Whitetail deer do not have cellular telephones and business cards, but they do have some things that are very similar. Although deer use a variety of vocalizations, their main method of interaction is based on their inconceivably sensitive sense of smell.

As humans, we cannot fathom this type of communication since we rely on language. Generally speaking, it isn’t a good thing if we can smell someone. Despite our own olfactory shortcomings, as observers, photographers and hunters, we can interpret some of the deer’s behaviors and use them to our advantage.

Deer are currently readying themselves for two things: winter and breeding. Both bucks and does are devouring acorns and other mast in order to bulk up their fat reserves for the lean times, but meanwhile they are socializing and flirting amongst themselves. The single’s bar of the whitetail world is the scrape, not to be confused with the rub.

The bane of suburban dwellers who spend thousands on small planted trees, rubs are made by bucks the entire time they are in hard antler. But early fall is the pinnacle of rubbing activity. Using their antlers and powerful necks, a buck will stand and rub up and down on a tree until he strips away the bark and exposes the interior of the trunk. Rubs are made for a variety of reasons, but scrapes are more important and are far less obvious.

In our eyes, a scrape consists of nothing more than a pawed-out area of dirt below a low-hanging tree branch that has been licked, chewed on and battered with antlers. To a deer, I would imagine walking upon an actively visited scrape would remind us of walking by the perfume counter at a department store. Discovering a big, fresh scrape is a big deal, because during October - more than any other month - scrapes reign supreme.

Deer utilize scrapes to keep tabs on one another and to sort of gauge when the first does will be ready to breed. Watching deer “work” scrapes is one of my favorite parts of bowhunting. Standing on his hind legs, a buck will thrash his antlers around in the branch, lick and chew the branch, touch his nose to it and then he may rub his forehead and eye on the branch as well. All of these actions leave information for other deer; the smell of a freshly defoliated limb, scent from each respective gland on his forehead, nose, tear duct, and salivary.

Each scent that is emitted is completely unique to the individual. He’s not done yet, though - after he finishes his labor on the licking branch, he paws out any vegetation under the limb and often urinates over his tarsal glands. Now the scrape also emits an odor of disturbed earth, interdigital gland secretion from between his hooves, urine, and tarsal gland secretion.

Quite a piece of work, isn’t it? Even more amazing is that once a scrape is started, multiple bucks and does will stop by to do the same thing on a fairly regular basis. I personally enjoy scrapes because there is no better place to situate a trail camera and capture some really neat photos of deer behaving in ways that few have ever seen with their own eyes.

Also, with youth season less than a week away and black powder less than two, finding a well-visited scrape may just be your ticket to success.

— Geordon T. Howell is outdoors columnist for the Daily News. He can be reached by e-mailing highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.