You found a big coyote turd in one of them?? :confused: I got in my stand this morning and noticed that the scrapes I'd been hunting over hadn't been freshened in a while. When I climbed down, I saw what I thought was a dead critter laying in one of the scrapes. As I looked closer, It was a huge coyote turd!!! I could move to another stand, but this stand has produced for me year after year. In 12 years of hunting this stand, there's been scrapes under this same beech tree every year. What do you all think??
I see coyotes on cameras a lot near scrapes. It is a signpost for everything. That is why you see so many other critters: coons, 'possums etc at scrapes.
Personally when the rut heats up I don't worry about scrapes too much. I hunt the edge of bedding cover where I know does are. Bucks once they are tending kinda ignore scrapes IMO until the does first cycle is bred. I find a lot of scrapes in December reworked as I think the boys are still ready and the girls are all done. Good luck!
Ok Sean, Sounds STUPID but.....
Kick the turd out of it, and take a good long leak in it!!!!! Then, climb up in your stand & hunt!!!
Trust me on this..... :thumbsup:
I'm with woodchucker on this one. Exactly what I would do.
I seriously doubt that it would be a problem. He had to go somewhere. I'd hunt it, unless I had other reasons to think the deer patterns have changed.
got to relate a study i did with my trail cam years ago. i wanted to see if peein'g in a scrape really worked. i had a 6 point on trail can over a scrape. i pee'd in it and he refreshed it 2 days latter. well i pee'd in it like 6 or 7 times and with in a few days he always refreshed it, all on video i might add. i took my 2 Newfoundland dogs with me one day and let both them pee in it, he NEVER came back to that scrape but i had him on trail cam in the same are of it. hope the yote poo does not have that effect....
Some good suggestions, but I need to add that this is about a 140" buck 5 1/2 year old buck. I found his rub line about 150 yrds away that runs along the edge of a ridge. oh decisions decisions.....
I have trailcam picks of coyotes, cats, dogs, raccoons, and deer all using the same scrapes. Seen coyotes urinate in a scrape then it's partner comes up and takes a dump, an hour later buck comes right in sniffs around works the licking branch pee's in the scrape and leaves.
I think we over think a lot of stuff if the turd bothers you pick it up and get rid of it. Good luck!
Tracy
I called a a big fluffy yote to with in ten feet with my deer call before the snow. He came in like lightening on my wrong side, so no shot. Later, the dirty bugger was harassing a fawn out in the field. I sacrificed a blunt on a long shot to scare it off. The coyotes in one big pack have totally pushed deer off of one set of woods. One or two will be an annoyance, an agressive pack will move deer.
I would judge the scrape by how fresh the deer sign is. People get hung up on scrapes when a deer may never visit the area again. Focus on fresh sign.
Good Luck Sean! Sounds like you have had twice the hunting in this years as you did the last 2 years combined! :wavey: