Hunting Deer Scrapes Part 1 - The Planning of a Mock-Scrape

Due to my limited hunting time this upcoming fall I am seriously considering some mock scrapes. I will follow the blueprint of the guys that have used them for years. I need to maximize my time in the woods. I don't like to use scents or calls very much but I think a mock scrape might be a cool thing to play around with throughout the year.

 

Hmmm.. so much of scrape hunting is variable it is hard to pinpoint an exact anything unless I knew the whats wheres and whens.

I'll try to answer to some degree though.

I've only ever took one buck off a scrape line... although a second buck I took off one years later but I didn't know it was there (other side of property line). I don't really focus on them that much because I think they are often hit by traveling deer.. cause generally where I find them its some sort of route in which deer get from point A to point B. Interestingly enough the 2 bucks I did take over them the deer were doing exactly that.. so my conclusion would be to hunt them during the in between stages of the rut. Like right after the "peak" (i so hate using this word) breeding times in late November etc etc. Or in thicker cover.. during the midday as bucks are cruising from one doe to another.

I don't usually focus on a single scrape unless I know without a doubt its the only one around and within good cover for a buck to feel secure in daylight hours. And then I'm looking for other things.. like timing of the year.. where the does are and local food. These help me eliminate which scrapes I don't want to be hunting or hunting yet. Single scrapes are tricky.. unless they are community scrapes.. those can be fun to hunt for just sheer numbers of deer (but most mature buck visits will be at night).

I focus in on multiple scrapes.. usually 2-4 that are made within a closer distance of one another (like under 15 yards max) and within good cover. Usually they are in a circular pattern or triangle even. If you find these.. HANG.. a mature buck is very close and these are his personal scrapes. Unfortunately I don't find them often enough or I'd have more bucks on my wall.. but I have capitalized on a couple this way. Should have done it again last year too.. but never gave it the time it needed.

As far as mock scrapes..

I first thought that I was the only hunter who ever did this and everyone would think I'm crazy.. but what I found out over the years with hunting is.. you're never the only one.

Shed (Troy) does the same and I'm sure others here do as well.. I start my mock scrapes early.. as in late July or early August. My thinking (as I'm sure other hunters have thought) is that I want this scrape to be visited by the time the season rolls around.. so introducing it in October may not help it catch on. I do it early.. but I make and take every available option to eliminate my scent.

I could go on for days on this stuff.

I'm sure if you asked them nicely.. both Shed and Sliver might answer a few Q's for you. They're old time scrape hunters and pretty good at their craft.

 

Thanks Mike for the reply! This definately helps and I will be sure to remember these things when season rolls around.

 

even in the spring time going into summer is a good time too make these scrapes. troy always said to train the deer, like mike said too, start early so the deer become conditioned to these areas way before season starts. I'm a huge believer in mock scrapes and I owe alot of that to Troy for getting me started!

 

An Active Scrape Dripper works well to archery hunt an artificial scape.

 

Mike

I have all the water a guy could ever want to sneak through. With no trees there are no scrapes so I will never get to be a scrape hunter.

The bucks do scrape in the few tree belts and old farmsteads but most is done while dark. The older, mature bucks aren't roaming these places during the day in " my " hunting area. There are no mast bearing trees nor good bedding areas in these tree areas to intice a buck to set up shop when he has thousands of acres of cattail sloughs to be in. The does aren't bedding there so no intice in that reguard.

I've always wandered way our bucks don't make scrapes out in the open where the area can be void of trees for a mile or two. Surely the pigweeds, other heavy stalked weeds, standing corn stalks and ect... would pass as a substitute licking branching to leave scent... but no... not a scrape will be found. Which leads me to believe a scrape is of no major importance other then every buck walking through the area at night leaving his mark to say he has been there in the few tree areas here... which are going to be most of the subordinate bucks in my area. The big, mature boys have setup their core areas amoungst the many sloughs where the does are bedding. They don't need to travel to the tree areas to leave their mark. I see them sticking close to the core area before and during peak rut. I do see them roaming more out of their core after peak rut. After peak rut the scrapes in the few tree areas fizzle out so the subordinate bucks have even given up on scraping.

You yourself say most scrapes are worthless. It is all about location. In other words... the core area of a big buck and " his scrapes ". I know Troy isn't just hap hazardly throwing up mock scrapes but is targetting core areas as you are.

It is fascinating reading about what works for you guys in tree areas... then trying to some how relate it to my area since we are hunting the same beast... just different terrain/features. Very interesting stuff Mike.

Tim

 

I really haven't read past the original post so forgive me if I've missed something. I had another post on a thread under the whitetail hunting title where I discussed scrape hunting so I won't bore you with it again. Scrape hunting is at it best at the end of October in central USA. What I along with many other experts and whitetail biologist have found is that the majority of whitetail scrapes are worked at night making them useless. The rationale for increased success in October is that the deer work them as they are traveling to and from food sources. That is fine if you have one set food source but not nearly as attractive if there are scattered food sources such as copious whiteoak acorns. Most deer have thier winter coats on come October and if it's hot they are not going to move until it cools down. The older bucks are masters at conserving energy so they wont leave thier bed until well after dark. In November, once it has cooled down, those young bucks will work scrape lines in daylight but the big boys keep low. If your looking to kill an early season buck over a scrape one would do well to setup as close to the bucks bedroom as possible. Taking a buck during the cruising stage of the pre rut ( late October early November )hunt right over the scrape for young buck and doe or 40-150 yards downwind of the scrapeline along a trail littered with large rubs for mature buck; they rarely work them in broad daylight but rather scent check them from downwind from the security of cover. These mature buck trails are not nearly as distinct as regular trails so look close. In hill country they generally run right along the edge of a drop off into a ravine and usually traverse thick cover utilizing ravines/erosion ditches/
heavy cover. One must learn to think like a mature buck to consistantly outwit them. Scrapes are lots of fun but to be honest not very productive for consistant success on mature buck.

 

Great write up Mike. Definitly will be following this talk.

 

How many guys on here are going to kill a buck over a mock scrape next year? I can't wait to hear of some of the stories.

 

Hahaha.. Definitely no guarantees VS. Never is in hunting.

And I think guys have to realize that not every property in the world is good for a mock scrape. TJF (Tim) hit on that a little about the grounds he hunts.

I hunt a lot of different ground.. most ground I've ever hunted there are better ways to hunt than a mock scrape. But I think if you have the right piece of ground and you are thorough about what you're trying to do they will work.

If I fail while in the public eye this year.. it won't because I didn't try. It will be because I simply didn't give the scrape enough attention and/or attention to detail.

In other words.. it will be my fault.

There are no guarantees and no miracle tactics.

 

Duke, you better believe I know there are no shortcuts in the deer woods. Even if one out of twenty of us scores on a mock scrape I think that would be a success of some sorts. Cool article.

 

It can easily be done Brett. Location of the scrape and mature buck numbers are a big help.

I had many chances last year In taking this buck pictured below while visiting my mock scrape. I thought he was an older buck (3.5+) going by the body size In my trail cam pictures until I saw him hunting. He was no bigger then 150lbs dressed so I figured he was a kick ass 2.5 year old and let him go countless times on at least 12 different hunts. The bad thing Is, he got shot during the slug season. I knew It was going to happen, he was so easy to hunt during the rut.


This 10 point here I also let go a few different times on a couple of my mocks but my brother ended up finding him dead a few weeks ago shed hunting. I was really looking forward to what he would've looked like this year. Thinking he's a 2.5 year old here. Previous to my brother finding him dead I thought he was a 3.5 but I've changed my mind.




This 8 point here (3.5 year old) I let pass a good 4 to 5 times as well hunting my mock scrape. He's a bad gened buck that should be shot but he made good competition for the other bucks and plus I was after another buck.





This 7 point pictured here also got the pass. He too Is a bad gened buck (3.5 year old) but he too made good competition for the other bucks. Never have I had this many mature bucks around during a hunting season. Makes for great competition and hunting scrapes that much more productive as these bucks are hunting you being there's competition.

 

Those are some wonderful pics Steve.

 

It's very cool to me that you have so much daytime activity over your scrape Steve.

Your scrape must be very near preferred buck bedding.

Only thing that sucks is you've lost a few of these bucks already.

 

Just south of this mock scrape 60 yards Is a huge doe bedding area. Their main trail comes right to this mock scrape. I think the only time bucks bed here Is right before the rut Is 100% on. After I made this mock scrape another 8 to 9 other scrapes were made with In 30 yards of this one In a weeks time. I noticed that on a few other of my mocks too.