Never saw this in person before. First weekend in November I watched a young buck paw an already open scrape, and then stand on his hind legs and rub his head on some branches above the scrape. He urinated as well. The scrape was very close to a doe bedding area.
Next weekend from another stand I watched the same scrape area as about 9 does/fawns were pushed out of this bedding area into another area a couple hundred yards away. About 20 minutes later one of the big does comes back and stands by the scrape. Almost immediately a mature buck I did not even know was there comes over and mounts her! After doing the deed rather quickly, they left in almost the exact opposite direction the other does travelled. I have never witnessed a doe/buck scrape interaction before!
Anyone else see something new to them this season? Also curious if anyone else has witnessed something similar.
I saw something interesting on the evening of the 13th. Chalked it up to lockdown. Had a doe standing on a scrape for an hour with her tail straight out....I assumed something good would happen but apparently no bucks were available to give her what she needed.
I have observed several bucks work scrapes thru the years, but this was the first time I witnessed a doe at one waiting. Her angle prevented me from seeing her tail, but I bet it was up.
Jason, though I probably do not spend the time you do outdoors, I am your senior by 22 years and this was my first time ever! It occurred just like one would read in a magazine. And this was a scrape in the woods, not on the field’s edge. That probably made a big difference.
In western KS this year, I watched an immature golden eagle run off a coyote. I think there was a cow carcass in the grass I couldn’t see. The eagle would fly 10-15 ft off the ground and dive bomb the coyote. The coyote would see the eagle approaching and jump as high as he could at the eagle. Coyote finally trots off and the eagle lands on the ground where it all started. It was in a cow pasture with 3ft tall native grass. Likely there was a cow carcass and the eagle was running the coyote off. Pretty cool and entertaining.
