Knowing how, where, when and why scrapes are made won't guarantee hunting success, but the knowledge could help put you in the right place at the right time. Here, we'll discuss what scientists have learned about this intriguing behavior-a subject the hunting media has abused beyond belief.
Scrapes are complex signposts that attract all deer.
The exact secretions deposited are unknown but likely come from the forehead glands, preorbital glands, nasal glands or saliva. Researchers speculate that marking the overhanging branch conveys individual identity and presence, while pawing signifies aggression. Urine deposits relay social or physiological status to other bucks and does. Most scrapes are made in the fall. Since scrape-making is an innate trait that improves with experience, the amount and pattern of scraping in any given area is determined by the number of older bucks present.