CJ_Hoyt4Me

I just read the book "Agressive Whitetail Hunting" by Greg Miller, a respected authority on bowhunting whitetails. In his book he notes that scrapes have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with buck-doe breeding. He says they are a buck thing only, like dogs pissing on bushes and fire hydrants. At first I thought he was crazy, but after reading his argument, I now believe he is correct. I always assumed the age-old theory of "buck makes scrape, doe in estrous visits scrape, buck vists doe". I no longer wonder why my mock scrapes never worked in the past...

Anyone else believe this theory or read this book? I think it is a must-read for any serious trophy hunter.

MO_Bowhnter

Bucks use scrapes to identify their territory. The only thing they really have to do with breeding is attempting to keep other bucks out of their area. Bucks will sometimes visits scrapes but usually they make them and move on.

Blodg

I am somewhat a collector of bowhunting books and I do have that book by Greg Miller. I also have the original book that started it all by Gene Wensel, I think it is called Rutting Whitetails. This book was the first to designate "primary" and "secondary" scrapes and suggest the notion that the bucks put out the scrapes for the does to visit when they are ready to breed. Even Wensel himself admits that he has learned a lot since writing that book 20 some years ago and I don't think he makes the same claim today.

I tend to agree that a scrape is not for breeding but is more of a territory thing or even a social thing. I do not agree that it is a buck only thing because I have seen does visit scrapes and work the overhead branch. I have not personally seen a doe scrape the ground but I have credible buddies who have. I have a trail cam pointing at a scrape and have many pics of a doe working the overhead branch, I even have several pics where she was standing on her back legs in order to better reach it:


And one last think to consider is how the bucks chase the does during the rut. We have seen the young ones chasing the does all over the woods with his nose in her butt the whole time. These young bucks can not tell that she is not ready to stand yet, all he knows is he wants some. Normally the more mature bucks will be moving through with a purpose while scent checking the ground or he may be hanging with a doe that is in heat. After witnessing the above activities during the rut the last thing I believe is that a buck will make a scrape and then wait for a doe to visit it for him to know she is in heat. During the rut the bucks are on the move and they pursue the does, not the other way around.

mrlizzzard

Should I or shouldn't I?Bought a buck target,got a rubline and a big ole buck usin it daily.It's after gun season.Should I put the buck in his area?He has fooled me so many times.Woulld this work so late in the yr?Or should I not disturb the area?