Usually try to do a lot of reading on hunting tactics and stuff like that but can't seem to find anything on the subject and really have no experience with it. I've been hunting on of my hs buddies farms for about three years but here in jus the last year to year in half I got access to the entire probably 400 acre. I've scouted enough to pick up on the habits of the deer and how they navigate the farm but until recently haven't really seen any scrapes or rubs to really speak of. Sunday morning was walking across a field and found couple scrapes along edge and have already had plans to hang a stand in that spot but guess my question is if I should or not. My intention was not to put a stand right on top of it but about 30-40 yrds back up the tree line. So guess basically jus looking for some kind of info or advice on the subject. Thanks J.K.
Not a bad idea to hunt around scrapes. If you know the travel routes used then combine that information with the scrapes and you should be able to find a good spot. Shot two deer last year over mock scrape that was 15 yards directly in front of my stand on an edge of timber.
Ive never had success with scrapes on field edges, 99% of the action on field edge scrapes are at night, But i have had success with seeing the deer freshing up scrapes inside of the woods. But it all depends on your woods and how they travel. Also once the rut hits id probably ignore hunting the scrapes just get where the does are going to be.
At this time of the year i would be hunting field edge scrapes and rubs. Pre Rut is now and bucks are cruising around into the late morning. Ive been seeing bucks pushing doe's this week.
Thanks for the info guys, like said already had intentions of hanging stand around that area. Jus figured that would of been bonus for the site ha. The field itself is surrounded by small creek on three sides and timer on two. Already have blind at one end and the stand would be about 300 or more yards from that. The field is only about 75 yard wide and have witnessed several times how the deer travel from one end to the other but with the rut who knows. Anyway thanks guys its always nice to have more opinions than your own.
I love hunting scrapes this time of year (Pre-rut). Bucks are out checking scrapes and searching for does. I shot my biggest buck last year an hour before dark while hunting over a big scrape. That's where I'll be this weekend!
I have killed some nice bucks hunting 40-50 yards downwind of a scrape located in a wood lot but most field scrapes are a waste of time. I have a dripper over a scrape in a wooded funnel that should pay off in the next two weeks. Can't say I have ever seen a buck walk right up to one most most circle down wind and keep moving.
I set up a deer stand two weeks ago over some scrapes. I let my son hunt the deer stand this past Sunday I put some doe pee on the scrapes my son shot an 8 point freshing up a scrap under the tree stand around 5:30 pm.
