Couple of things. How in the heck do ya'll know if it was a doe or buck that pooped in a scrape? That's all new info to me. Deer of both sexes pee near or in scrapes. The pooping part is new to me. I've seen deer poop near scrapes during random occurrences, but poop is generally not used as a marking indicator in deer, or so I have always thought. They poop after leaving their bed and where they feed. This would be totally new info to me. Can y'all tell this is the first I've ever read that?
Also, the phase of the moon is in no way correlated with the timing of the rut. Does are genetically programmed to come into estrous about the same time period each year. Several studies have completely thrown out the moon phase/rut timing theory. Moon phase may very well have a slight impact on the timing of deer movement and feeding patterns, but not the timing of estrous.
I don't hunt buck sign much. It's been a futile endeavor for the last couple of decades. Only exception is finding clusters of rubs/scrapes in or near very thick cover.
I'm glad you chimed in. I was hoping you would. Being the novice, I would not presume to argue with the biologist, however, I have personally observed doe droppings in fresh scrapes. I can't tell you where I got the idea that this was a doe signaling a buck to come find her because I can't remember. Has anyone ever observed a doe visiting a scrape?
As for the difference between doe and buck droppings, and again I don't remember where I got this, it's my understanding that doe pellets are smaller and are found in a loose pile and that buck pellets are larger and will usually be stuck together or clumped. This is generally what I see in the woods but I haven't yet been able to watch a buck crap so I can run up as soon as he's done and examine it. If I'm wrong I need to know it which is the point of this thread.
One more thing, I have often observed what I believe are doe droppings in a fresh scrape but I have yet to see what I believe would be buck droppings within a fresh scrape. Now that doesn't really mean anything but that's just what I have observed.