I must not have explained clearly. In my 30 thirty years of bowhunting, I have seen firsthand probably a dozen serious fights. Oh, here.....
I have seen with my own eyes many, many bucks sparing. And probably around a dozen serious, drawing blood, foaming at the mouth buck fights.
I only went into some detail about one that happened to occur in PA. As far as hunting in elk county, I have walked accross alot of that county in my travels. There may be a lot of buck fighting going on there, but spikes don`t make a bunch of noise when they go at it.
On to the mock scrape deal....I have heard that same report about new car smell. Pure, unadulterated BS! Maybe in a pen, with young deer, not in the wild with mature bucks.
As far as human urine, Just last year, I videod not one, but two 130-135" bucks within 5 yards of my stand, sniffing where I uninated less than 10 minutes prior. No alarm from either one. I have the bucks on tape, you would have to take my word on the urinating part. I usually turn the camera off before that stuff!
I notice you bring up about guys beating horns together every 15 minutes for 6 hours.
Maybe you just need to go with someone who has some knowledge on what may work, and what may not. You might be surprised.
Do you think those deer would not have come in to a can or grunt........and could you have got them with more scouting and better stand placement with no horns to click??
I have called in many bucks with a grunt call, and some with the can call. I do a fair amount of scouting, and I actually take pride in my ability(luck)to put stands in the right area year after year. I only bowhunt, a close range sport. Sometimes the darn critters just happen to stay 50-100yards out. I need `em a little closer than that. I have had bucks turn and look several times while I grunted at them, only to come right in when I tickled the horns. I have also had it work the other way around. They would not commit to the horns, but would respond to a grunt or bleat.
If you don`t much believe in rattling, you would get a kick out of my rattling forays for midwest bucks. Big horns, and as hard as I can bang them. Yep, it scares most bucks away. Guess what...those are not the ones I am interested in anyhow. First time you hear two 300 pound bucks tie up over a hot doe, you will realize that they sure can make some racket.
Gotta go for now, I`ll check back in a few!