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It wasn't but just about 15-years ago, we began to see a proliferation of the term boundary scrapes written by supposed "experts" in the field of whitetail deer. They said these indicated the boundary of a buck's territory. We heard everybody saying, "I found a line of a buck's boundary scrapes. I set up on his boundary scrapes."

Just 15-years ago.

A few of us just kinda leaned back and smiled. We knew that first of all, bucks don't have any such thing as a boundary scrape because they don't have anything to make a boundary of. They aren't territorial to that extent. Radio collar tracking told us that many years ago.

Today we never hear that term expcept by some entry level hunter who found an old magazine to read.

Stop and think, some of you older guys and gals, and see how many myths have been exploded since you started hunting. Somewhere up in the Northeast, I still have a guy convinced the only true way to tell a deer's age is to cut the right front leg off and count the rings in the shinbone.

And deer do Do Look Up. Bet you didn't know that. :wink:

 

[Hunting Man]

As we have digested, the spike gene theory has just about gone away too. How the sign post rub. This to me has some merit as I tend to locate them in very specific areas that just say hey this is my mark. How about does intentially send out the yearlings first when entering a feeding area??? Tracks, this is one area that I still cannot 100% say what made them. I know all the books say this and that but a big heavy doe makes some big tracks too. Knowing where the pee marks fall in the snow will give you some idea but... This one came from like the 50's deer only travel into the wind, not! Just some random thoughts.

 

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I firmly believe in signpost rubs as do most biologists. As for tracks, there is one sure way to tell what made them-see the deer standing in them.

How about this one. A wounded deer will always travel downhill. Or, a wounded deer will always have their tail down.

 

[BruceBruce1959]

Or, wounded deer always head to water and Doe's will ALWAYS guide a Buck across an open field by surrounding him, making it impossible to shoot at him.

 

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One of tyhe best...human urine spooks deer.

 

[BruceBruce1959]

another good one, "that's a 6 foot fence deer cant jump that high."

 

[tomlightfield]

I was gonna chime in on this but you guys already got it covered REAL WELL!! However in regard to a rub line, not a scrape line, one time and only one time, many years ago, I found a bunch of rubs in the 20 acre patch of woods I hunted at the time and they were pretty much in a fairly straight line and did go from a food source to a bedding area. This was just before season came in, and sure as heck on opening morning I watched a really nice buck make a big circle downwind then come in the timber and he followed that rub line all the way through the timber. My stand was a little too far and the woods a little too thick there and I didn't get to kill him, but I got to see something really cool happen. Scribe, I believe I saw in a post that you are a biologist?? I have a theory on why deer like to run WITH THE WIND-I think they can see pretty much what's in front of them, and with the wind at their backs they can smell what's comin' behind them. What do you think??

 

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Regarding rub lines: They can be a tremendous source of information. They are one of the prime things I look for when post-season scouting. I especially look for the ones in the thickest stuff around. That may be a place to ambush the big boy.

Regarding scrape lines: I don't know that there is any such thing. Sure, you can find scrapes in a line but usually they are made by different bucks or groups of bucks and mean very little.

However, when you find scrapes in numbers, it is usually an indicator you have some mature bucks in your territory. Although scrapes are used by multiple bucks, the more mature bucks you have, the more scrapes you will have. Unfortunately, 85% of the scraping activity is nocturnal. I believe 99.9% of the activity by a mature buck is nocturnal. I have two scrapes on one piece of property that are open and "worked" throughout the entire year. The activity peaks a week or so before the rut peaks, then drops off. But those scrapes are "used" all year. Even the does use them for communication. One of the scrapes is larger than the hood on my truck. I have never had any indicati0on a buck older then 2.5 has ever been close to either of them.

Now all of that is based on sound research and factual information. But how about this widely believed myth.

A doe unrinates down her legs and into a scrape and walks off. The buck comes along, picks up her scent at the scrape and follows her.

That myth has always made me wonder just how it is that a hunter can believe a "scrape dripper" can be of any value. Yet, a lot of them are sold. Here is a way to make one for nothing.

Fill a plastic bottle with your own urine. Jam a heavy rag in the opening. Tape a piece of wire to the bottom and hang it over a scrape. I promise, it will work as well any one you can buy.

 

[Hunting Man]

I'm a big time scrape line believer and because I hunt the PA rut in bow season I've learned that locating a scrape line is usually very productive. Another old wives tale, hit deer always circle to the left before expiring. I don't see giant scrapes but certain scrapes appear every year in the same place. False scrapes and doe in heat scent wicks do work during the rut.

 

[scribe]

I'm a big time scrape line believer and because I hunt the PA rut in bow season I've learned that locating a scrape line is usually very productive. Another old wives tale, hit deer always circle to the left before expiring. I don't see giant scrapes but certain scrapes appear every year in the same place. False scrapes and doe in heat scent wicks do work during the rut.

You can save some money by just using your own urine. Works as well as anything on the market. I have started all my mock scrapes with my own urine for 20-years. Easy to carry and easy to refill, too. :shocking:

 

[Crawdaddy]

You guys have deer pretty much covered. An ex in law swears that a snake doesnt die until sun down. go figure.

 

[scribe]

Shoot man, we've just touched the surface. How about the myth, a buck loses his antlers every year. Yeah, sure, who believes that crock? I do know, because a registered Maine guide told me, that you can tell the difference between a buck and doe's scat by the taste. The buck's is more bitter.

:whistling:

 

[rdrader2002]

"That you can tell the difference between a buck and doe's scat by the taste. The buck's is more bitter."

I'll just have to take your word for that one. I'm certainly going to try to tell the difference.

Not that way, anyway.

RR

 

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