I have recently moved into an area that has a massive scrape line containing about 5 scrapes within about a 70 yrd stretch in almost a striaght line. Each scrape has a licking branch....and is littered with tracks and urine odor. However, there is not a single rub in the area to be seen.....What is going on?? Ive never encountered such a situation where the bucks arent rubing. I only have a limited time to hunt this year, so i need your guys opinions, will this stand be good during daylight hours??

I can' t tell you exactly what' s happening, but one of the woods I hunt has a similar pattern. I find nearly no rubs, but a pretty good number of scrapes. The rubs I do find are generally on small, young trees. But, the woods always has a couple nice bucks and is definately worth hunting.
This particular woods is a public pine plantation, and has lots of small trees growing on the forest floor between the mature stands of pines. The only reason I can see for the reduced rubbing activity is that most rubs wouldn' t be very easily seen by other deer.

Anyway, I can' t explain why, but I would say it should be worth hunting. Go ahead and hunt the scrapes and see what happens, then adjust if you need to. I' m not an expert, but I would start at the best sign I could find and see what happens.

peashooter

Definitely an unusual situation but not unheard of. Though we like to think of the two phenomenons occurring in conjunction with one another there have been several times when I have found plenty of scrapes and no rubs and vice versa.

Hey antler i know what your goin thru. I went huntin tuesday in Webster County and the place im gonna rifile hunt had one single scrape 1st day of bow season. But now there is about 5 good scrapes in a line on top of this flat ridge. But like you i didnt find a single rub anywhere around the area. I think im in his area though and when the rifiles start crackin he' ll be movin thru at some point. I feel better seing more scrapes than rubs anyday ya know

I may be waaay off here but what would you estimate the buck / doe ratio is where you hunt? Doe will certianly scrape and since they don' t have antlers that could account for the lack of rubs. Not to worry though. If this is the case and it may not be, the bucks will be looking for does and should be around. It may just be the does severly out number the bucks as is the case where I hunt. I also fine scrape lines w/o rubs. It' s not the norm but definately happens.

I find that situation to be more the norm here in my area.I can find scrapes almost anytime but rubs are hard to come by.They are there but not nearly as prevelant as scrapes.Ron

I am finding the same thing on my hunting grounds, About 6 scrapes in a 50 yard line, but no rubs at all. I have know idea if this is true or not, but I had a guy tell me the other day that that means it is a small buck making these scrapes. I dont really believe that, but thats what I was told.

Hello everybody,
I' m new here. I' ve only found two scrapes in all the scouting I' ve done, lots of rubs, some on some BIG trees too, but should I just not worry and set up on the scrape line?

Thanks for all your replies guys......I guys it was just suprising to me to find all those scrapes but no rubs. The norm for to me is the other way around, normally I find the entire hollow littered with rubs but only a few scrapes. I' m forced to find a new spot quick because my hunting time is extremely limited this year, and wild dogs have completely taken over my old hunting spot keeping the deer mostly nocturnal. I guess I' ll just have to get into this new area this tommorrow morning and see what happens.