BSK or anyone else who knows a lot about scrapes

[Shed Hunter]

This morning I decided to hunt were my big trail cam buck was till 8:00 then scout, it's a salt lick so I didn't expect to see much. As expected, I didin't see anything in stand so I climbed out and looked around. As soon as I got to a whiteoak, maybe 60 yards from the lick, I found a nice trail with his tracks fresh in it. I followed it around the ridge and decided it looked good enough. Then I walked back up the middle of the ridge and found a large scrape in a patch of small poplar trees. It didn't have a licking branch though, what does that mean? Does it matter? There was a 2" tree demolshed about 5 yards away and a little dime size rub.

I started too pee in it but looked up and saw a doe trot off. I knew were she went so I waited a bit then followed. When I got to were she was standing I noticed she had been bedded by a tree with another deer. I ended up stalking them in a patch of kudzu. Unfortunately I couldn't get any closer and can't shoot good enough at 40 so I just let em be and moved my stand 20 yards from the scrape and trail.

May try an evening hunt and putting a cam over the scrape today.

 

[Coach]

Usually, in my humble opinion and experience, a buck will visit a scrape about every three days or so.

 

[double browtine]

Sounds like you moved to the right spot.

 

[yamaha200]

How did you know they were his tracks ?

 

[bowriter]

How did you know they were his tracks ?

Good question but was your original question?

If it was me, I would forget I ever saw the scrape other than to pee in it now and then and hunt the trail where you saw "his" tracks. The scrape means little in terms of hunting.

 

[Coach]

I disagree on hunting the scrapes with BW and Poser...everyone has their ideas I guess and that's what makes this site a goodun...

 

[Boone 58]

This morning I decided to hunt were my big trail cam buck was till 8:00 then scout, it's a salt lick so I didn't expect to see much. As expected, I didin't see anything in stand so I climbed out and looked around. As soon as I got to a whiteoak, maybe 60 yards from the lick, I found a nice trail with his tracks fresh in it. I followed it around the ridge and decided it looked good enough. Then I walked back up the middle of the ridge and found a large scrape in a patch of small poplar trees. It didn't have a licking branch though, what does that mean? Does it matter? There was a 2" tree demolshed about 5 yards away and a little dime size rub.

I started too pee in it but looked up and saw a doe trot off. I knew were she went so I waited a bit then followed. When I got to were she was standing I noticed she had been bedded by a tree with another deer. I ended up stalking them in a patch of kudzu. Unfortunately I couldn't get any closer and can't shoot good enough at 40 so I just let em be and moved my stand 20 yards from the scrape and trail.

May try an evening hunt and putting a cam over the scrape today.

I have never been one to stick to scrapes in general but have learned a few things.
In certain years i have this one scrape location beneath a beech and it is a primary and i have killed a best ever buck near it.
while tracking that same buck i came across another set of beech trees with about 7 of them concentrated close together and noticed at least 7 or 8 large scrapes within that 20 yard area. I made note of it and the next year i placed my son over that scrape for two days in a row and got busted by several deer. Finally on the third attempt at nearly 11 am in the morning he shot a nice 8 pt coming in to it right at the eve of breeding phase. Not every scrape means something important, not every scrape means it is not the one that is............... :)

 

[Shed Hunter]

How did you know they were his tracks ?

Good question but was your original question?

If it was me, I would forget I ever saw the scrape other than to pee in it now and then and hunt the trail where you saw "his" tracks. The scrape means little in terms of hunting.

yamaha-Obviously I can't tell for 100% sure but I'm pretty sure it is.. if not then oh well, theres a different big buck in there now.

BW & Poser-thanks for the advice, I set it up to focus on the trail, the poplar trees around the scrape are too thick for a bow shot anyways

Hunted it this evening and saw one walk up the adjacent ridge, couldn't tell what it was. I'll hunt it again Wed barring a change in wind prediction. After that I'll have to wait till the 20-23

 

[BSK]

As Poser mentioned, turkey scratching can closely mimic a scrape. Most scrapes will have either an overhanging limb or brushy shrub tye plant directly adjacent (I've seen bucks make scrapes next to tiny cedar trees or even patches of grape-vine that they were using for scent-marking instead of an overhanging branch).

Hunting scrapes can be really hit and miss. Although as Poser mentioned (primary scrape) and Boone 58 alluded to ("traditional" scrapes--scrapes that show up in the same spot year after year), hunting some scrapes can be fairly productive. Personally, I like scrape concentrations--an area of 25-30 yards with 5-8+ fresh scrapes scattered around.

And contrary to popular belief, the size of a deer's track cannot be used to tell the size, age, or sex of the deer. Some small/young does just have big hooves, and some older bucks do not.

 

[Food Plot 101]

x 2 on the hoof size. my brother shot a 2.5 yo 9pt. dressed about 130#. Same morning I shot a 3.5-4.5 yo 10pt. dressed at 170#. His 9pt. had much larger hooves, and the deer were killed 3 miles apart. Sorry to hi jack.

 

[Shed Hunter]

x 2 on the hoof size. my brother shot a 2.5 yo 9pt. dressed about 130#. Same morning I shot a 3.5-4.5 yo 10pt. dressed at 170#. His 9pt. had much larger hooves, and the deer were killed 3 miles apart. Sorry to hi jack.

This deer is not very large but has a very big foot (2nd biggest I've seen) Wish I had a pic of his track (I know that I've seen his track in my salt lick as he is the only buck that used it for three weeks)

Also, as in humans and many other animals, you could most likely form a scatter plot of foot to body size and see a positive line of best fit with outlier points from the abnormal deer.. of course I've never done this research but it seems logical

Either way the spot looks promising and I'm going to hunt it tomorrow. Even if I was 100% sure it wasn't his foot-I'd still hunt it due to how heavily used the trail is.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I'm in the camp of those that will hunt clusters of scrapes (kinda) but choose to hang/hunt stands downwind of the scrapes rather than right over them. A grown buck will often simply pass downwind of scrapes to scent check them, and keep it moving (oftentimes WELL downwind).

It took me a few years and several missed opportunities to figure this out and exercise the discipline to back off. If it's a mature buck you're after it might be worth investigating a stand location that's not right on top of the scrapes.

 

[BSK]

Also, as in humans and many other animals, you could most likely form a scatter plot of foot to body size and see a positive line of best fit with outlier points from the abnormal deer.. of course I've never done this research but it seems logical

This research has been done, and there really isn't even a positive relationship. It is far more random than one would assume.

 

[Shed Hunter]

Also, as in humans and many other animals, you could most likely form a scatter plot of foot to body size and see a positive line of best fit with outlier points from the abnormal deer.. of course I've never done this research but it seems logical

This research has been done, and there really isn't even a positive relationship. It is far more random than one would assume.

Guess it's just one of those things I think about more than I need too :)

btw-I got a pic of a deer using a mock scrape today. The cam only had 3 pics. 2 were 100% white outs. The pics were yesterday but the leaves are falling so much I could hardly see the scrape.

Now that salt licks are inactive I'm experimenting with what to do with my cams. Other than putting them on trail I haven't had much luck though.

 

[BSK]

Master Chief,

Right now I'm getting mixed results from real and mock scrapes. Some bucks stop and investigate the scrape and some just pass it by. Still a little early for intense scrape use.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I hunted were I found the tracks today. Seen 6, one was a small 8. He was followiing a doe and grunting. I know that doesn't mean much yet but it was cool.

Hopefully I'll be back there tomorrow.

 

[BSK]

Here's a couple of mine on a mock scrape along the edge of a small food plot:

 

[Shed Hunter]

I like that first buck, looks like he has great potential.

 

[BSK]

I like that first buck, looks like he has great potential.

A 2 1/2 year-old 10-point missing his browtines, making him only an 8-point. We see VERY few 2 1/2 10-pointers, so yes, excellent potential.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I like that first buck, looks like he has great potential.

A 2 1/2 year-old 10-point missing his browtines, making him only an 8-point. We see VERY few 2 1/2 10-pointers, so yes, excellent potential.

I got a deer that resembles him a little over a week ago.. Not 100% sure its 2.5 and I left my usb drive at a the friends house. I'll post it whenever I get the flash drive back though.

 

[htnseymour]

What do you think about rubs?

 

[BuckHunter511]

What do you think about rubs?

x2!

 

[BSK]

As in?

 

[Hollar Hunter]

You guys agree these are both 2.5?



10 point pics were taken about a week ago

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Future non typical.... I think I've counted 14 or 15 points total from all the different pics I've got but not all are an inch I'm sure...

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[Hollar Hunter]

Hope you don't mind MasterChief didn't mean to hijack your thread the talk turned to 2.5 year olds with big potential and just wanted to get you and BSK opinions

 

[Shed Hunter]

It could be the way he's standing but the non-typical looks 3.5 to me... it could easily be 2.5 though

 

[Shed Hunter]

Hope you don't mind MasterChief didn't mean to hijack your thread the talk turned to 2.5 year olds with big potential and just wanted to get you and BSK opinions

It's all good! I would wait for BSK's opinion btw, I'm okay at aging deer but I still have a lot to learn if I want to be as good as BSK.

 

[Hollar Hunter]

Hope you don't mind MasterChief didn't mean to hijack your thread the talk turned to 2.5 year olds with big potential and just wanted to get you and BSK opinions

It's all good! I would wait for BSK's opinion btw, I'm okay at aging deer but I still have a lot to learn if I want to be as good as BSK.

X2 I try to soak up as much as I can

I also had the hesitation that the bottom buck could possibly be 3.5 but I feel positive the 10 is 2.5 but ill wait for the expert.

 

[BSK]

I'm not so sure either of those bucks are just 2 1/2. They could be, but their chest depth suggests possibly 3 1/2. Post their pictures again in late October or early November, when bucks should be at maximum neck size.

 

[Hollar Hunter]

Thanks Will do but I will say it seems we have some very healthy fat deer on our place. Even the 1.5 yr old 4 or 6 points look like little blimps...lol