Yesterday my brother and I came across this active scrape. It was probably made that morning or some time the night before. The soil was still moist and the urine was still strong. We didn't find the scrape until Noon-ish and we set a camera up near by to see who is using it.

Here is what I am trying to learn from this scrape:
Q1. What stage of the Rut phase does this indicate? It is active, the urine smell was very strong.
Q2. Will bucks create a scrape first then a rub or a rub first then the scrape or both at the same time?
Q3. We saw what we thought were a couple of smaller scrapes, like a buck started them and got distracted and didn't completely finish them. They all were only under White Oak trees, no other type of trees. Is that typical, will a buck only use a certain type of tree to create his scrapes, even with several types available in the area.

Usually pre rut is this stage. Could be part of a scrape line which is used to establish a known territory to other bucks and does.

Usually their will be a licking/pheromones branch above the active scrapes, not rubs.

Deer make lots of scrapes both bucks and does. All have in common that they are "active" while the deer is there working it. Not all scrapes are active or even really revisited. The scrapes to hunt are the ones that get visited repeatedly. There are also communal scrapes that get visited over and over by multiple deer, those are for sure worth hunting, the communal scrapes.

Was there a licking branch above the scrape? If not probably just one of many scrapes made pre-rut.

Stage of rut, in most places pre rutfor sure. In some areas was pre rut.

kmon1 the second picture is the entire tree and yes there did seem to be a licking branch directly overhead. The picture doesn't show it very well. We have a camera on it so I will curios to see what it shows.

Also, any thoughts on the distance a deer will stage scrapes?

Like said above both doe and bucks will tend to scrapes. I have put cameras on scrapes before and seen mostly doe hitting it all season.

The big scrapes are usually community scrapes where a lot of different deer hit it. The smaller one's like you described can be young bucks that are unsure what they are doing but are going through the motions.

Most scrape locations start in the late summer to early fall and are maintained until late winter or early spring from what I have seen. But they will also abandon scrapes for different reasons. I have read an article that deer will check scrapes all year long as a way of communicating with each other but I have not personally seen this and I don't really agree. I do know that certain scrape locations are used year after year.

I have found that putting a camera on a scrape can sometimes spook the older mature bucks that we are after; or cause all deer to stop using it altogether--this isn't always the case but I have had it happen to me on more than one occasion. If you put a camera on a scrape my advice is to make sure it's not too close---esp a camera that has a lot of infrared bulbs and will take night pics out to 100 ft.---if you use a camera like this put it out a good distance so the brightness won't spook them. Also, make sure the camera does not make a noise when the shutter goes off--several of my moultries make a light clump or thud noise even though it's not supposed to. I try to use no-glow or low-glow cameras on my scrapes.

Don't hang out too much around the scrape and put your scent all over it. Don't touch the licking branches above it and put your scent on it either.

If you can, hunt scrapes because they will come and check it sooner or later. In my opinion hunting scrapes is a lot better than hunting over bait.

google whitetail scrapes and you will find a lot of info that will make for an interesting read. The above advice is from my 40 years experience of hunting whitetails.

good luck.

One other thing I have found by camera observation on scrapes is not only deer will check it and urinate on it. I've seen hogs, coyotes, and foxes check them and urinate on them but not that often.

Thanks for the detailed feedback slippinaround.

What the fellas said and I will 2nd not placing a TC in to close a proximity to a good scrape, more so on a place with little human activity, identify the trail and set the camera to watch that from a short distance, best place is down wind of a scrape as often bucks will "wind" the scrape and not always come in. One way to look at it , is if you came home and your wife had added a piece of furniture, you would instantly notice there was a difference, whether you spotted the difference right off or not.

If you look at the reason for scrapes, basically the same as a "community ad board" like you see at many businesses, if you watch one long enough to see the deers reaction, it is funny when a buck hits a scrape that has been visited by a hot doe, he will leave nose to the ground with one thing on his mind.

I have a tree that deer have used for 5 years at least, easily watchable from my blind at about 150 yards, every age class of deer will "check it out", never seen a doe "work" one though.

Its my pleasure I have found that monitoring a scrape is a lot more effective than monitoring a feeder. A lot of times them mature bucks will not even bother going to a feeder or bait site but they will check the scrapes.

I stay out of my hunting area, the only thing I do is fill the feeder, water trough and check change the memory card out of the game cam. Sometimes I will see active scrapes under low lying limbs from the post oak trees, if there is not one there right before hunting season starts, I will make a mock one and it usually gets attention from other does and bucks

Most scrapes I notice are made pre rut. But again I do not go around looking for them

Made a mock scrape about 1 1/2 weeks ago but it didn't get much attention until I added some pre orbital gland scent to the licking branch and then I had two bucks visit the sight in one night.

2nd photo is excellent...typical.

There is evidence that scrape size is directly correlated to age and therefore antler size. There is no guarantee of rack development though (misshapen or damaged growth). If there is a scrape line, then you'll see something this year. Photos might become Christmas in October!

Good luck.

Judging from the replies , we are totally hosed. Trail camera too close. lots of scent in area and I knew it was a bad idea to pee in that scrape....Sorry !

Baldpate is my brother and he was with me when I found the scrape. I knew I shouldn't have taken my eyes off him. I go to get the camera to set up and when I come back, he's looks like a male dog that had been in his kennel all day.

For everyone else, thank you for the help and information.