do elk make a scrape
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Pete
09-Sep-18
Do elk make a scrape like a whitetail except no licking branche
From: Ermine
09-Sep-18
No not in my experience. They will thrash trees and wallow and tear ground up. But they don’t make scrapes that they come back to and check
From: Pete
09-Sep-18
My son sent me a picture, it sure looks like a scrape, I am to dumb to insert the picturer but I could it email to some one if they would.
From: Dyjack
09-Sep-18
They'll rub their faces and antlers all over a tree while tearing up the ground underneath. But they dont actually come back around for that exact spot unless there is a wallow or it's on a path they take. They just like to tear stuff up. I've found once the rut starts the only thing that's certain is water and cows.
Bear will also do this. They'll rub all over a tree and tear the ground up.
From: Billyvanness
09-Sep-18
I just found where a bull completely tilled a 6 ft diameter area and peed everywhere. Truly looks like it was rototilled for a garden and stinks oh so good. I’ll take a pic next time through
From: Paul@thefort
09-Sep-18
I have seen a few dry wallows, ie, without any water.
From: Willieboat
09-Sep-18
They will definitely make dry wallows....have seen them in all the different places i have hunted. They kinda look like scrape...on steroids ;)
From: Bowriter
09-Sep-18
Elk are herd/harem animals as opposed to whitetails who breed one animal at a time. For that reason, although they certainly can and perhaps at times may scrape, it is not normal breeding/rut related behavior. It may happen incidentally in rubbing or thrashing trees but bulls are highly unlikely to re-visit a scrape.
From: bowbender77
09-Sep-18
Nope !
From: AndyJ
09-Sep-18
I’m not going to say no. I’ve seen what I bet you are talking about on several occasions and I have no other way of describing them than scrapes. They are always dry circles, four to six feet in diameter with distinct tine marks and reeking of urine. They are also different than dry wallows. I think it would be foolish to say we know everything about elk behavior. If they will visit the same bedding area or wallow, there is no reason to think they won’t also use a scrape.
From: Brian M.
10-Sep-18
Being from the east, I know nothing about elk, unfortunately. I would put a camera on it and see what happens. Worst case, nothing shows up.
From: APauls
10-Sep-18
I've seen these "dry scrapes" in Manitoba. Crazy thing is I've never seen, nor has anyone I know - ever seen a "traditional" wallow here. Keep in mind you can't walk 500 yards in any direction without hitting a swamp or lake or water. Very different than Rocky mountains.
From: WapitiBob
10-Sep-18
I've seen what I call bugle points, mostly on the point of ridges, just like andy described above. I've also seen dry wallows, which are different as they are made in soft dusty dirt and not positioned on an overlook.
From: Franklin
10-Sep-18
A "scrape" made by any animal is just a way of communicating. So yes.... Elk do make "scrapes".
From: BigOzzie
10-Sep-18
I'm with bowriter on this one. They make make a "Scrape" by tearing up the ground during rut activity, but will not be used and visited like a whitetail scrape. The Whitetail scrape is for locating hot does. The elk in theory has his cows with him and is waiting for them to go into estrus, so he doesn't have to locate them just monitor them.
I have noticed a pattern of bulls trying to round up cows prerut. The area I live in is not good elk country, and therefore bulls may have to search for a heard of cows, I have seen a satellite bull wander through an area as if he is looking for cows, that would be the only time I would expect to see a scrape, but very doubtful.
oz
From: Franklin
10-Sep-18
What about "territorial scrapes"? Not all scrapes are breeding scrapes.
From: kakiat kid
10-Sep-18
How about Mule Deer? I'm an East Coaster....just curious?
From: wytex
10-Sep-18
Might have been a moose scrape. Was it in the forest? Moose will make a large scrape during the rut.
