I found a spot with 5 scrapes around 3 trees within 10 yards of each other. I hunted it for 3 hunts on two different winds AM,PM,AM. I saw 3 very young bucks and a few does working the scrapes over those hunts. When I saw the mature buck only on the first morning (out of bow range) he didn’t go near the scrapes. I’m scratching my head. Should I be looking for something ell k de that he’s headed to? Any suggestions seasoned hunters? Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Mature bucks usually dont need to go the scrape, they can smell it from down wind. they can move from scrape to scrape and check them all without going near them. The times I have seen them go them is after a rain, or when there is fresh pee in them. I have seen does piss in them and I have pissed in them and had a buck come check it. The problem is he most likely walked down wind of you. So now he wont go near it with out scent checking to see if your there or he will only go in at night. Your may have to move back father, maybe 80 plus yards or hope a hot doe come thru. Its a tough game to play!
Thanks for the advice. Since yesterday was my last day hunting this property till December I took your advice and pushed in a bit further. While scanning the area looking for a tree near possible exit trails leaving the thicket I jumped a mature buck just after midday. He was bedded just into the thicket about 30 yards. only 100 yards from where I was set up that morning. Wind was blowing out of the bedding towards my tree so he must have been watching me get down and walk closer towards him. I thought long and hard and hoped that maybe he'd return for the evening but I only saw 3 does. This hunting stuff is hard. Illinois bucks - 2, me - 0. I head to AL Friday for the weekend at two confident spots to try my luck again.
That's a smart buck. I ran into one just like that last year. He probably won't be back for awhile if he spotted you. Usually it only works if you bump him with sound. Sight and smell tells him all he's needs to know. The buck I was dealing with last year. I came in from the complete opposite way that everyone else does and set up down wind. He came out about hour before dark and still picked me off from 80 yards out past were I setup. I never saw him again. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I'm not sure if he made the scrapes or not, but when he went to check it....over (2" white Blazer vanes)
