While ground scrapes garner attention from hunters, it's actually the overhead licking branch above it that bucks are more concerned about.

When the weather starts getting cooler during the night, bucks will start to make scrapes, or “paws” as it is commonly referred to in the Deep South. A well worked scrape will usually be under low-lying limbs by which the buck will reach high up in order to hook the branches with his antlers. The buck will then grasp the limb in his mouth and let it snap back across the glands on his forehead. Afterwards, the buck will break the limb and let it hang down low over the scrape, making it easy for other deer to see and smell. A scrape will almost never be away from a main deer trail, but will typically be where two trails intersect or a funnel area begins. Typically, the buck will have his own trail downwind and parallel to the main trail used by does, fawns, and immature bucks. To make the actual scrape, bucks will rake back any debris in the area where he intends to make it until there is nothing but moist dirt. The buck will then proceed to step forward until his back end is over the intended area, puts his hooves together, and urinate down his legs into his Tarsal glands. The urine, mixed with Tarsal scent, slowly runs down into the scrape where it leaves an odor.

Scrapes and the rut are directly related to one another for various unexplained reasons. Some people believe he is “advertising” that he’s a buck in that area ready to breed, while others believe it’s a profile of the buck—where he ranks in his society. Another theory is it’s a signpost to other bucks that he has claimed this area as his own. Whatever its intended use, it’s always something that you will want to look for to help you locate good deer during the rut.

This buck fell to the author's rifle during the rut when it slipped up chasing a doe in an area that no bucks had been seen at all season.

When a doe gets close to the time for her to breed, mature whitetail bucks seem to loose their minds. Everything that you’ve learned through the years about bucks being nocturnal, wise beyond belief, and having a sixth sense so sharp they could hear your thoughts fly out the window. The playing field has been leveled, and its go time for a mature whitetail. The hardest thing is trying to time the rut so that you are in the woods more hours than any other time. In the northern and southwestern parts of Louisiana, it can be as soon as late October, whereas in the most south central parts of the state it will begin in late January. If you can narrow the time down, your chances of harvesting an animal worthy of recognition grows more and more every day. Scientific studies on collared bucks have proven that 100% of them left their home areas in search of a “hot” doe during the rut. Just because you may not have trail camera pictures of a big buck or a lot of buck sign in your area doesn’t mean that one will not show up during the rut. I once told an older man that I didn’t have any confidence in one of my stands because I had over 150 trail camera pictures from it and there wasn’t a single buck in the bunch. He laughed and said, “Son, all you need to do is hunt the does and the bucks will eventually show up.” He was right. As I walked into that stand for a mid-morning hunt, I took my best deer to date….chasing a doe. To increase your odds, packing a lunch and plenty of drinks to your stand will be your best bet. All day hunts are more beneficial during this time than any other phase of hunting, simply because the bucks will be on their feet as much as possible in order to find a doe ready to breed.