Wednesday, 7:45 AM. 22 degrees, wind W, calm. The channel is calm, the sky clear and the barometer predicts precipitation.The whitetail deer rut has started. The bucks, as everyone knows, rub the skin from their antlers (which are grown new each ear) on young, soft-barked trees in preparation for territorial battles. Perhaps less well known is that the bucks also mark their territory by scraping the ground with their hooves, these “scrapes “ can vary in size, but are definite evidence along with a “rub” that a buck frequents an area.
The rub pictured was discovered at one of my favorite grouse haunts yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately the photo of a scrape did not turn out, I will try to take another in a day or two.
The birds have become accustomed to the feeders and a downy woodpecker is busy on the suet feeder right now.
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