Multiple scrape sign question?.............

[Sharptop]

I have a spot where I had a feeder, trying to get deer into an area that now has 5 large fresh scrapes around it. Our trickle rut is bound to be getting underway. It is now legal to hunt but I am wondering if this is from one buck or several. I have never seen anything like this. Left my game-cam and will be a few before I can set it up. Fom your experience what does this amount to? One hot buck or several?

[Balding Kansan]

Sharp, it has been my experience that multiple scrapes haphazardly placed in a concentrated area normally come from a very bored, very young buck. I could be way off here but just my observations. A big dude will put some thought into where he scrapes.

[crotch horn]

Scrapes are funny but it is most likely one buck at first. Others should join in as the fun picks up. Camera won't lie.

[xtrema312]

Fresh scrapes that showed up all at once could be one deer, but that is a guess.  The fact that they are large would lead me to think it is more than one if they got big fast.  I have not seen a single deer make a maltiple large scrape right off.  Usually they gain size with use.

I have one that is a small yearly scrape turn into a cluster one week when I checked it.  I put a trail cam on it and got pic's of about 12-15 different bucks in two weeks.

[Bonebuster]

If the area has had scrapes in years past, it`s probably some very valuable sign.

Scrapes can suddenly appear, and really get you excited, and then turn out to be a huge dissappointment. This is the value of being familiar with your hunting grounds.

Up here in Michigan, I know areas where the deer prefer to make scrapes, and they show up every year. However, after years of frustration, a trail camera showed me, that daylight use of scrapes by bucks is very rare. (around me anyway)

In addition, my cameras taught me, that once the majority of the does start coming into heat, the scrapes are almost totally abandoned for a few weeks. The opening of our firearms season changes deer activity, and when its over 85-90% of our bucks are gone. The ones left are in survival mode.

[Bowwild]

Lots of research on scrapes.  They will often be used by many different bucks, not just the originator.

[rnharris]

a young motivated buck can move lot's of earth in a few minutes i have seen it lot's of times i do pay attention to deep pawed out scrapes that stay fresh and have fresh coming and going tracks i like to look in them for fresh tracks bucks will walk thru them and if you are patient you can see what's using the area good luck!

[rolltidehunter]

i had a camera over a scrape 2 weeks ago. my camera picked up three diffrent buck in it. one spike one small 8pt and one nice 8pt.