Found a scrape this morning that was very fresh,the strange thing was no tree near it at all.Anybody ever see this before?

I'm fairly certain I saw one a couple weeks back.  I'm in NW FL--was still hunting a logging road bordered by slough/scrub on both sides and came up on 3 does, got within 40 yds but they made me before i could get a shot and did the old snort n run.  walked up to near where they had been standing, saw the scrape on the ground and said to myself "oh so that's whey they were checking out.  it was pretty distinct so i don't think it was something else, like hog rut or whatnot.

QuoteOriginally posted by 3Feathers:
Found a scrape this morning that was very fresh,the strange thing was no tree near it at all.Anybody ever see this before?

Yes. Several primary scrapes on my hunting land with no branch.

I have a camera up on one with a branch. In some of the pics I could just make out bucks in the field at the same spot each time. I walked out today to get the card from the camera and found a huge scrape 50' out in the middle of the field. It is straight North of the edge scrape my camera is on.

I think the ones that do not have a licking branch are normally made by what I guess I would call sexually frustrated bucks.  I have seen bucks paw the ground but never use a licking branch when they are trying to intimidate another buck or when they are trying to look "cool" in front of the ladies.  
   After observing this I tried it in an outdoor beer garden with a bunch of girls around.  Nobody thought much of it when I scraped the dirt but NONE of the girls were impressed when I peed down my leg.

Try the other leg Jon!  LOL!

I have had bucks scrape the ground when interacting with my decoy.  I would assume something very similar to what jon said is what is going on.

There is a section of logging road on my property that occasionally gets a rub.  Happens along one particular 50 ft stretch.  It's in the middle of a 100 yard fairly level straight-away I use for shooting my blackpowder firearms.  Not every year, but I have seen a buck working it.  One theory is that it provides an easily seen scrape area when approaching from either direction.  

I also wonder if sometimes just a spot where a doe in estrus has relieved herself gets a rub started?

QuoteOriginally posted by jonsimoneau:
 After observing this I tried it in an outdoor beer garden with a bunch of girls around.  Nobody thought much of it when I scraped the dirt but NONE of the girls were impressed when I peed down my leg.

They notice how far down your pantleg the wet spot starts.    

HA!

Wow boys, I do not even know what to say on this one.    

See them all the time, when I see them at all. You don't have to have an over hanging branch or limb.

could of been mock scrape by another hunter

Yes, bucks will make a scrape or rub a tree any time they get a little frustrated or just to mark thier teritory. A true breeding scrape will have a licking branch, be bigger than the random scrapes marking thier area, and will have a couple of smaller satelite scrapes within a few feet of the main one.