Good informative article on creating, maintaining, and choosing the right location for a mock scrape. Be searching havent really found anything to informative to feed my curious mind. Thanks in advance
http://www.bowhunting.com/blog/post/Hunting-Deer-Scrapes-The-Planning-of-a-Mock-Scrape.aspx http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?t=16454&highlight=Mock+scrape http://www.bowhunting.com/blog/post/Creating-a-Mock-Scrape-in-August.aspx http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?t=8888&highlight=mock+scrapes http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?t=1401&highlight=mock+scrapes
I have created them on the side of foodplot with a lot of luck. 6 different bucks. If I was building one to hunt over I would pick a spot on top of a ridge with good thick cover very close. With a lot of sign of does around.
I'd love to help, I could do a write up on what I am doing right now if anyone would like to see it, I can document everything this summer with info and pics. I started mine last weekend (took a lot of pics) and have been using mock scrapes for the last 14 seasons. Many of which have been take over by the local deer herds and are now big community scrapes. My main objective is locating areas where big mature bucks feel comfortable being on their feet and checking scrapes/licking branches during daylight hours "outside" of the RUT. Let me know guys, if there is enough interest, I'd enjoy doing the work and sharing. I need to note all of my mock scraping and overmarking is in accordance with bigwoods/mountain forested habitat, not too much farm ground here but enough here in Northern Idaho I think I can somewhat address what I am doing near the little bit of farm ground I hunt as well. Mosty big woods though..
Good man Dave! You won't go wrong. That stuff works like a million bucks.... I need to get out and re- activate my areas!
Ryan, I am really excited to get this going in my area. I have some great locations to start using this product and have cameras watching. Cant wait to check them in a month.
Shed Id love to hear it to man! Going start making a couple here shortly just gotta place my order at Buckfever USA
Ok Guys, I will get on it. setting these traps if you will...mock scrapes and overmarking existing scrapes, most importantly the licking branches (which are checked every month of the year by deer) can definately provide any bowhunter valuable information on when and where to hang and hunt specific deer, especially outside of the rut which is where a lot of us bigwoods hunters face tough obstacles due to the fact that there is no destination food source like in ag ground. Here I can NOT bait either, so the best option I have is using a deer's biology against him.
Here is a list of topics that I feel need addressed, please cut and paste and add to this this is there is something you guys want me to address. 1. Application Process 2. Determining productive locations for daytime use 3. Frequency of intrusion 4. Enterance and Exit Strategy 5. Product Options 6. Hunting scrapes, proximity, tactics and methods 7. Scrape lines vs Community Scrapes vs Edgeline Scrapes add more.. this is just off the top of my head.. gotta get to my next class..
Ok Guys I got a ton of work done in the whitetail woods yesterday... I have 9 cameras out now on several overmarked scrapes and I've built new ones too.. documenting and picturing it all.. will get something up .. Part 1 asap..hopefully by the weekend.. I have a bunch of construction going on at my house.. but will get something up ..as soon as I can.
I got Into these Mock scrapes In 2009 real heavily and this Is exactly what the man himself shed told me to do so take what he says golden as It was worked for me excellent. Here's what I did. I hunt 120 acres that Is privately owned by my dad and my brother. 50 acres or so Is tillable, 60 acres or so Is woods and the rest (10 acres or so) Is swamp and cattails. I went In areas of the woods and put Mock scrapes where I thought bucks could be bedding somewhat close to. I didn't get my mock scrapes started until mid September being that's when I decided I was going to try this. I put out 5 different Mocks and put trail cams on everyone. After checking the mocks I put out 10 days prior I moved everyone and tried other areas In the woods as there was no pictures of mature bucks, just younger ones. A week later I checked the scrapes and cams again and bam I was finally In an area where a couple different mature bucks bed. One buck In particular was a dandy 150 Incher. I had him on cam on 3 different mocks. In a couple weeks time I had him figured out on 3 of his bedding area's. My very 1st hunt for this buck should've been my last hunt with him. Had him at 12 yards broadside but shot a tad high and forward. When he came from his bedding area he winded that mock scrape just like I knew he would. From my experience 9 times out of 10 allot of these older bucks (4.5 and older) are not going to check these mocks by going directly to them like they do the very 1st time but Instead by just winding them down wind 30 to 50 yards or maybe even farther. I was with In 30 yards of this particular mock but knew where his bedding area was and set up on that trail and It worked out perfect with the set up. Fast forward to 2010 I started my mocks In August. I put some In the same spots as 2009 but also tried some new spots. I got some great pics right away. Most of their curiosity with the Mock scrape was the licking branch. As time went on they would eventually start pawing away on my mocks and making their own scrapes usually with In 20 yards of mine. I loved seeing that, that told me they were competing with me and possibly looking for an encounter. Shed told me right away make these bucks hunt you and that's exactly what these bucks were doing. Through out the pre rut and rut I got well over 500 pics of 4 different mature bucks In the day light (one 5.5 year old, two 4.5 year olds, one 3.5 year old). Some times they would check these mocks at noon while other times It was mornings or evenings. I hunted with In 50 to 70 yards of these mocks and had many sightings and opportunities. Of all the mature bucks I had saw I wanted just the one as he was the buck I had wounded the year before otherwise I could've many times ended the season prior to the rut with one of the 4.5's and one of the 3.5's. I'd see these bucks damn near every sit and have them with In 10 to 12 yards. When placing mocks for the pre rut and rut what worked best for me was putting mocks where doe trails would come out of doe bedding area's. Man alive did I get pics of bucks during the day light all hours of the day at these spots. 2011 was a blast and I learned a ton on where bucks travel during the pre rut and rut just because I put mocks In these areas. Best of luck with using mock scrapes. It's a blast when you get It figured out.
Ok Guys.. I got all the text for the first part written up and now need to get photos compiled.. Should have part 1 up this evening.. Got a bunch of family business to take care of today.. I need to take the time tonight to get the right pics placed appropriately in the write-up.. can't do it now! close though..
Well chit.. I have 31 thousand characters and the site only accepts 10K at a time.. I tried posting my mock scrape write up...now I gotta cut it down.. or break it up...probably too long for most to want to read anyway...
