Rubs and Scrapes

[Jbunge15]

I have been scouting my hunting properties and tracks and trail camera pictures are all i have to go off of. I have been told that you can start seeing rubs and scrapes as early as mid September. I want to make sure that this is true and i want to hear your input on this topic. Has anyone started seeing rubs or scrapes on their properties?

[jmp51483]

Kind of depends on where you are... but you will definitely start seeing rubs as it gets into September / October, this is when they start to lose their velvet. So these rubs are more of necessary rubs rather than territorial rubs... As far as scrapes are concerned, I usually don't start seeing those until the October months when the beginning of the rut starts, when I say beginning I mean when the Bucks breakup from their bachelor groups and start claiming their areas.

Hope this helps you, let me know if you have more questions.

[DouglasSpear]

I typically start seeing rubs by mid to late September and early October. Then by mid October I start seeing scrapes. When you start seeing scrapes, it's on! It can fluctuate though with the weather. When you are consistently having cooler days and chilly nights, that's usually what kicks things into gear.

[Jbunge15]

Thanks i really appreciate all the help. I will have to keep my eye out for rubs and scrapes a lot here in the next few weeks then. Good luck to you on your hunting seasons.

[WvMuzzyman]

If you are finding rubs in october and november then those rubs were of coursed just made and this is a good sign. That means that he is marking his core area and he's feeling the testosterone. I get uber excited when I start seeing big scrapes. If u come across on of these in the mid october to early november, this is the hotspot. Hang a camera over it and I bet u'll be getting pics of the big boy that made that scrape!!! So, rubs and scrapes are both good but some of those rubs were made a while agho and dont say much. But fresh scrapes are dynomite. Set up downwind of the stinky scrape!!!