BIG BOYS ARE DIFFERENT
As a buck matures and reaches the age of 4 1/2 or older, he by now has learned a lot about the breeding ritual and how deer, and particularly does, travel through their territory. Mature bucks will make scrapes in a particular location for a purpose. They'll make scrapes in the same locations that you'd hunt if your purpose were to shoot as many does as possible. They'll place scrapes where two or more doe trails cross, at funnels where many does pass through, in feeding areas and anywhere else does might congregate.

Mature bucks don't have to be filled with testosterone before they start scraping. They no longer are working from instinct alone. They know what is coming. The most dominant buck in the area will start scraping early to let the does know that he is still around and available. It might surprise some hunters to discover just how early in the fall a mature buck will make a scrape.

On Aug. 14, 2007, I was scouting in central Tennessee for a stand location to hunt a 5 1/2-year-old 8-pointer that I had named Mountain Mike. (See the July and August issues for the complete story about my hunt for Mountain Mike). I'd been keeping tabs on this buck for three years. I found a large breeding scrape that he had been working for at least a week. The scrape was 7 feet across and 10 feet long. The scrape was located about 100 yards from Mike's bedding thicket. It was also located within 20 yards of a woods pond.

At that time, Mountain Mike was still in full velvet. It was very hot and dry and we were in the middle of a severe drought. The streams had dried up and all of the deer in this location were watering at the pond. With all the local does using the waterhole, there was no better spot for Mike to make a scrape than here. Several months later when the does started coming in heat, they'd all remember where Mike's scrape was located.

A SCRAPE WITH A PURPOSE
Made by mature bucks, these "breeding scrapes" (or whatever you choose to call them) are made in strategic locations and will receive plenty of attention just before and during the time that the older does start coming into heat and using them. However, you must set up on them at the right time. These scrapes will not be productive places to hunt all through­out the rut. You must hunt them during that short window when the rut urge has moved a mature buck from his nocturnal pattern to being out during daylight, just before the majority of does come into heat.

I believe a mature buck's main purpose for making scrapes is to find that first old doe that is receptive. He has been waiting all year and if he has reached dominance, it is his desire and right to breed with the first doe in heat. Does, particularly old does, want to breed with mature bucks. When the majority of does come in heat, a mature buck's scrapes will be abandoned because of the availability of hot does. However, when things start slowing down, or when he is between does, he may start revisiting his scrapes. These scrapes will be large -- often 3 to 8 feet in length.

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