I hunt some of the best property, free. Since I get to hunt this place for free there really is not a huge population of deer. This place is overrun with pigs. I generally see about 1 buck per year so I am trying to get better on my scouting.

Anyways, this year i decided to put out a protein block right off a game trail. Was out this weekend and this is what i found. I could not find any other signs other than a possible scrape. No prints and no tree rubs. The trail is located just off a creek bed so i think any prints may have been washed away with the rain.




the last photo is what is remaining of the protein block

were those "scrapes" right below a tree branch hanging down>?
If so, then it possibly is.

the bare ground was pretty located under the limbs. the protein block was about 5 yards away. First pic tries to show the entire thing...the second pic is of the possible scrape

With the hoof prints in it I would say more so where the protein block was pushed to and they were standing. The block is kind of trapped by the tree. I could be wrong but the scrapes I have been seeing are under branches that are smaller and have hoof scrapes where they are keeping them clean.

I'm not for sure if it is a scrape are not. It could be or it could be where the block is being moved around. There is something for sure eating your block. That is a good sign. Here is a picture of a scrape and licking branch behind one of our feeders I found yesterday. I hope it helps and best of luck in your hunting...

I say no. Looks like a block was there at some point?

Too organized. The don't make nice shapes like that, at least in my experience. Also, you would see more bark off of that tree limb if a buck had been dancing around there.

All you have to do is get down on your hands a knees and take a big wiff of the ground and if it is a scrape it will smell like deer piss.

You got that right!. Nothing is more proof-positive than the sniff test. Few people know that this is where "Scratch & Sniff" originated.