7.62NATO

I never witnessed any rut actual rut activity on the farm that I hunt, so I can't say when the first rut actually happened. Never caught any chasing, etc. In fact, I have only seen one buck and a handful of does, but sign is everywhere.

I saw a fresh ground scrape last Saturday, and I am going back tomorrow. Would you use an estrus scent this late in the season? Or, I guess it would be better to ask if it will HURT anything to use it. I have heard that estrus scents can chase does away, and I am not hunting for bucks only. Because a doe enters estrus, does that necessarily put off the other does in the area??

Hardcorehunter16

Some of the spots you may be seeing torn up may be from night time activity. A lot of mature bucks will leave their honey hole to make scraps late in the night and be heading back into the thick stuff at the crack of dawn with the hot doe they found over night. Once they get that doe in the thick stuff, no sent or anything will make him come out. I am only guessing this may be your problem because you havent been seeing much...the best way to combat nocturnal activity is to be in the stand between 9am and 2pm because nocturnal bucks will feed right before light then again mid day an once again right at dark. Also I hunted a spot this year torn up but just like you, saw little to nothing. I retreated 200 yards away by a near by swamp the following day and the buck that had been making the sign made his way from the spot I previously hunted and right by me into the swamp around mid day. Moral of the story is hunting in his living room may not do it but sneaking to the front door and waiting him out may do the trick.

7.62NATO

I only saw one scrape last weekend, but I wasn't scouring the place by any means, just noticed it when I went looking for a spot a wee bit more open than the place I had landed before first light. I actually set up fairly close to it and was there until about 1 before I had to go.

Funny you should mention a swamp, b/c the scrape was right near this swampy area, definitely less than 200 yards away. This swamp has made me wish for a tree stand in the worst way (do not have one yet). I feel like I would be cleaning up down there if I had one (well, along with a pair of waders to retrieve my game!) since it would allow me to see a loooooong ways. I have seen does in the swamp that I would have shot had it been a doe day (a little hypothermia never hurt anyone), but I have yet to figure out how they actually get in and out. There are trails leading right into the swamp, so I figure the deer are just getting their legs wet because I have not found a single place where they could stay on strips of land, at least not the area I have access to.