Then, the next time he's passing through the area, the chances are good that he'll come right over and check it out since he knows it's there. It may take some moving back and forth to find the right spot. Interesting article, Kim. During … I next to never truly bank on mock scrapes to drag bucks to within shooting range. Doug believes there are four basic components to a good mock scrape that will fool deer. Also, by making your scrape(s) in the spring, all you'll need to do when hunting season rolls around is slip in and rework the ground in the scrape. When you go into the field to make your mock scrapes, wear your best scent elimination clothing and durable rubber boots. It took only one tool that I brought in not including the camera. First is location selection. Haynes Shelton debunks the common belief that you must have big, fancy equipment to plant food plots. Training to Shoot When Stuck at Full Draw, Don't Let Sudden Challenges Derail Your Deer Season, Hanging Stands for Every Phase of the Archery Season, How To Make a Mock Scrape & Licking Branch, How to Plant Food Plots on a Budget with Small Equipment, Importance of Conducting Soil Tests for Food Plots, How to Manage Expectations When Planning and Planting Food Plots. Then I'll take that limb and attach it over the perfect scrape location. This October take the time to make your own mock scrape. At this point, the licking branch is in place, the dirt has been exposed you have a couple of options. I've had that happen on a number of occasions. And third and perhaps most important of all, the scented dirt is waterproof. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Sometimes I'll use a long-dead tree limb to span a large gap between two trees and then attach the licking branch to that dead limb so that it hangs properly over the scrape. I always carry a saw, a hammer and a handful of 16-penny nails, some wire and a pair of wire pliers. Constructing & Hunting a Mock Scrape Hunting mock scrapes has been a successful tactic used by many … When he urinates in the deer scrape, he releases only enough urine to “get the point across.” Since a deer’s sense of smell is so superior, far greater than we could ever imagine, he does not need to deposit a lot of urine. Now is the time to sit back and reap the rewards of the work you did in the spring! He will actually take a small, clean shovel and remove some of the existing dirt and put down a large piece (or two) of wax(ed) paper, and then replace the dirt over the top of the fake scrape. Of course, you can only do this if you really worked up the ground within the scrape. 5 Steps to Successfully Hunt Velvet Bucks, Scouting Deer Bedding Areas: Locating, Creating and Observing. I've never liked the idea of pouring a bottle of expensive scent on the ground only for it to be washed away with the first rain shower. Sometimes a funnel will not restrict movement as close to my tree as I like (or need) for a close shot. And this is where I built my latest mock scrape. We discovered that during the two weeks leading up to peak breeding mature bucks made 6 to 12 scrapes every hour they were on their feet. Second, strict precautions are used during the manufacturing of Deer Dirt to ensure that the product is not contaminated with any human or foreign scents. The actual ground scrape is made by the buck pawing the ground and whisking the leaves and dirt away. In fact, this mock scrape is within a 30 yard bow shot from a … The branch should be at approximately 4 feet high–never touch it! Fill your quiver with the right ammo this season. Good location is just part of the equation. When they see one, deer leave their scent there so that other deer know their status. Obviously, you'll first need to know which tree you'll be hunting from. The steps I took to make this mock scrape in these photos took me a grand total of 2 minutes. If you've ever tried to settle your sights on one of these traveling bucks, you know how difficult it can be. But there are several good reasons why I do make them. But, in the early 2000s, after University of Georgia researchers found that 85% of scrape … It’s a good idea to freshen up the scrape each time you visit until you see signs of deer activity. It doesn't take much looking to find a curved, sturdy limb with an end that can be broken off to finger size. A mature buck is very particular about his overhanging limb or licking branch. Whenever I find a suitable limb, I'll give it a hard whack or two on the ground to make sure that it won't break with hard use. There are several reasons I recommend this fine product. But I did. We begin using mock scrape set-ups as effective hunting and inventory locations the last two weeks of October. While any dirt will do, the best mock scrapes start out with some soil and deer droppings that you collect at an existing scrape if you can find one (once you create a mock scrape in a place you really like, you can collect urine-soaked soil and droppings from real scrapes later this fall and add it to your scrape). Even bucks that are reluctant to enter a field during daylight will often come visit a staging area mock an hour or more before dark, scraping … The mock scrape I shot the “broken-tined ten” out of (written about above) was made by simply removing the leaf litter underneath some honeysuckle branches a few feet off a deer trail and spraying buck urine in the bare dirt. A word of caution, however — be careful not to touch the end of the limb that will be hanging over the scrape. After your limb is in place, remove any sticks or leaves from the ground underneath it. Keep in mind that it should be within easy shooting distance of your tree. After you've picked the right tree, locate the spot in your funnel through which most of the deer will be passing. I don't make mock scrapes because I think mature bucks will take them over and hang around the area. Rake an existing scrape down to bare soil, and trowel a fair amount of the dirt, about 3 to 5 pounds, into the bag. Through a patented process, deer urine is incorporated into the waterproof dirt. It's always much better if he stops on his own. While this deer-scented dirt is not necessary, it adds realism and makes for a quicker and a more consistently attended scrape. If you are forced to cut and hang a separate limb, make sure you snap off the vegetation and the small ends on the portion that hangs over the scrape. Of course, you can always try grunting to stop him, but that will immediately put him on alert. He reasons that the wax paper will help urines stay in that scrape longer. How to Make a Mock Scrape. Oil containing human scent from your hands can stay on the limb for a long time. Half the challenge of bowhunting is getting deer inside your effective range. As mentioned in Part 1 last month, I don't believe a buck will "hang around" the location of a scrape he has found. The final reason I make mock scrapes at all my stand locations (in funnels) is to lure bucks over to my stand site. Oftentimes, if you find an existing limb with these characteristics, there will already be a scrape under it! As an added precaution, when I revisit my mock scrapes in early October to rework them up, I always use total scent control. A mock scrape in a funnel is a great location for a trail camera. Follow these simple steps to make an attractive and useful mock scrape. Between now and about mid November is prime time for deer to use scrapes (mock and organic) in Virginia. You may wonder: What if there is no suitable licking branch in the exact location where I want to put the scrape? I've found that it's always best to place a new overhanging limb over the perfect scrape location rather than try to place a scrape in an undesirable location where a limb already exists. You should always be able to take a shot at a buck standing in the scrape. Deer Dirt??? A mature buck could pass just behind your camera or out of range in front of it. You can add store bought scent to the dirt, you can add your own scent, or you can leave it bare. While any dirt will do, the best mock scrapes have soils with real deer scent in them. Without stepping into the middle of your scrape, hang your empty dripper on a limb above the chew branch where scent will drip and land in the scrape. That tool was a standard hand saw that I use to clear shooting lanes. If you’ve been hunting real buck scrapes over the years and are tired of getting busted there, start making mock scrapes in places that benefit you, not the deer. Now you can buy both the urine and the drippers, designed specifically to slowly drip over an extended period. You can also use Trails end 307 the entire season to keep deer visiting these locations. Kroll’s mock scrape study found no individual bucks revisiting a scrape during his research (which ran the last two weeks of October). In 1990 I was a part of a scrape research project conducted on the Avery Estate in New York State where deer could be closely monitored in a natural setting. Give a Gift   About the buck photos above: Kim’s cameras captured both these bucks working her mock scrapes and chew branches earlier this July, proof her tactic works! Many times you only need to make them once. All Rights Reserved. Place your trail camera nearby and enjoy the images you’ll get until hunting season opens.–Kim. Fill your dripper with scrape-starter solution and make sure it’s dripping a bit. First, locate a fresh scrape and shovel the dirt where the deer have already urinated on it into a clean odor free container. One should be about 4 or 5 feet long and the other should be about 2 or 3 feet long. This is the time I also place scent in the scrape. Some bucks are even spooked by the infrared light from no-flash cameras. ... Second, strict precautions are used during the manufacturing of Deer Dirt to ensure that the product is not contaminated with any human or foreign scents. The right arrow for your setup will boost your whitetail body count. New York: New Record Typical Bow Buck 191 3/8”, Kentucky: Lady’s First Bow Buck Scores 180”, Vermont Deer Hunting: Record Muzzleloader Buck Shot in 2020, 4 Ways To Get Rid Of Old Or Bad Ammunition. You may even find that a buck has already opened up your scrape for you. If the mock scrape is highly visible to deer, I would leave without adding scent. Some funnels are too wide to get a shot of all the deer passing through them in a single photograph. Here follows the ultimate guide for hanging bow stands for each phase of deer season. “First, hunters need to build a scrape so dirt is distributed in all directions. If there is a suitable limb or sapling hanging close to the scrape, bend it over and tie it or wire it in place. HOW TO MAKE A MOCK SCRAPE. I almost always strive to set up where Mr. Big naturally wants to be, anyway. I just want to add one little trick that I learned from Sam Collora. You never know if a buck you are targeting is flash-shy or not. Rake an existing scrape down to bare soil and trowel 3 to 5 pounds of the deer-scent dirt … This means that the scent does not wash away every time it rains. A buck urinates in the mock scrapes to send a message that they want to breed or let other deer know their dominance. It's a simple matter to drive the posts into the ground a few feet apart and nail or wire your limb securely to them. If you're looking for the "best" deer rifle, the good news is there are a lot of very good. Use a couple of sticks to expose the dirt below your licking limb and scratch up the spot. This leads me to the next reason I like to make scrapes in all of my funnels. I found several trails, a few small rubs and scrapes and 2 larger scrapes that I call “breeding scrapes.” These large scrape spots were the first 2 places I placed cameras. Haynes Shelton talks about how to deal with problems and issues you will likely encounter when planning and planting food plots for wildlife. I do like to break the overhanging limb and expose the dirt below to make it appear as real as normal. Yes, bucks can see the light from an infrared camera. By ccwhitey, October 17, 2007 in Deer Hunting. So easy to make, this Venison Queso Dip Recipe can be whipped up in as little as 30 minutes. I use Wildlife Research Center, but there are other products out there. A buck's scrape is a multi-stimuli sign post made by a buck to convey a variety of messages to the other deer in the area. Knowing how particular mature bucks are about licking branches has led me to fabricate my own overhanging limb most of the time. Positioning yourself near a scrape can give you a close shot at a distracted, motionless deer, which is a perfect scenario. These sites are effective the entire month of November, during those pre-rut and rut stages, during the heat … There is a good chance you might get a look at the buck if he’s working the area. While I'm traveling through the woods on the way to my funnel, I'm always on the lookout for a good limb. That's simply not the case; he's how to plan and plant food plots on a budget with small equipment. Learn how planting fruit trees can benefit your deer herd. Set … You will need a dripper system with a “scrape starter” solution. I love using mock scrapes (especially in my decoy setups. I use these scrapes to spot-check each funnel to see how much deer traffic the area is receiving during rut movement. Through a patented process, deer urine is incorporated into the waterproof dirt. Again, the key is the location of it. But turns out that might not be the best time for mock scrapes. and ideas today. What can you do to ease the physical and mental rigors of being caught at full draw? However, if a mature buck passes by your mock scrape at night or some other time when you're not there, he won't soon forget it. While any dirt will do, the best mock scrapes start out with some soil and deer droppings that you collect at an existing scrape if you can find one (once you create a mock scrape in a place you really like, you can collect urine-soaked soil and droppings from real scrapes later this fall and add it to your scrape). Targeting the Best Areas While a dripper is a cool tool, hot scrape areas can be … Another neat way to make a mock scrape where trees are lacking is to use a … Many fine trophies have been lost because the buck would not stand still long enough for the hunter to make the shot. If you think deer decoys are a gimmick, think again. The first opportunity is mock scrapes create the attraction needed to draw deer in front of your trail cameras. And third and perhaps most important of all, the scented dirt is waterproof. Being a hunter with 40 years of experience, I didn’t think I would stumble onto some deer behavioral habits I was not aware of. Usually a couple of gallons of soil will work. Next, one can sweeten the deal a bit with a mock scrape of our own. Note: Do not use doe in heat or an estrus scent at this time in the summer. Once the scrape is ready, I get out of the area as quickly as possible. The result can be a novel way to put a mock scrape right where you need it. Initially when I purchased my small wooded property I completed an extensive walk of the land in early spring. Your mock scrape is not only scent-based but also a visual sign, so rake out at least a 2 foot by 3 foot area below the overhanging branch. why pay for somethign you can get free some place else. Today’s guest blog is from Wisconsin hunter and friend of BIG DEER Kim Redburn: Did you know that a whitetail buck will check and freshen a scrape year-round? One of my favorite hunting uses of a mock scrape is to find a staging area—a patch of thick cover just off a feeding area—set a stand and create a mock within shooting distance. For one, I make and use mock scrapes as a scouting tool. Used right, they're magical. With mock scrapes, you can bring the deer closer to the hunting … The order of these steps may vary from one buck to another, but most often they will occur in exactly this order. Growing up in the early ‘90s, I was taught that if you saw a scrape, you ought to hunt it right away.It was just that simple. Use a heavy rake to tear up the ground in an area as big as a truck hood. Hang your favorite scent dripper or scent wick saturated with Nationwide Scents Scrape Lure on the overhanging branch. I only use infrared cameras in these locations because I know I will be hunting here later. That narrow piece of ground where most of the deer will walk through should be your first choice for the scrape. That of course takes an extremely reliable trail camera, but I also encourage you to try out DeerLab's 30 day free trial, for their trail cam herd monitoring software-it works great!. If you use your imagination and do a little experimenting, you'll be amazed at the ways you can come up with to attach a limb in the right location. Remember, a scrape is meant to concentrate deer activity to smell it, so they’ll be actively sniffing around the area. If you find that a buck has come by and worked the mock scrape, freshen it again and hang your stand. Would You Relocate Just to Hunt Big Deer? With your rubber boots, scrape a 3 foot circle down to bare dirt under a low over hanging branch. As you probably know, mature bucks are constantly on the move during the rut. If you have a favorite treestand providing consistent action but there isn’t a scrape nearby, you can create a mock scrape … I've often said that I could hang a licking branch out over a lake! The actual ground scrape is made by the buck pawing the ground and whisking the leaves and dirt away. *I use mock scrapes not only to define movement, but to build an inventory for mature bucks! I am taking a chance here because the closest trail is only 50 yards away, but from the tall oak I have a good lane of visibility, which is another reason I chose the tree. If you wait until the fall to do this, you'll obviously disturb the area, and this could be counterproductive. Promote activity at mock or primary scrapes with buck urine collected from a single whitetail buck and intensified with natural gland secretions. Now it's time to really work the soil. The ground needs to be worked in 360 degrees around the scrape and the ground needs to be torn up. As I rake, I envision a buck. go figure....go out to state or county land when the bucks start macking scrapes, findone, take some of that dirt put in a good sized ziplock bag, and make your own mock scrape with that. Enjoy creation, grant. It's all about managing expectations. The mock scrape I shot the “broken-tined ten” out of (written about above) was made by simply removing the leaf litter underneath some honeysuckle branches a few feet off a deer trail and spraying buck urine in the bare dirt. This is when you'll need to return and start working the ground again. Once the deer become conditioned to that spot, they will use it year-in and year-out as long as the licking branch remains. This makes the scrape more … The actual mock scrape … If you're hunting on private land, it's always good to ask permission before you put nails in a tree. Mock scrapes make deer curious. Features: Pure buck urine intensified with natural gland secretions Delivers a strong, musky smell that drives bucks wild Promotes activity at primary and mock scrapes and helps … October 21, 2015 Then, the majority of the time he will urinate down his hocks and over his tarsal glands into it. Also keep in mind that you'll need an existing shooting lane (or one that can be opened up by trimming limbs) at the height you'll be hunting from. The Big Dripper - One of the most effective ways to apply liquid scents to a mock scrape is the scrape dripper. After you've finished making your mock scrape, back out and stay out of the area until around the first of October. ©2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. A lot of hunters will hunt scrapes during the peak rut, when in reality it should be the weeks prior. There was seemingly no deer sign more hyped than the pawed up patches of dirt that whitetail bucks make each the fall. As mentioned above in the “What time of day do deer visit scrapes” section, I (RZ) had 48 deer photos taken at one scrape from Dec. 9 1998 to Jan 17 1999. Especially take note of any large track that shows up in the dirt on a regular basis. If it seems I’m doing things backwards—choosing a tree and then a place to scrape–well I am sort of, but that is how much I believe in my mock scrape making. However, mock scrapes within a 100 yards or so of heavily worked, natural … Now spread your collected soil evenly across your scraped-out area. Two cameras were placed along prominent deer trails, and the last 2 cams were delegated security to watch the camper and the gate. Using a climbing stick to set the height of the tightrope, I attach the vertical branch to the midpoint, run the cable to a tree on the other side and presto. Experience has taught me that it's always best to initiate mock scrapes in the late spring or early summer because you'll need to stay in the area for some time to figure out exactly where to place the scrape(s) and it will take time to fashion the scrape(s) the way you want it so it will look real. Also, if necessary, this is the time to cut a wide shooting lane between the scrape and the tree you'll be hunting from.