Im in central Minnesota and I usually start my first ones in early to mid September. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Right around the time bucks start making scrapes, that's when I'll make mock scrapes. When I do it, I put a scrape dripper on it with doe in heat and buck urine in it and put a camera up. Normally around the 17th of October is when I do this. Every time I hunt there in the morning I'll check the camera. I also put it close to one of my stands. I do have a friend that puts mock scrapes out in the summer so he can get better trail cam pics. It works for him
I usually start mine around the 1st of october. I dont use any estrus or buck urine.....I pee on them myself. I have just as many cam pictures on scrapes that I have urinated in than I do using a dripper.
Usually early-mid September is when I get them going. We do 2 mock scrapes on our property. Last year I started using the pre-orbital scent that comes off the top of a bucks head around the antlers, and it was a good added touch to the licking branch. I highly suggest this to those who hunt in states that don't allow the use of deer urine anymore. Anyway, I have two drippers over my mock scrapes. When I first freshen the site I use scrape starter and spray it directly on the bare dirt and use a stick to work up the ground a bit. Then I put the remaining scrape starter in the main dripper, then switch to buck pee around mid October. In the other dripper I use doe pee near the end of October and switch it to doe estrus a week or so into November. So basically from late October through the rut I have both drippers going, one for buck urine and the other for doe urine/estrus.
If ur asking about it it's a good time. I love making them early and adding my own personal sent to them and putting a cam out to watch it. . You would be suprised how much action they get. I don't pee in them when th e season gets close but by then they are astablished scrapes with plenty of deer sent in them. (Just make sure there's a licking branch above them)
But if you want the real down low on mock scrapes. I just finished reading the user "sheds" write up on mock scrapes he has everything u need to know
I just opened three of them this past weekend. I use them when I've already identified what I believe to be a core area for a buck. Once they are already framed out with antler growth (like mid July) I'll drop in a mock scrape and camera close by so that I can confirm that the deer in that core area is one I want to hunt or not. Once I confirm what I need to know, I'll pull the cam and dripper setup. I will then also set them up during season as well. I put them in low impact areas where I can easily pull the card on the way to/from stands. It just helps me to see if the same deer are using the same general areas of the property and also lets me know if a new deer has moved into the area. I have a rule though that during open season I don't pull camera cards unless I'm already walking by that area when going to/from stands. I don't like the idea of disturbing things just to check cameras.
This is the best time of year to get the overhanging branches ready. If the place you want one has branches that are too high you can pull them down and tie them off. Other branches just need a little maintenance done underneath like clearing lower branches, cleaning out the scrape area, cutting out any briars and small stuff that would get in the way of making a scrape. I always urinate in the one's I have made over the years. Quite a few pictures of bucks coming in to check them hours after cleaning them up and taking a leak in them. When it comes time to start adding purchased scents my best results were from using the Buck Fever Synthetics. We ran out one year and picked up some of the Tink's Powerscrape and it seemed like the use dropped off.
aug 1st is when I start my don't use any doe in heat you need the forehead glad. ( pre-orbital ) spray this forehead gland ( pre-orbital ) on the licking branch and the deer WILL take over the scrape!
