In my experience no they don't. In fact on muiltiple occassions I have watched them (bucks) lick and then chew the branches with the doe urine on them.
What I mean by that is I will not randomly set up mock scrapes and hope that a big buck will hit it sometime. I will only make a mock scrape in an area and a time where I feel a big buck will hit it during daylight hours. The most important aspect of mock setups is not just having a big buck hit it, but rather having him hit it during daylight hours.
Mock scrapes have been a bugger for me. A friend of mine does this allot and has excellent luck with It. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing wrong If I'm even doing anything wrong. If I try a mock scrape I usually won't do It till late In the 2nd week of October to the 3rd week of October. Is that to late? But then again I hardly ever get more then 1/2 dozen scrapes anymore In the 130 acres that my dad owns. Half woods and half ag land Is the make out of his land. I've also tried It earlier and later and still didn't have much luck. I think once or twice I've had deer hit my mock, that's about It.
My best results are the last 10 days of October and the first couple days of November. You have to put it in a desireable location for the bucks... Remember it isn't about just making mock scrapes, it is about putting them in an area where they want to be during daylight. What are you putting in your scrapes? Do you have good licking branches?
Ive done them before, and i have had deer visit them, but almost exclusively at night. I did have a few instances where they visited them during the day, but never when i was around or when i had a camera on them. One time i actually had a deer visit one less then an hour after i made it, but i was somewhere else at the time and just found its tracks. I was going to get into it big last year, but never actually did. This year, i think im going to find a good early scrape and then make my setup over that, and keep it refreshed. Heres a few mock scrape pics:
I usually use doe urine when I do It and yes I always make sure there's a licking branch there. Maybe It's the quality of doe urine I'm using. The spots I'm putting them In should be Ideal spots. I plan on picking up some James Valley gel this year and give that a whirl, my brother loves the stuff for using In drags.
I have never used the James Valley stuff. Although, I have heard positive results from them over the years.
buckeye, That is to funny because that is the exact same thing I do pouring it on the branch and letting it run down and into the scrape. One other trick I have learned to do while making mock scrapes is I will take out a plastic garbage bag to a whole another property than I plan on putting the mock scrape on and I will put the bag over a licking branch on a scrape already there being very careful not to touch the branch put a zip tie on the bag and cut the off the licking branch and bring it to the property I plan on making the mock scrape and tie the branch onto the tree where I am making the mock scrape and then paw up the ground and then pour the urine down that licking branch and it has worked great at times. It is like the bucks smell other bucks they don't reconize and it drives them crazy that other bucks are in there woods making scrapes.. Walt
A bunch of years back, I dug up a scrape and cut off the licking branch and took them to another propertry. I used a regular garden shovel and a plastic bucket. I did not take the scent precautions I should have either (didn't really know much better then). I filled my tag early that year on another property but never went back to check if it worked or not. I didn't add any urine to that scrape, I left it natural. Maybe I will try it again sometime...?
Those are some nice bucks buckeye! a product ive used before is 24/7 and you mix your favorite scent in there or buy it with their scent and it works great for me, the only problem is they seem to use them at night more than during the day.
The scent I use comes in a squeeze bottle. I probably squirt the licking branch for 2-3 seconds and hit the ground for 1-2 seconds. I don't use much, a little goes a long way. For the second part of your question, I only apply it right before I get into stand. I only want fresh urine on the scrape while I am setup near it. It would do me no good to freshen it one evening after a hunt to come back and hunt it the next morning because any of your potential targets would be able to check it at night, defeating the idea of them having to check it during daylight hours.
We've had some pretty good success with mock scrapes as well. It also works well to create the scrape and urinate in it yourself. Deer are curious creatures and can't really decipher human urine from other urine in the scrape.
Ok thanks. Have you ever tried mock scrapes around the tail end of the peak of the rut? I often see bucks re-open scrapes a little before the Thanksgiving time frame in my area.
I never have, but would bet it could be a solid tactic. If you experiment with it this fall be sure to update us with your results.
Will do. I will try it during both the pre-rut and late rut. In my hunting area I ussually see the most bucks during pre-rut. However, I have seen a greater number of mature bucks closer to the post rut. Maybe using mock scrapes during the pre-rut will help increase my sightings of mature deer at that time as well.
Nice bucks Scott. I'm going to give it a shot this coming season. Have you ever tried preorbital gland scent on a licking branch? Is so, what were the results. I do like your idea of using doe urine though. Sure makes life easier just carrying around one bottle of scent.
