The pre-rut is the period when the boys are gearing up for breeding season, and it usually occurs in late summer and early fall although this will vary somewhat depending on the region that you’re in.
Preseason scouting wisdom dictates that you should be on the lookout for scrapes and rubs and a few other basics like trails and feeding areas during the pre-rut.
The pre-rut is when scrapes receive the highest amount of activity – again, because the bucks are trying to claim territory from one another – although they will typically be worth a sniff long past the beginning of the rut.