Deer Ecology 101

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Ok, I'm back! Been busy with work and new house.... Top answered it, deer only use/make/visit scrapes during the rut. That's it. No more rut, they go back to just "being deer" and eat, sleep and repeat.... Deer tend to move around differently during different times of the year depending on food availability, stress of activity of hunters, rut, fawning, etc.

[lovemylegacy]

Hawkpuppy, that's what I was taught years ago, but have learned that scrapes are used year round. I know this may be a subject of contention, but I have pics of deer, bucks and does using scrapes year round. Not as much say in Sept-Dec, but still with some regularity.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Interesting. Don't know that I have ever seen deer actually use a scrape other than leading up to, during and maybe a bit after the rut.

[texashunter56]

Hawkpuppy, that's what I was taught years ago, but have learned that scrapes are used year round. I know this may be a subject of contention, but I have pics of deer, bucks and does using scrapes year round. Not as much say in Sept-Dec, but still with some regularity.

I have seen the same on 3 different ranches over the last 15 yrs now. There are always a few active scrapes it seems and they are most active when it cools off after a rain. First one I remembering finding was in June in LaSalle County on a sendero close to a protein feed pen. I have seen quite a few more that were active in March than any other month though.

[fullsizeaggie]

I believe both does and bucks will use scrapes or at least are drawn to them at times. But with deer using them all year, could that have something to do with population ratios? Say more bucks in an area will "compete" all year for space? Or continue throughout the year to mark their territory?

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Scrapes are used as a "sign post" if you will. They leave their scent from glands and urine somewhat marking their territory. I guess it could stand to reason if there is a skewed population ratio that extended use could happen. If deer walk by an area regularly and smell the signs, seems to reason they would check it out and investigate....

[texashunter56]

I have seen it on both LF and HF ranches. I found one last year on my small LF place in Goliad County in late June. All places had a good buck to doe ratio, around 1:1-1.5. The big communal scrapes I found on Hill Country ranches in the 90's about 100 yards downwind from protein feeders stay active year round. Those tended to be more of the "sign post". The deer used them as gathering/comfort spots before they moved into the feeder.

[lovemylegacy]

Interesting. Don't know that I have ever seen deer actually use a scrape other than leading up to, during and maybe a bit after the rut.

Yessir, its not the same aggressive wrecking of a scrape, its more of a licking branch usage and they may step and loiter in the scrape.

[Bdiver]

Ive had bucks still sparring on trail cam up to last week. Would you consider this a sign of a still elevated testosterone level resulting in a later shed?

[lovemylegacy]

Good question

[texashunter56]

Ive had bucks still sparring on trail cam up to last week. Would you consider this a sign of a still elevated testosterone level resulting in a later shed?

I found two bucks dead that had been locked up from fighting the first week of March one year. They had not been dead more than a day or two at most when they were found. My guess is that a doe fawn was large/old enough to come into heat and that was the cause of the fight.
On my place here in Goliad County I am still seeing a few young bucks sparring on TC's as of this week.

[Yotaforme]

What determines when a buck will drop his antlers? I found 1 side while I was out cutting some firewood yesterday at my place.

[Top Of Texas]

Dropping antlers is initiated by day length which influences testosterone levels. Same as shedding velvet and rut. We know this is true because you can take pen deer and control their exposure to light.

There is also some environmental influence that influences precise timing. In TX Panhandle, bucks start dropping end of Dec to early Jan and most sre done by mid March. In S TX, some start late Feb and most are done by end od April.

By the way, heck of a nice shed horn.

[BrandonA]

Saturday had what would have been a potential shooter come in but he already shed one side

[El General]

Hawkpuppy, that's what I was taught years ago, but have learned that scrapes are used year round. I know this may be a subject of contention, but I have pics of deer, bucks and does using scrapes year round. Not as much say in Sept-Dec, but still with some regularity.

I put a camera on a scrape next to a well used trail coming from a bedding area that is very remote and receives no travel or pressure and left it year round on video. This area is in a box canyon that is pretty inaccessible to humans except on foot and we stay out of the area.

Deer would check it and pee in it year round. We did not see bucks working the mesquite branch above with their orbitals except for pre rut, rut, and post rut in the fall.

What was interesting was the number of animals other than deer (bobcats, foxes, hogs, etc) that would sniff the scrape when they were in the area.

I think some scrapes are year round 'sign posts' that the deer use, and some of them are made only during rut and neglected afterwards.