I moved my Deer Cam this afternoon to a scrape location along a well used trail where I had put it last year and got a Great pic of a nice 8pt. This spot has a classic over hanging branch so I checked under it for the hell of it, and to my disbelief in that exact spot it was scraped clean to the dirt!
I'm curious to hear what you guys or gals think of this one? It seems much too early for a scrape.

ya it does seem much to early for a scrape but i guess i dont know what else would have made a fresh scrape there.

What is the general terrain made up of, other than grass and leaves, didyou have an old mineral block sitting there?Is it more of a dirt or sand? Its a bit uncommon to find a scrape this early in the year. Im thinking you have a Feather Duster (turkey)playing in an old scrape,I have seen this many times. Get some pics and post them get some from all around the "scrape"and some close ups.

Although it is very rair, I have seen a few scrapes worked after a fashion year round. Usually they are permanent scrapes, and more often the deer seen to stomp around in them and work the licking branch a little as opposed to pawing the dirt...my guess is the heaviest scrapes remain free of grass and weeds year round not from 'work' but more from the amonia in the urine kills everything in that area during the rut. Anybody else?

Could it be turkey scratching under a licking branch?

My gamecam is set up infront of a licking branch that has had a scrape under it since march, and is still active.

This area is mostly regular forest floor twigs, branches,weeds and leaves. Except this small area has some wild grass that this trail goes through and this scraped area is directly under an over hanging branch, the same exact spot as last year. We have no turkey in this region. Maybe thisspot is permiated with oder, I just think it's strange so early. Thanks for the thoughts.

I would say you might have stumbled on somebodys mock scrape but it could be a flock of turkeys.
If you think its a deer making this scrape then set a trail cam up near by and see what develops.

Can be very possible. I began freshening up someold scrapes with some Hwags Buck Fever scent a few weeks ago and it's very visible that they're already visited. The older bucks usually start earlier and I would say this activity has begun.

Licking branches are used year round, by both bucks and does. It's also possible it's not really a scrape but a patch worn clean just from deer traffic.