One day I hunted my ground blind and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. The next day I go back and there's a freshscrape not 2 yards off the trail I guard. What are the characteristics of a natural scrape? Also, do only bucks make scrapes or do does do it too? Lastly, are scrapes territorial markings like rubs are? Please excuse the 1st full bow season questions. Thanks.

You may see deer tracks in the scrape. Not just tracks but skid mark tracks like he was scraping. To my knowledge, bucks are the only ones that do this. Put some active scrape on it and see what happens. good luck!

Bucks are the only ones to make scrapes, and is is a "territory" thing. However does will investigate scrapes, and you will often find doe tracks in scrapes.

THe easiest way to tell Mock from real, is to look for the tell tale grooves in the dirt from the buck's hooves, plus look for the licking branch, and it should have the look like it has been raked by antlers and rubbed on by dear (i.e broken , worn branches, etc.)

Most mock scrapes don' t have this.

It is also not uncommon for does to "poop" in the scrape. This would definitely be a tell tell sign. Good luck.

Often but not always you'll get one or two really well defined hoofprints in the dirt of a scrape. The grooves are telltale, but tracks are a definite giveaway. The licking branch, or broken branches can be duplicated at a mock scrape. In our area scrapes happen a lot under a hemlock branch that hangs over the deer path. It's usually broke up a bit and pieces of the hemlock are in the scrape.

Why would somebody make a mock scrape right in front of your blind ?

Sounds like you think someone is messin' with ya.

You don't mention where you hunt, but..

If you can see the initals JS in the upper right hand corner it's one of mine.