WHEN TO MAKE MOCK SCRAPES

[Cody Gruchow]

who here makes mock scrapes? how many do you do? When do you start? were do you tend to favor more?  i usually start around the second week in october so ill be doing mine this weekend. i also favor just inside the old 4 wheeler trail were the deer travel heavily. i also run about 4 different ones around the farm. anyon elses input, any success in do doing them

[Big E]

I've read where guys do them all summer long starting in the spring. I know deer use the same licking branch year round. I start in September in open oaks and on the edge of our food plots. I normally just put my cameras by them to see what bucks are in the area. My cousin in Southern Wisconsin seen a scrape around the first week of Sept and he put his camera by it and there was 7 different bucks using it. I've seen scrapes already in our woods but only a few. Mid October we see a ton. I don't think it's ever to early to make them. I make about 10 or more a year. I'll rough up the dirt in the scrape right before I  hunt over them to help with a cover sent.

[22lex]

I usually start mock scrapes early october. I have seen some smaller bucks use them, but traditionally I've found that mature deer use them at the wee hours of 11-4 am and not when I've been hunting over them.
So to answer the question of "have I had success using them?" To the best of my knowledge I have not in the past, but like BIG E I do have a camera on one of my mock scrapes and if a buck was using it during shooting hours I wouldn't hesitate to plop a stand right over the top of it and sit a few times.
I also found through experience that once the first doe goes into estrus, the mock scrapes and real scrapes are obsolete except to inferior bucks who cannot compete with the "big boys" who are chasing the does around.

[bowhunter73]

When I first started bow hunting, I did try this with no success but then again I could have messed it all up too.

 Now I just try to hunt over the real deal I do not see why some hunters (no offence) spend the time making a mock scrape and hoping a buck will find it and then continue to use it. When he all ready has marked his own. Where he likes them and checks on them.

  Could some of you explain why you do this?

  Am I just not getting it?   

[Cody Gruchow]

i do mine just off of major trails so any bucks traveling that trail will see it. also want the scent to blow into the bedding area so if there is a dominant buck anywere near there he will come, until the first doe goes into estrus then he dont want nothing to do with scrapes unless theres a doe hes after right there, then ive seen them freshen the scrape while the doe is browsing

[Mayfly]

I'll look for the article bit have no clue where I read it that was talking about mock scrapes being wasteful.

It pointed out two major factors. If I remember right the study was done on some gigantic farm in the SE somewhere. The two points it made have already been mentioned here so maybe you all have read or heard. It simply said that yes, bucks visit other scrapes but it is younger bucks that are doing the investigating. Rarely bigger bucks visit the scrapes and if they do it is at 3-4am. It also mentioned that it will not create a pattern. Once the deer has investigated it probability says he won't have to check it out again.

Basically if you put a mock scrape down and hunt over it the bucks will not come running..but....if you put it down in an area where deer are moving they may stop to check it out to give you a shot so there can be something behind it. Also if you leave the mock scrape there and have a "day time" dripper" that makes no sense. Do you think that the scent that has been dripped just dissapears when it is not dripping? They say that they'll come when its hot...bologna.

That is my 2 cents on mock scrapes........

BUT...I once set up near a real scrape and did see the biggest bodied damn deer that I have ever seen face to face. He was heading right for it! It was still pretty dark so I could not make out the rack but the body was huge. I moved my gun a bit and he had me figured out. This is prime time rut time though so he was on the move.

[Big E]

The reason I use them is for a few reasons.
1st- Scrapes are used as a comunication post where does and bucks will communicate through urine, tarsal glands, forehead glands, saliva, and tear duct. All deer will use it and if it might make a doe or buck come in range to check it out well I'll try it.

2nd-I like to see what kind of bucks I have on the property big or small and I can have a camera on a mock scrape and get pics of them no matter what time of the day just to see what's out there.

3rd-I've had a mock scrape get a big ten pretty mad. I used buck urine in the scrape and he didn't touch my scrape but instead made about 5 scrapes within 20 ft all around it and 1 right next to it. This was before I bow hunted and only had a 35mm trail camera at the time. I got one really nice picture of him the rest of the pics were of the licking branch blowing in the wind. I know if I would've bow hunted back then I probably could've grunted and rattled him in because he wanted the mystery buck out of there. By the time rifle season came around does were in estrus and he didn't bother with them anymore.
 So in conclusion if I can have a chance (even if it's a small one) at fooling a buck without spooking him like rattling and grunting sometimes does. Well then I will try it because it might be that key ingredient I was missing on that day. I've had mature bucks use them during the day but most of the time it's at night. So I say it's worth a shot even if you don't think it will work...it can't hurt.

[bowhunter73]

Big E
  I think you have a good point that it probably can’t hurt. I have some active buck on my land but so far, I have stayed away from them. I think I will try a mock in a spot or two where I know they are traveling at night and see what happens.

 Same land last year, I hunted a scrape and on my second sit, the biggest bodied deer I have ever seen came in. He was also very old; I believe he was past his prime and on the down slope. I know it is not common but this land has no hunters, cars, or wolfs and I do think some of these buck out there are dyeing of old age. And most likely I have not been aggressive enough with them. I am going to try it

[T.R. Michels]

As a guy who has done 10 years of scrape research I MAY know a littel about this subject.

First of all, mature bucks make the most scrapes, and they usually begin scraping earlier thatn 2 or 1 year old bucks. In Minnesota they begin scraping as soon as they shed velvet, which often occurs during the last week of September through the second week of October.

Second, any buck that smells another deer's scent near a scrape MAY investigate that scrape, especially if it is an older bucks and it smells doe urine, estrus doe urine or buck urine in the scrape. 

Third, scrapes are NOT owned by one deer, any buck thqt comes by a scraep MAY investigate it, work the overhaning branch, paw the scrape, urinate in the scraep, or do all three.

Fourth, bucks may use a scrape from 1 time to 15 times, and from every day to every 7 days. The scrapes that are most likely to get hit on a semi-regular basis DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS (leagal hours), are those that appear after October 15, and that are in a location where the bucks feel secure during daylgiht hours (generally not in open areas).   

Fihth, scrapes are usually made in a location where other deer, particularlyd does may com in contact with them (old roads, deer trails, river bottomsm, near food sources),.whickhs is where you are most likelyt to see deer.


All of this being said, you can make a mock scrape anytime after September 1, but the best way is to make one is IN an existig scrape, or near an existing scrape or rub line. Use doe in estrus AND buck urine and hope a buck shows up. I use Wildlife Research Center scents in mine, and they do attract bucks.   

[22lex]

Great info on scrapes/mock scrapes TR, thanks.

Like to say thanks for your information on your website also. I used a couple tips on your elk experiences that helped us out a ton in MT!

[T.R. Michels]

As to my website, I try hard to provide the absolute best information available, based on my own research and guiding/hunting experience, and the research of some of the top biologists in the world - who have shared their research with me - as I have shared my research with them.

I'm glad my elk information helped. And you are welcome.

May God bless us all in these hard economic times,

T.R.