i’d be hesitant to make mock scrapes before i see any real scrapes. there’s a time and place for each type of scent and each call. most cover scents are good any time. most don’t use estrous scent before the rut but it depends what you’re hunting. i think it spooks does and would confuse a buck pre-rut but might make a buck stop in a shooting lane? i think fawn bleats and soft grunts are ok from opening day on. but use sparingly after leaves fall so you don’t give away your position. pre-rut, those big buck grunt calls will do more harm than good. estrous bleats might be ok early-rut, but more effective rut and post-rut.
If you want to start something during the Summer or early season then start a licking branch with preorbital scents. It’s not a scrape per say but both bucks and does will use it and you can get trail camera pics on it. There is plenty of info online about how to go about it. I put one out last October and immediately had bucks and does working it. I’m in KY as well and I intend to get a few out in the next couple weeks as a way to get pictures. I’m sure there are guys on here that have mastered the process by now that could give you pointers. I’m a novice at it but I was impressed with the results on my first attempts. As far as calling goes I can tell you that I have hunted for over 30 years and I have yet to call in a deer big enough to shoot. Now I may be waiting on a bigger deer than you are but the biggest buck I’ve ever grunted or rattled in was a 115” 8 pointer that was probably 3 years old. I’ve called in numerous smaller bucks. This calling has been done for the most part in areas with good deer numbers and decent to great buck:doe ratios. I still carry a grunt call and rattle bag with me most of the time and I use them some but have pretty much decided that it is a waste of time and probably does more harm than good for me. I have no doubt that it works in some areas of the country but I have been unimpressed with my results in the Western half of KY over the last 30 years.
