I hunt 3 acres of my neighbors property that backs up to my backyard. Last Saturday I just walked out there to look around. I stayed at the edge and looked down the hill. After a few minutes I saw a smallish buck chasing a doe. I'm pretty sure I killed that buck (2 1/2 year old 8 pt) the next morning. I shot him from the ground behind a large felled tree, a place I've never sat before. There are 2 ladder stands and I almost always sit in the lower stand. This afternoon I sat in that stand. I'd been there for about 10 min before I noticed 3 fresh "scrapes" all within 30 yds of the stand. In the 3 years I've hunted from this stand I have never found a scrape anywhere within eyesight of this stand. So I'm sitting there thinking this is very odd, partly because I've never seen scrapes there or anywhere near and partly because I'm thinking that if we're at the point that bucks are chasing does then I really shouldn't be seeing fresh scrapes anywhere. Am I wrong about that?

Ok possible explanations that I can think of:

1. My first thought was that I created a buck "vacancy" when I killed the 8 pt. and a new buck showed up and was simply advertising his arrival even though we're at the stage we are at. It's all new to him and he's got to get the word out. This stand is located at one of the main entrances to a bedding area so it's not, at least to me, completely implausible.

2. Somebody's (maybe some of beadlescomb's kin) messing with me. I don't know who it would possibly be since this is not a club although 2 other people who I've never met have permission to hunt there.

I took a stick when I got down and raked some leaves over a couple of them to see if they're uncovered in the morning. It's all just very odd to me. If the stand were not located at the entrance to a bedding area I would swear it was a scam and it may be but why would someone do that? I mean it's 3 whole acres with 2 stands! What would be the point? I live there and I know there are deer there otherwise I wouldn't waste my time.

Will bucks make scrapes when they move into new territory regardless of the stage of the rut?

It has been my experience that at the tail end of the rut the bucks will start scraping again. Just what i've noticed where I hunt.

Put a camera out and you will know.

2.5 year olds chase does, days before the actual rut exist.

I think your're putting too much thought into this. Deer of all ages make scrapes and not just prior to the rut. I watched a spike make a nice scrape Saturday morning. Multiple deer will use the same scrape as well.

3 people have permission to hunt 3 acres?

Trying to keep dues down

Low pressure club. Seriously op just piss in those scrapes they'll dig to the roots looking for the sum buck trying to get thier nannies

Youre way overthinking it. Yes, they still scrape all the time. They scrape when the urge strikes. If you think youve got deer figured out, you better not try turkeys.

Don't does scrape too?

That's what I was thinking!!!!

Yeah I know! It's fine though. The owner doesn't hunt but has a couple of friends that do. I actually asked for permission because I was hunting it before he was the owner. It's not really a primary location for me but it's nice when you get home from work at 4:00 and all you have to do is walk out back. This has been the arrangement for 3 years now and I've yet to walk in on anybody and I'm told that we have all killed deer here. It really doesn't get hunted that much but the rut is on here now so ...

Helluva club to be in. How many y'all kill a year off it?

My son got his first bow kill 4 days after opening day last year. 165 lb. 8 pt. and I killed a doe last year. I'm told one of the other people brought a young girl and she killed her first deer, another 8 pt. last year. The other guy killed something I think but I don't remember what. I killed a 145 lb, 2 1/2 year old 8pt. a week ago. I don't know if anybody else has killed anything this year and have only seen another truck parked once or twice this year. On the bow opener last year I had 15 deer in the field at one time and didn't kill any of them. No giants here but I can usually get the freezer filled which is good because my season has been pretty tough this year.

There is no club though. Just 3 people who have permission to hunt on a postage stamp. It's worked out so far.

Sounds like a good 3 acres. When the rut heats up, and a buck encounters another buck or doe, I've seen em make scrapes in an open field with no limbs just out of pure aggression.

I think y'all need to burn the woods and get on a QDMA program and pull jawbones, kill more does, and create a sanctuary.