I was wondering what your opinions are on scrapes. Last night we got a good dump of snow, first snow in a while, and I had a buck come up to my stand. He spooked when I moved to see him, but once I got down I tracked his steps a little and noticed he made a scrape about 50 yards below where I was sitting. I was calling every now and than and rattled a couple times before seeing him. Do you think he will come back to that scrape? Is my stand in a good spot for hunting him or is he just making a scrape to mark his territory? And insight to what I should do is greatly appreciated. I moved my trail cam to the fresh scrape in hopes of getting a picture of him.
Although I can't say for sure I think its more of a territorially scrape. I've called in a couple bucks this year and the two did the exact same thing. I think they were just pissed that another buck was in the area and decided to take it out on the ground.
I just put my camera up over a fresh scrape I found on Thursday 11-11 and checked it today 11-16. And this was this is what I found...
That's what I'm hoping to see. Funny thing is the trail he walked in on, I walked up to get my bro out of the stand on Sat. I told him that the trail looked fairly well used and that we should maybe move the stand around a little so that we can see/shoot that trail easier. Should have done something for it. I can't wait to check my cam sat.
Was there an overhanging branch where the scrape is? I ask because I watched (2006 Bow Zone) a buck paw the snow down thinking he was making a scrape. Then he laid down in it for a while, just looking around. Here's what happened when he got back up and walked too close to me.
It was right in front of a fir tree so there was a few branches above. He came by me fairly fast so I don't think he was trying to bed.
I've personally never done any good hunting an individual scrape. They're very random, and most like that are just made in passing, and usually at night. Scrape lines are something entirely different. That's usually a well used route of a specific buck. Hunt his scrapes, or hunt where his trail crosses other trails, especially as rut is approaching because he will most like cross those trails scent checking.
He could come back to that one especially if the trail is well used by does. I'd stick with that spot a few more times.
I just finished sitting there and froze too bad so I left. It's -19C here today and that's no fun to hunt in. I pulled my card and have a pic of the deer. It's not the buck I passed on earlier bit he is still decent. Next year he will be a shooter for me. I'll post pics later
