Phase One:
Phase one is before their is any visible sight of the scrape to the hunter. This happens as early as the beginning of October here in Wisconsin but I am sure is specific to the area you hunt. In this phase the doe starts to visit a tree branch frequently and marks her scent. The doe will like the hanging branch and urinate on under it. This will go on for a week or two with no other deer visiting the scrape. I concluded this through setting motion cameras on video over the previous year's scrape locations. To this point I have found no use to the phase from a hunting standpoint.
Phase Two:
Phase two begins when the first buck visits the scrape. In my experience this occurs roughly a week or two after phase one begins. The first buck to open the scrape in my experience is usually always a young buck less than two years old. This buck and the doe will keep visiting this scrape for another couple of weeks. Other young bucks will also start visiting the scrape as well but only the one doe. If the doe gets killed the scrape will end. Most all scrape visits are done at night. The doe to buck visit ratio will flip and you will see more bucks visiting. Several times I have caught buck fights on camera toward the end of phase two of a scrape. If you are holding out for big bucks, this phase is usually not of much use other than documenting the date the scrape opened up.
Phase Three:
This phase is brought on by subtle change in the appearance of the scrape. Without a season or two of experience seeing it yourself, it is difficult to explain exactly when this phase starts but I will do my best. After the scrape opens it will take roughly two and a half to four weeks to reach phase three. Phase three can be seen through the bucks visiting the scrape. Keep an eye on the quantity of bucks visiting the scrape in a short period of time. The closer their visits are to the doe visiting is a good indicator she is close to being ready to breed. If the doe is a widely sought after then the big bucks will usually make an appearance at the beginning of phase three. Also in this phase you will usually see more aggression in the way the ground is worked up. The licking branch will usually be snapped and dangling. Phase Three is truly the best time to be hunting and stand location is key.
Phase Four:
Have you ever experienced a second or "late" rut. This late rut will happen usually sometime in December. Phase four is just that. I believe this happens when the breeding of a doe didn't work the first time around. In other words whatever buck bred her didn't do a good enough job and she goes in heat on her next cycle thus a second rut roughly thirty three days after the last time. I have seen late scrapes and attribute them to this.
So now that I broke down a scrape in to phases, I will explain exactly how to use them to your advantage. To do this though you have to ask yourself which buck or bucks do you want to base your hunting on. Once you have selected your prey you can hone in and study key information you can get from your videos. First off, you need to keep track of how often that buck visits the scrape. Next figure out the personality of the buck by how aggressive they are working the scrape and their posture. On a side note, big bucks aren't usually the aggressive ones. Watch what time your buck is visiting the scrape an its direction of travel. If your buck is visiting just after sundown or shortly before sun up you can bet his bed is near by. And lastly keep track of each phase of the scrape and you can predict when it will peak and thus you will know exactly when to take your vacation. With a little experience you will be able to almost predict it. But don't take my word on all this, set your own blackout motion camera to video and see for yourself.
In the video which you can view by clicking on this link, Phase Two Scrape Video you will see a buck chasing away from a newly made scrape. This excites me because this buck is pretty big to be coming in to it this early. This scrape is in early Phase Two and I predict it to peak toward the end of the first week in November. Guess when my vacation is?
Again, don't take my word as fact. I challenge you to find out your own answers. I am simply sharing what I have found to be true on my property. I would love for you to email me with your own thoughts and ideas as to hunting. My email address is: insidetherack@gmail.com
