Has anybody had any success with mock scrapes for hunting over or getting good trail cam pictures? I was interested in the idea after doing some research and decided to make my own last weekend. I found a new funnel on my property that deer are using to travel to and from a thick bedding area along a ridge. Excellent place to put a stand but it's kind of open for a trail cam. In the interest of getting an inventory of the bucks traveling through, I put a mock scrape with a trail camera near a possible stand sight. I did everything to the extreme. Wore my de-scented hunting clothes, rubber boots, rubber gloves. Made a licking branch about 3 1/2 to 4 feet high. Put Wildlife Research Mega Tarsal on the licking branch and poured the rest in the scrape. Turned my camera on and got the bleep outta there. I don't plan on checking it until I hunt that area which will be in about 3 weeks. I will post updates of my finding and whatever pictures that turn up. If you have trail cam pictures of success with mock scrapes, please share.
I got this one in 2012, I found with mock scrapes not all areas are equal. You might have to try many different locations to get bucks to consistently hit your scrapes, Sometimes your better off locating existing scrapes and using them and supplementing scents to them.
I do a great deal of this sort of thing while evaluating efficacy of scents. The key is not the scrape. The key is the licking branch. If there is now suitable branch exactly where you need it, bring one to the location. The next key is the proper scent on the branch tips and leaves and to avoid any human scent. Don't worry about creating a scrape. The scrapes get formed naturally under the licking branch. You want to attract both bucks and does (you really want to attract does during the rut so don't just focus on attracting bucks) I just recently created a video of my first scent trial of 2014 with the new scent Ive been working on. It shows the branch and the deers reaction. I haven't yet uploaded last weeks images but I have a nice 10 and 12 point in the daytime working the branch and making a scrape. I even have bears hitting the branch due to the scent. Focus on the licking branch and the proper scent and the scrape shows up all on its own.
Right now I have been using the PM feature targeting guys here and elsewhere that seem to be big into video trail cams and sending them the scent for an evaluation. I want to get a larger cross section of states and deer rather than just calling it good based on Central WI deer on a dair farm. All the guys have followed the instructions I included and have cams out so I should get some new footage in a couple weeks showing the results.
Pretty interesting, they seem to be doing a good job so far. Curious to see how it works in other states as well.
Im putting together video trial #2 from the last 6 days of cam activity. Ive been working on this scent for the last 6 years and prior to having any video trail cams. All my old cams were still photo cams but still showed great activity. I dont say this to talk about my scent but rather to say that every time I start a licking branch evaluation site I alway end up getting a real scrape so I never have to worry about starting a mock scrape. Soon after that, nearby sapplings turn into rubs and pretty soon its a hook up bar for deer and I get to be the DJ playing the love songs. LOL
As I typed the post above I was uploading the latest footage to youtube. you can see last weeks deer (and bear) at the licking branch and the scraping they are starting. The first buck would make an great looking logo. LOL
Yes, I had a few younger buck frequent my mock scrapes last year on a very regular basis. What I prefer to do is find a few natural scrapes and then put my mock scrape between them in a location that best suits my setup. It's worked really well for me.
I started using mock scrapes last year. I had 3 of them set up. I set them within about 10 yards of were scrapes had been opened in the past. I had pictures of almost every buck on the property that I already knew about, plus more mature bucks that came from neighboring properties. I ended up killing a buck that had been hitting the scrapes, but I didn't kill him on the scrape itself. I shot him approximately 200 yards from the mock scrape. I feel very confident that I will have even more success this year with them due to some things that I learned last year. They are a very helpful tool if used correctly.
I shot him probably about 50 yards from it, I was hunting over the scrape that morning before I killed him and heard grunting and something chasing in some real thick stuff so I got in there that evening and was lucky to take him while he was following a doe.
I use Buck Fever Synthetics Forehead Gland for licking branches and pre/post rut and rut. I've had a lot of success getting deer to start using the mock scrapes with their products. They go crazy with the licking branches. I'm actually going to try their Scent Eliminator this year after having so much success with the other products they make.
Joshua, I have several guys in other states field testing for me right now. Im hoping to get more video footage of how the deer react to the scent. My results have been pretty good but then I am biased so I wanted strangers to test it out and give unbiased reports. I told all of them that if they find it doesnt work and they think its crap to let me know. I sent it to them looking for honest evaluations. I hope it doesnt only work on midwestern deer.
I'd like to know what other scents have worked well for you guys, buck urine? Doe urine? both early and into the rut. Do you you use drippers ect?
Well if you want someone to field test it in Ohio I'll gladly give it a shot lol. It seems like it works from what you have shown and I'll be looking forward to seeing what you determine with it. And hopefully if its good news I'll be able to try it out.
Thanks, I might have some Ohio testers already. (as well as several other states) Im working on a way to make it available for purchase.
I have done this on public land in NY to see what kind of bucks are hanging around. I've found it to be the best tactic to get pics of bucks on my cams. I just doctor up the licking branch with Smokeys Pre Orbital scent and hang the camera. Last fall I saw 8 different bucks over the course of the season hunting near one of the scrapes!
I think people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to mock scrapes. Bucks (especially young bucks) make them all over the place. They cast a wide net and don’t always come back to revisit. Deer densities and buck-doe ratios play a huge factor in Scrape hunting. They do however (both bucks and does) utilize a licking branch to communicate more so than a scrape because the licking branch is a quadruple threat consisting of just about every scent gland the deer have. The Preorbital gland and forehead gland and even saliva are deposited on the overhanging branch and then the interdigital gland secretions (Between their hooves) gets deposited while they are under the branch and then (but not always) they may urinate under the branch but whether they urinate of not, the scent on the overhead branch is the scent calling card that deer use and they can tell one deer from another but (and this is only my assumption) deer cant tell one deer’s identity from another by urine scent which is why Hunters peeing in scrapes also works. They just cant tell pee from pee but the scents deposited on the branch are unique. Most scent sellers over hype and make bogus claims that don’t hold up in the real woods. I tell folks what my scent IS NOT. Its not magic. It cant make deer appear where there are no deer. It wont draw deer off your neighbor’s land and it wont call deer in from great distances. My lure is used where guys hunt because they are already seeing sign and then they want to direct the deer in the area to a specific spot for trail cam video/pics or for a shot with a bow. If you have low deer densities and little deer traffic, you’re going to be hard pressed to make any lure work. What I do with my scent is get does and bucks to continually return to the social networking branch and a scrape naturally occurs (as well as rubs on nearby saplings) And yes, that's real deer hair in the product. Im working on uploading a large number of trail cam video footage of deer using the licking branches Im creating with my scent and at every branch site I get a natural scrape but to watch the videos, its clear both bucks and does spend 10 times more time on the branch than they do worrying about the ground below. The amount of time these does work the branch is amazing and attracting does is good news for hunters because she brings in the bucks. Smart hunters want to attract does because where the does are, the bucks will congregate trying to hook up.
