1.) luv2bowhunt - 11/24/2015

Once again I placed mock scrapes at my stand sites this year. I had many, many visits to each scrape very similar to last year. But this year the licking branch did not seem to be as interesting to the deer as it was last year. Not sure why, but one reason may be that I did not buy a fresh bottle of pre-orbital gland scent. I decided to use the remaining scent from the previous year, and that could have had an effect.

My visits were around 70% at night 30% day. However, I did get daytime visits during legal shooting hours, while I was already tagged out with my buck. So, the scrape would have had a positive influence in my hunting this season, had I been out hunting when I normally do.

This is the second year of my project and I am even more certain that the scrapes are a huge plus to have around your stand site. Can't imagine what I've been missing out on all the years I wasn't making them.

These pictures are a few from my most visited scrape. This scrape I placed on an old logging road that is now just a deer trail. I placed it right where the logging road bisects another deer trail. As Deerminator told us last year, location is everything with a mock scrape. I am learning more about what kind of location they prefer every time I make a mock scrape, but anyplace seems to be better than no place.


[/URL]">[/URL]">[/URL]">[/URL]">[/URL]">[/URL]">

2.) Swamp Fox - 11/24/2015

When did you open your scrapes, and will you keep a camera on them for a while? Would like to know what happens post-rut, if you notice.

Also any handy details of how you maintained your scrapes.

Thanks for playing! :tu:

3.) luv2bowhunt - 11/24/2015

The scrapes were opened in early Oct. No real visits until mid Oct. other than the curious doe walking by.

Cameras are removed and safely stored at home before the orange army invasion takes place on Nov. 30.

What would happen post rut is decreased activity, a picture of the occasional rifle hunter crashing through the saplings, followed by night pics of does passing by after they all go nocturnal from the hunting pressure.

Not sure what everyone else's area is like, but you don't want your cameras in the woods during our gun season, unless you like getting new ones each year.

At each scrape I placed pre-orbital scent on a licking branch, and in Oct. a curiosity scent called 'Mystique Intrigue'. It has a little of everything but no doe in heat. I maintained them by freshening them up when I hunted out of that stand, normally every other week.

Starting in late Oct. I started putting doe in heat on the ground in place of the Mystique Intrigue.

Interestingly, I had no mock scrape in the area where I killed the buck this year. It was my first sit in an area I hadn't been back into for 5 years. I just took the climber in there on a hunch, a decision that was made mostly because of an unusual east wind.

4.) Swamp Fox - 11/24/2015

Wow. That's cool.

I have a good bit of late season buck activity on scrapes, which is why I asked about post-rut. As far as I can tell, it's all at night.

Thanks for the info.

5.) Wild Bob - 11/24/2015

I think Swampy visited the licking branch. Then I think it went to his head, and he concocted a new member named assdd2020…:wink

6.) Wild Bob - 11/24/2015

Great info Luv2! Thanks.

7.) Bob Peck - 11/24/2015

I find the general, wary, crouched, head-low, body language of the deer interesting. What that means I haven't a clue. Maybe they approach all scrapes that way to get a good noseful. I'd be interested in conducting a comparison Dr. Luv2.

8.) luv2bowhunt - 11/24/2015

Bob, I think it's similar to what we see during the rut. Think about those bucks that come checking up on the does in front of you during early Nov. Seems to me as they get close to the doe they take that same posture.

It would be interesting to have a camera on a real scrape, but I honestly never even saw a real deer scrape until after I killed my buck. I found the area I killed him in was covered up with scrapes. Maybe next year I can do something with that.

Although Swampy was supposed to be getting a gang of guys to do something with mock scrapes this year, but apparently it was all show and very little go.:wink

9.) Swamp Fox - 11/24/2015

Ha! Ain't that the truth. This hasn't been my year. I'll probably air my grievances in a thread coming soon, unless my head explodes first.

I'd have to check the "organizational thread" for the Mock Scrape Project to remind myself which cats I thought I was herding in which directions. I remember Jon was going to pee in some type of scrape every morning, LOL. I volunteered for something, but once October got past me, I admit I tucked tail. There wasn't much more interest than that, or if there was I don't recall.

Maybe in January we can step forward again and regroup. :tap: We might need seven or eight months to get some type of outline ironed out, LOL.

10.) Wild Bob - 11/24/2015

In regards to Bob and Gerry's comments about the deer's body language; I can add a little general information from another angle: I know many of us trappers that run canine snares out west here and in Canada in whitetail areas to pull our snares once the deer start to rut because it's common for bucks to go head first into a snare and get it caught around their antlers. No big surprise in my mind, but it most certainly confirms that bucks move around in that crouched, low down way as they are trying to maximize scent pick up.

11.) Swamp Fox - 11/24/2015

Luv2, what date did you kill your buck?


And yes, there's still time to post the photo in the deer contest thread. :poke:

12.) luv2bowhunt - 11/24/2015

I killed my buck on Nov. 9, around 3:15 PM.

He was walking down a trail, made a rub for what seemed like an eternity, and finally got within 30 yds.

13.) Swamp Fox - 11/24/2015

:tu:

14.) luv2bowhunt - 11/24/2015

[QUOTE=Wild Bob;36528]In regards to Bob and Gerry's comments about the deer's body language; I can add a little general information from another angle: I know many of us trappers that run canine snares out west here and in Canada in whitetail areas to pull our snares once the deer start to rut because it's common for bucks to go head first into a snare and get it caught around their antlers. No big surprise in my mind, but it most certainly confirms that bucks move around in that crouched, low down way as they are trying to maximize scent pick up.[/QUOTE]

Makes sense to me. Lots of times I see them go by me in Nov., head down, grunting the entire time.

15.) Jon - 11/24/2015

I had a total of ZERO scrapes on my property this year. Thus, no additions to the investigation.