in the middle of one. Most of the scrapes were about 3'-4' in diameter!! I tracked the trail to a bedding area on the eastern face of a steep hill. Wind usuall comes out of the west in that spot. I'll try to post picks if my photo bucket app cooperates!!
Interesting :dunno:
I am seeing fresh rubs up here in Canada, never seen it before, but seeing quit a bit while shed hunting. Thought maybe due to nice winter and animals wanting to shed horns before they are ready??
Saw several fresh 1 to 1 1/2' scrapes yesterday and one moderate racked buck.
Have typically seen lingering rut activity into March.
Interesting Sean. My guess is some really late fawns next year!
I have one by me that isn't very big. In fact most of the coyotes are bigger than it is.
That's weird!
Bisch
Yep saw a pair of tiny fawns this past January. Some bucks may be busy after their horns fall off!
didn't see any scrapes but i did see a dinky spotted fawn twice in december of 2014 :dunno: sure looked funny playin in the snow.
I found a big community scrape Saturday that's still being hit on a new property I just got and scouted for the first time.
Nothing unusual about scrape activity in march. At least for the fallow deer here. :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Idk, Sean... All I can think of is un-bred does? Does will come into heat, every 28 days or so, untill they are bred. Last years squirrely weather, no definate "rut" (more like a "trickle-rut" all season long) Looks bleak for next year to me... Good old DEC/QDM mentality make be starting to take its toll. Maybe they should just focus on a healthy & balanced deer herd, and let Mother Nature take care of the rest...?? Lord knows, She will anyway!!!
Deer will hit scrapes and licking branches all year long
QuoteOriginally posted by Cwilder:
Deer will hit scrapes and licking branches all year long
I've seen small scrapes here and there but not like this. I'm thinking possibly because there's no snow on the ground. Here in NY, The ground here is usually still frozen and snow covered at this time of the year.
You may be right Sean. I Have heard some deer will use scrapes all year long but not at the same capacity they do during breeding. It sounds like you found breeding activity scrapes.
I think Chuck is correct, the wacky season this year allowed for some does to not be bred, this allowing some to come back into heat for a second, third and 4th time.
I have been hearing these reports nation wide so I doubt the DEC has that large of a role on it though. LOL
You are right Chuck, Mother Nature always wins. I think that every time I see a dilapidated old building with vines engulfing it and trees growing out of the roof.
I've been told their pedicles start to itch and quite irritable before shedding, hence the head shaking and rubbing before they actually shed..... :dunno:
I found a few scrapes last weekend here in SC as well.
I hope they aren't breeding 6 months after the rut, The fawns will have zero chance at survival when they are born in November/December this year.
Those are just whitetail newspapers your seeing.
QuoteOriginally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
I hope they aren't breeding 6 months after the rut, The fawns will have zero chance at survival when they are born in November/December this year.
Those are just whitetail newspapers your seeing.
I was thinking the same thing!! These are definetly breeding scrapes. I really think that's the case here!
I doubt they are breeding scrapes. The rut is based on the moon and sun. If they can breed 6 months late, they can breed all year. But they don't. Go out there and watch who uses them, bet it's all does and fawns talking back and forth. Not only that, but the bucks have all but lost their antlers and their hormones are not what they need to be to make a 6 month late rut happen.
I don't know bud..Grounds all tore up as well as if chasing. I spend a lot of time in the woods all year long I've Never seen this in 35 years of hunting and scouting . Ive seen bucks still carrying thier antlers as late as early April, but I've never seen this. I have s pic of a big scrape with what appears to be a freshly snapped branched over top. I'm going to keep messing with my photo bucket to see if I can get it to work.
I don't know what to make of'em:
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee393/seanb45/0ADFCFE5-145B-4D84-B736-4A830F2B5808_zpscdsyc8pb.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/seanb45/media/0ADFCFE5-145B-4D84-B736-4A830F2B5808_zpscdsyc8pb.jpg.html)
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee393/seanb45/7CFD89EC-2AA9-4642-829A-6A043FD29C45_zpswozxi1xm.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/seanb45/media/7CFD89EC-2AA9-4642-829A-6A043FD29C45_zpswozxi1xm.jpg.html)
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee393/seanb45/FAE16990-0D79-4B5D-8E02-495C0B997BE2_zpsxt846cv6.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/seanb45/media/FAE16990-0D79-4B5D-8E02-495C0B997BE2_zpsxt846cv6.jpg.html)
Well, you will know if you see pregnant does next archery season and brand new fawns in November and December.
Not rare, although not common to see active scrapes around here into March, and have too seen scrape lines with licking branches and all and I think they are made by the more mature bucks cause the ones I've run across were from big tracks, so if you find some in an area, good chance there might a dandy buck around the following season. I may be totally wrong, but always assumed a big guy survived in the area...
Some bucks are still in the mood and carrying antlers... Got two coming to the feeder behind the house still carrying both sides of their rack as of yesterday...
QuoteOriginally posted by Zbone:
Not rare, although not common to see active scrapes around here into March, and have too seen scrape lines with licking branches and all and I think they are made by the more mature bucks cause the ones I've run across were from big tracks, so if you find some in an area, good chance there might a dandy buck around the following season. I may be totally wrong, but always assumed a big guy survived in the area...
Some bucks are still in the mood and carrying antlers... Got two coming to the feeder behind the house still carrying both sides of their rack as of yesterday...
Well, I do have a slammer in this area. I followed the trail to a large bed about 50 yrds from my tree stand. The bed is in the middle of rubs like this. These were made in early November
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee393/seanb45/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/3077DB0F-1177-4F52-A6DB-2F94305E3A14_zpsouzzorxk.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/seanb45/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/3077DB0F-1177-4F52-A6DB-2F94305E3A14_zpsouzzorxk.jpg.html)
Yeah, late scrapes are good indication something mature is still alive... In these late active scrapes, happen to notice the size of track?
QuoteOriginally posted by Zbone:
Yeah, late scrapes are good indication something mature is still alive... In these late active scrapes, happen to notice the size of track?
I did, but didn't get a close up. A very large hoof print. The bed was very big too.
If there are unmated does they will keep coming back into heat every 28 days until they are mated. I was in Cades Code, in the Great Smoky Mountains a few years ago the 2 dominant bucks still had their antlers and were actively chasing does. This was in March. All the other bucks had lost their antlers and didn't seem interested in the hot does at all.
This is generally a sign of an unbalanced buck/doe ratio.
See a fully crowned mature buck chasing a doe midday on April 13, in NE Ohio one year in full blow rutting style... Had to pinch myself, would have thought it was November... Late breeding and late fawns, especially in northern climates are a complex issue and doesn't necessarily mean unbalanced ratio as maybe it would in the south, but that's a whole nother can of worms...
I found fresh scrapes today also. Several of them in the same 1 1/2 acre field.
I would be curious enough to throw up a trail camera.
I need a new card!!!
I remember an article Roger Rothaar wrote about late winter rutting activity.
The season has been crazy this winter, we were finding fall mushrooms in December, mmmm good!
Might not be whitetail that is true. :campfire: :coffee:
I don't believe we always have the answers about nature!
Saw a decent 8 point last week on the way to work.
Turkey scratchings :goldtooth:
Nope, they were definitely whitetail scrapes. Each had a chewed twisted branch over it. All in the middle of a trail leading to a huge bed. Going to go out in the morning shed hunt a little more.
May have been a mouse digging for food Sean ;) :p
I found a few old scrapes last weekend but nothing fresh. Have you checked on yours recently?
I've seen spotted fawns a bunch of times in December. I just figured it was a southern thing.....
It is a southern thing. Your rut is much later than ours, so it stands to reason you would see spots in December. Our fawns should be born in May for the most part with most having few faint spots come October. Now if does get bred in March up here they wont drop until September or later. Those fawns wouldn't stand a chance. Momma would ditch them in 1-2 months when she came into heat again. What a mess! Not always, but often overpopulation is to blame for long/late ruts.
Saw a 4pt about a week and a half ago still had both atlers. Very unusual for mid March in the southern zone.
"if does get bred in March up here they wont drop until September or later. Those fawns wouldn't stand a chance."
Not exactly true, depends on the severity of the winter weather, available food sources, etc., etc... Although uncommon, have seen pix of NORTHERN spotted fawn photos in winter snow as far north as Minnesota, Upstate NY, Ohio, and I think I may even have a winter photo of a spotted fawn in Canada... Mild El Nino winters such as this year, there may be good chance of some surviving...