Agreed, if there isn't a receptive doe in a group, he'll be travelling until he finds one (some).

During the Rut I like to hunt where the Does like to hang out.

If shes emitting the right pheromonesthe big boys will lock on, they don't waste much time on does that are not ready. They know the routine.

Younger bucks show up early and leave late but if their is a stud in the area they rarely get to be right next to her when she is in estrus. When shes in estrus, producing the right scent, he will lay right with her and guard her like royalty and then leave her like a cheap***** once she doesnt smell right. I believe we get abouta 2-3 day window to hunt a specific buck on a specific doe.

I only like hunting scrapes that are well back in the woods and that interstect with dailydoe travel routes. These usually lay on the fringe of a big bucks bedding/core living area and a doestravel routes.I never hunt scrapes in places that are most likely made in areas that big bucks only visit at night. The best scrapes to hunt are those that are located and being hit steadily where mature bucks feel safe to move during daylight hours.

I keep reading about "a doe or one doe". I believe that the mature bucks will lock down with many receptive does that are in one group. I think that helps explain why a certain buck or bucks may not be seen for a few days, then may begin showing up again later on. Its not a one doe rule. I've witnessed here in the rut the king buck feeding and traveling with several does. When that buck and doe group are done dealing with each other, he will look for more and many times if not most he will travel far outside his normal territory looking for more does to breed.

As for scrapes, if I find a new scrape(be new I mean less than a day or one day old), I'll not be far from those scrapes during the rut. Killed one of my best bucks a day or so after he made new scrapes, and he happened to chase two does past my stand not 20 yards from those scrapes. I took my best buck within a few days of finding twin new scrapes and he was less than 15 yards from those scrapes when I took the shot. Doesn't mean he was standing guard on those scrapes but he knew some receptive does were in the area and traveling the trail leading from a hillside.

First and last time I hunted a scrape.....I watched 4 bucks work it in about an hour span of time. The first was a half-rack 4 pointer. The second was a spike. 3rd was a six pointer....and the last was a BB.

I quit hunting scrapes, that day.

The only deer that I would have shot walked by the field th escrape was in..."seemingly"uninterested in it. Was he scent-checking the field? Dunno.....but he never entered where the scrape was.

From what I have seen a buck will only bed with a receptive doe or a doe that is receptive but not quite ready to breed, otherwise I think they cuise alone looking for receptive does...I think most scrapes are maintained by younger deer although mature deer more than likely start many of them...

It seems pretty simple to me. Rubs and scrapes are good indicators of whats BEEN in the area, doesn't necessarily mean he's still there, especially if he's getting antsy for some action. In my experience, the best chance of catching that big boy is to just hunt where the does are. Feeding areas, bedding areas, travel routes, etc. The bucks know where all those places are, and will be checking them, and if you have some does around, even better, live bait! Hunting does is the best way to hunt bucks.