Well, other than rut scapes,(answer:after a rain)Why?because rain washes out all of deers scent they left behind! Here is my story to back this statement up.I read a article out of bow hunter magazine a week earlier, talking about this.1979 bow season,4th week in oct. I was hunting were i killed my 1st deer (wayemansville, indiana) it had rained lightly over nite. and i knew were a scrape was every year in this woods.So i decided to set up by it about 40 yds away just over top of ridge.I dragged a old shop rag i had soak in TINKS#69 to my tree stand.Scrape was on a old logging trail. Well about 8:00 am as sun was coming up .I was looking west down the ridge into a hay field (with pine trees lined up along its edge) here comes this big 8 pointer,heading right to scrape,I grabbed my bow and got ready, but wasnt ready for what was going to happen next.(never seen a deer hit a scrape before)Well he walked up to scrape pawed it out,walked into middle of it,started rubbing back legs as he was urinenating down them .then rasied up on back legs and grab limb with his mouth and cameback down with it.then he let go of limb. Then all of a sudden he threw his head down and started to take a big gulp of air,i could hear it well he started walking right to me.was looking to were i would shoot there was a lot of little sapplings in the way. he walked right to rag hanging on a limb 10yds in front of me.I was about 14ft up in tree but almost level to him . he got to rag, stopped and looked at it,and instantly looked right at me.I didnt even have my bow drawed back.I also had on the old vietnam camo coveralls on. he bolted,blowing at me all the way though the woods.I guess you live and learn .Well when i got back to truck my hunting buddy asked me if i heard a deer this morning ,and i said yes do you want to hear what happen to me.???
which is illeagal.....and againest the law .here in indiana it is one-half hour before sun rise,and one -half hour after sun set...right fletch920....
ture,sota remember that older mature does come into heat 1st .that is why first line in my story i wrote well other than rut scrapes...the older does know were these scrapes are year after year..and most boundery scarapes are about 50-100 yards in woods on corners of fields.P.S. i have found scrapes so fresh (just used by buck) steam was comimg off urine spot in scrape,on a cold morning....
No idea Don, I have never hunted in Indiana. So, I have no clue what your shooting hours are. But, I did see the humor in Greg's post. As, most of the scrape activity is in fact at night. Do you like cats? Because I do. But not illegal cats.......because they are against the law.
hey fetch 920 so if it is done at nite ,cant hunt them during this time lawfully can you?so why not hunt them right after a rain????????that morning,or evening, when you know as well as i do they have to make their rounds,to freshen the scrapes up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! remember most deer bed down when it rains (at nite) this means they are up and about,if it stops raining by sunrise! right! right! p.s. what part of story do you not under stand....
met tink nathan at 1984 international bow hunters clinic in mi. he had a long handle bar mostash, and a long beard, he talked about how he uses artifical lighting to bring does into heat to get tinks #69.to gutpile from weddle
thanks for understanding my story about( when is the best time to hunt scrapes) lawfully in U.S.A is what i should have put in my story so hunters would believe in the true facts about this.DING-DING-DING glad both of you understand this now.remember TRIAL& ERROR is the best learning tool to understanding whitetail deer habits ! I know this from the disappointment in this story.you live and learn.
