Checked a camera for the first time today 8-13 on a good Community scrape I have been hunting for 3rd year now.. Got a ton of pix, does, fawns, young bucks, tweener bucks and lots of elk..and then this guy whom I have been trail caming since he was 2.5.. Hes a shooter this year at 4.5 years old.. Hope this link works.. to my FB page. I posted a few pix of him working the licking branches over well in late JULY.. I call him "Cheater" He's had a little cheater point on his G2 since he was 2.5 ... got pic of him right up until my batteries died.. on 8-2.. hes coming in about every other day or at least every 3rd day.. since mid July.. I put a new camera in there today.. got rid of the battery sucker.. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...02800177.86330.100000118172844&type=1&theater
This is an awsome artical. I hope you don't mind I saved the whole thing in my computer. I'm deffinatly trying this and know just where to do it..
people with facebook can't see the pictures!! Troy the link isn't working and I want to see the pictures !!!!!!!! Tim
Sorry guys.. will load some pics here too.. was tired and in a hurry last night so I threw up that link.. Tim I see you on FB now!
Got a bunch more off another camera today..will load those up.. too.. checked a 3rd camera and the dang memory card failed.. had an error.. one full month of ... NO PICS...grrrr LOL place was pounded though so I put a new card in and will see in a few weeks..
I had to track you down so I could see the pictures. Your buck isn't the only one who is a cheater. Trail cams have been pretty dead for me. I've moved them around so hoping to do better. Got to get one more out. Mineral licks weren't a big hit. The 4x5 at Willy's is finally starting to use the one there though. I pulled the cam though as he is only a 3.5 year old and won't go much over 135. I found a real good spot for the cam though. Found some big tracks. It is where Tyler found the big set last spring. Hoping like heck he is the buck leaving the tracks. you might remember me posting these... I hope it is him !!!! Tim
that buck is standing right under my dripper, hard to see but its in the trees there right above his head.
Awesome post, Troy. I LOVE tinkering with scrapes, and have shot a lot of bucks off of them, but this fall, I think I'm going to become a little more dedicated to creating year-round community scrapes in/around a few of my off-the-path stand sites. For the past few years, I've inventoried using mineral holes, which go dead before archery season fires up. Once I dial in on a bona-fide shooter, I think it would definitely be worthwhile to pique his interest and plan an ambush at a remote, but accessible, scrape site. You, my friend, are a scrape guru.
Troy, do you allow the dripper itself to act as the "licking branch", or do you try to hang it ABOVE a licking branch so they've still got an actual branch to work over?
always have at least 1 licking branch.. usually multiple branches prepped.. Your a trapper, the whitetails are no different..that visual is important along with the scent... they see those licking branches and go to them to investigate..
Thanks for the low down on Scrapes. I will deffinately be using this when considering where and how to place my next mock scrape.
Great article. As a novice I didn't know about the licking branches. I'm hunting near a scrape right now, but I haven't touched it as I've been concerned with my scent getting too close to it. Just have a camera set up to see what kind of activity is going on. Thanks again for the article.
After reading this thread I built a scrape and it was really cool to see what showed up. More does hit it than bucks. This was the best buck to hit it.
i've been busy hunting, sorry I haven't revisted the scrape thread lately... Here are a few good bucks i am targeting from my scrape inventory this season... Back in the woods today for the first time since Sept 30th bull elk kill.
Great Write up! Excellent write up, very informational! I have made a post in the same forum category "Whitetail Deer Hunting" titled "To make Mock scrapes, or to not make mock scrapes?...that is the question", that shows a topographical map of my hunting location that I am considering applying mock scrapes. If you get a chance, check it out I would love to read what you have to say about my idea of applying mock scrapes near my stand. Thanks again for the excellent write up and I will be looking for more of your posted threads in the future. Happy Hunting!
