Will mowing by a scrape cause deer to stop using it?

By Grant Woods,

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← Grant's Answers — Habitat Management
Question
I had noticed a scrape 3 years ago in a field. Very small amount of bare ground but had a very prominent limb overhead. It has been reused every year, still very small bare ground. I assumed that there were small bucks using it and that it wasn’t worth my time to hunt or pay a lot of attention to. This year I have cameras with video capabilities and have placed one on this scrape. I have recovered the sd card once after only a week and it shows three 3 year old bucks and one immature buck using this scrape as well as several does. It is located in a corner of field edge and logging road. My question is, I want to mow and plant this field this coming year so what do I need to do to preserve this scrape location? Can I just leave 20 feet or so of field edge? Also, I have an issue with serceia lezpodeeza, what can I do to eradicate it?

I included a picture from last year of the deer I am trying to grow. Any idea for age?

Brain,

The overhanging limb is almost always the most important part of a scrape!  I doubt mowing by the scrape, establishing a food plot, etc,, will result in deer abandoning the area.  Simply avoid damaging the overhanging limb!  Deer make and maintain scrapes along the edges of my plots and commercial ag fields year after year.

There is some good information at the following link about methods to control Sericea Lespedeza:  http://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/problem-plants-and-animals/invasive-plants/sericea-lespedeza-control

Those are nice bucks in the pictures!  They appear two and/or three years old based on the quality of the local habitat, etc.  

Enjoy creation,

grant

November 11, 2015