Did some scouting at Cahaba WMA today and found a trail in some hardwoods with a ton of fresh rubs as well as scrapes all along it. I know the bucks will make rubs this time of year to get the velvet off their antlers but I have never seen scrapes this early in the season. Do many of you see scrapes this early? Needless to say I will be hunting this spot regularly.

Yep, see them often, nothing to get exited about this early. Bucks don't have to rub velvet off. They rub and scrape now because their testosterone levels rise, they are ready to breed, but the does aren't.

Some places have earlier ruts than the rest of the state. Not sure if that is one such area. Its not uncommon though to see some early rubbing and scraping even in places with a Jan rut. I think the bucks may just start feeling frisky right after they shed their velvet. Maybe its a small spike in testosterone.

I have done very very well hunting sign just like that the first week of season. If you can find a place with lots of rubs and scrapes early season, you can't beat it in my opinion. Its my favorite part of the year.

That's what I am hoping for. Maybe catch him working the trail one evening early in the season before all the pressure makes him nocturnal again.

Found 2 at my farm today but my deer herd ruts early November anyway.

I found a huge one at cahaba last week as well.

I always liked finding early scrapes even more so than rubs.

Can't recall where I heard it, but I remember someone saying that when you find preseason scrapes, you're probably seeing the sign of one of the bigger bucks in an area. Hang a dripper filled with buck urine over it, hang a camera, and see if you don't get proven right on it.

I still sometimes wish I was closer to Cahaba WMA. My 4 years of hunting it while I was at Samford were fun even though I never killed a big deer there. I didn't see many does but I saw several nice bucks and lots of buck sign. I miss that place.

NO DEER ON CAHABA , NOTHING TO SEE THERE. MOVE ALONG

I had pictures of several 8 to 10 points last week that were all either fresh shed or had velvet hanging on their racks.

Knowing my luck I probably stumbled on some mock scrapes Pea Ridge made.

don't be in my sanctuary

Technically the rut starts when the deer shed their velvet and last until they drop their antlers. I've been watching a very small 6pt on a rub line for almost a month. Its a rub line that deer use every year and this year it was being worked heavily and all I could think of was that this is a huge buck!! Set up 2 cameras and every day at different times I get the normal doe clan passing by and the small 6 along with 4-5 other 2yo bucks. I know I built this sanctuary!

Piddling in the sanctuary.