This is a question from my mother who is an avid hunter. She has seen a "doe" rutting against a holly tree and pawing the ground

[charlie elk]

Piney is right. Plus many times a doe will start the scrape.
Check the scrape at other times during the year to see if it is active. If so you have yourself a spoke scrape. Keep the location very secret.
later,
charlie

[pineywoods]

The purpose of a buck's making a scrape is to have the does visit. A doe will pee and paw in a scrape to let the buck know she's around and ready. A scrape is really sort of like a fire hydrant to a dog, and numerous deer of both sexes will "sign in."

[primlmystic]

This is a question from my mother who is an avid hunter. She has seen a "doe" rutting against a holly tree and pawing the ground for 2 seasons in a row at her stand. She wants to know if a doe would do this or could this be an antlerless buck?