This will be as short as I can make it. Basically I started a mock-scrape WAY back in August. I worked it over about every 7-10 days. By mid-September a buck or two were also starting to visit it.. so I just continued re-freshening it myself as well. By mid-October I didn't have to even touch it.. the bucks had torn it up.. and it seemed like over night.. even making it about 3 times the size of its original. Over 2 prior sits I had seen 3 or 4 bucks hit the scrape while I was in stand.. a couple 2 yr olds and a few 1's. Eventually by later October some REAL nice rubs started to appear. On the morning of November 12th.. I slipped in WELL before shooting light following a good frost. The plan was simple.. rattle at first shooting light in hopes of catching a buck in the distance who was off 1 doe and looking for another. Less than 10 minutes after the session ended.. he showed up. Upon examining the rubs closely.. I found 2 distinct groves less than 1 inch apart.. and the buck I just shot had a split brow which likely caused those grooves.. also had a bunch of pine tar and shavings on his bases. So cool.. not only did the scrape everyone laughed at work perfect.. but I also took the mad shredder who was tearing the pines apart. Here he is.. a solid 3 yr old.. I was going to possibly let him walk.. but I sized him up to just squeeze into P&Y net. And I didn't have a pope from this county. So obviously I didn't let him walk. Near 133" gross. The scrape. One of the rubs. The buck. And check out my sweet mustache. I call him Dale. I know the pics aren't the best.. but my wife was not happy about making it out to take pics of my dead buck at the time.
what a great technique and a lot of work, but more importantly...what great skill it takes to do it...nice job on a wonderful looking brute..
That buck did not come into the rattling or the scrape...he walked in because of the stache. Give the stache it's credit. Again, great buck.
I like to think it was the stache too. I wish I had more time than the 5 minutes my wife gave me (she had to go to work) and took more pics. My Dale Earnhardt impression with this thigh tickler is great.:D
That is a great idea. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get bucks on my property. (No major funnels and a lot of field edges) This may be the answer. Thanks and congrats.
Congrats on the buck Duke. I had a feeling you were going to score soon. I love that split brow. The stache is hilarious (in a good way).
