Early Rutting Signs?
Wisconsin
I'll admit I haven't been out hunting other than one time so far this year. However, I have been out in the woods on our property as well as some others (real estate) and I'm seeing lots of scrapes. The other day I went to my wife's uncle's place and I pulled my camera. He just moved here and bought a house on 40 acres and I was curious as to what was out there. Here's this damn nice buck grunting at a doe. Yesterday I checked one of my cameras and saw 6 different bucks hit the same scrape. Just thought it was a bit early for that much activity.
I' have scrapes all over by me. But I see this every year. I wouldn't think of it that way just yet.
Just got permission for a new piece of property and was out scouting and found a bunch of rubs like ten to fifteen in about a hundred yard radius.. do you think that is from shedding velvet?
Grizz this is what they do. It's for many reasons. like strengthening their necks or simply marking scent. This time of year you find that type of sign mostly near their bedding area. So be careful walking around this time of year.
Thanks nocturnal the trees he rubbed on were shredded
Grizz I'm not sure the experience you have with reading rubs. Since your not there atm. You'll have to visualize which side most the rubs were on. They usually mark them accordingly. Meaning was he going to the food or going to bed? So you'll know your best chance in that spot would be either morning or night. You finding that much sign, has me excited for you. Setting up on rub sign like this, and this early is a great way to tag out on a big buck before the rut kicks. Good luck
Scrapes just started showing up this weekend on my property in Polk County.
From Wednesday until today, I went from 2 known scrapes to close to two dozen. Including one made at 11am today, while I went down a trail on my atv. Came back 25 minutes later, and brand new scrape right in the middle of the trail, with the urine still settling into the dirt on top. This was about 100 yards from where a hunter saw a droptine buck last night near last light.
2 dozen scrapes? That's interesting! Not saying your bluffing at all. Maybe this year will be early?
Nocturnal ..... I'm blessed to own and hunt over 700 acres, that has an extensive ATV and logging trail system thruout it.
Hunting this land for over 30 years, I know where the historic scrape sights are, and as usual, they are popping up, and easy to find.
I also spent this past weekend scounting out three locations on the property that we haven't hunted much over the years, and while doing that, found a couple scrapes "off the beaten path".
But again, as off last weekend, I had found ZERO scrapes, it was only on Wednesday, that I found the first one.
Now, once I find a good one, I will freshen it up, and try to hang a camera on it. Thus the following pictures showing scrapes.
I should have a lot more pictures next week, since I just moved my cameras over scrapes on Saturday and Sunday.
Just realized that the date in my first picture is showing January 2012, this is an error, and was really taken sometime between Wednesday of last week, and Sunday morning.
I sometimes forget to double check the dates are correct when I place the cameras. Plus I have a few older cameras, that the internal clock/calendar does not work. and the time/date stamp can't be corrected. But since they still take pics, I continue to use them.
Very nice dampland. So many people are talking about scrapes showing up and never seeing it this early has me scratching my head a bit. I've always had this but am fortunate to hunt great properties. What county are you in? Some nice deer you have.
I'm in Polk County. Large tracts of private land bordering on 3 sides (80 acres to 550 acres )
and thousands of acres of Public land bordering the 4th property line, that is very thick due to clear cutting a decade ago.
I don't have a picture of this buck on a scrape yet, but for now, this is my "target" buck for the season.
As soon as the buck turn hard horned, they started getting aggressive. I believe the rut happens the same time per latitude every year no matter what.
