jking12
Member
Whats everyone go to for scrape ropes?
Scrape ropes
- Thread starter jking12
- Start date
Winchester
Well-Known Member
I carry mine with me all the time, get it out to pee on scrapes as needed!!!
Natural wild muscadine vine or red oak branches have ALWAYS worked well for me.
This year I gave in and tried the golden rope that's sold in the little jug with scrape juice, and I also tried a cotton rope with preorbital gland lure wiped on it. Both are on very active traditional scrapes that have been in place for years. One is in TN and one in OH. I tried them on already existing scrapes so I could compare use with previous years. So far both the hemp golden rope and the cotton rope have effectively killed the scrapes. Deer were spooked & nervous at first, cautiously sniffed them, but now completely ignore them.
The cotton rope looks fresh still but the hemp rope got dark & moldy looking. I'm going to cut both down and replace with natural vines. I don't consider it a failed experiment because there was a noticeable result. It just wasn't a positive result. They don't compare to the real deal.
This year I gave in and tried the golden rope that's sold in the little jug with scrape juice, and I also tried a cotton rope with preorbital gland lure wiped on it. Both are on very active traditional scrapes that have been in place for years. One is in TN and one in OH. I tried them on already existing scrapes so I could compare use with previous years. So far both the hemp golden rope and the cotton rope have effectively killed the scrapes. Deer were spooked & nervous at first, cautiously sniffed them, but now completely ignore them.
The cotton rope looks fresh still but the hemp rope got dark & moldy looking. I'm going to cut both down and replace with natural vines. I don't consider it a failed experiment because there was a noticeable result. It just wasn't a positive result. They don't compare to the real deal.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Don't use them. I make my mock scrapes under natural low-hanging branches, preferably a Beech.
Good to know... Found some muscadine vines near by.. Do you cut and move them or do y'all leave them in place and cut them there?
I'll cut and move them
I cut them about 5ft long and ziptie or paracord them wherever I want to hang them. Sometimes I hang a red oak branch on the vine to add a little more visibility, as seen in bottom two pics. If you cut red oak while leaves are on, they turn brown but won't fall off for months.
PaintRocker
Well-Known Member
Oh you gotta try it. Doesn't cost anything and only takes a few minutes. Find anywhere deer frequent such as trail crossings, busy trails, openings, plots, field edges, etc. are all good spots. Make it visible and right at deer head height, about beltline height on you. Use your foot to scrape the ground under it and pee in the fresh bare dirt like a buck would. The next deer to walk by will likely hit it or at least investigate by sniffing at it, which draws in the next deer and next deer after it. It's exponential. No scent needed.
It's a lot of fun and is a great way to inventory the deer in your hunting area. Everything from fawns to the oldest bucks & nanny does will use it. I've got a stand next to most of mine because deer naturally stop and are distracted for a few seconds. But some are just for taking inventory as they become social hubs that almost all deer will stop in to check, especially during rut.
Beech and oak are the most preferred scrape trees here. I usually bend over a branch for a licking branch, dip it in active scrape or put a dripper over it.
killingtime 41
Well-Known Member
I made a mock scrape for the first time last weekend. If the results are zero. Then I won't bother to make one again like the last 30 years.
It all depends on location. The better the location the better the result.
30-06 type of guy
Well-Known Member
I got a sisal rope from Lowe's back in August and hung it up in my rut spots. One is a mock scrape and the other is a pre existing scrape. Bucks have now started moving in so today I went in and hit the one that has bucks passing by with branch butter. Also found an old scrape about 60 yards below my mock under a beech that I hit up as well. I'll compare the 2. My first time running the rope so we'll see how they go.
I put 3 Hodag ropes out this year and put a camera on them just to see the result. I have had good luck with hanging my own licking branch. I had a big scrape that was getting used every year by several different bucks. Summer before last a big limb fell and broke the licking branch that had been over the scrape. I cut a maple sapling and used paracord to hang it over the scrape. Had at least 7 different bucks using the licking branch and scrape last season.
Shed Hunter
Well-Known Member
Keep us updated on how it goes!
Yessir I get a few really big 8's from time to time. Big 8's is the predominant gene on that property with about half of mature bucks being 8pts. About 40% are 10pts and 10% more than 10. Sometimes I get a nice true 12pt hanging around. It's rare but happens.
Shed Hunter
Well-Known Member
Yeah that property is.
I use those vine scrapes in TN too though. Here's probably my favorite one. It gets hit by every buck in the dang county. Just super busy all season long. It's a vine with a willow oak branch tied onto it.
BigAl
Well-Known Member
I've had luck getting bucks (and does) to use my mock scrapes, but never had any luck hunting over them.
30-06 type of guy
Well-Known Member
Can confirm (hoof prints) they have hit both the sisal rope and the oak limb since I went in Tuesday. Sadly my camera notified it was triggered at 10:30am yesterday but did not send the pics. I'll have to bring in an old card and swap em. Reset earlier so we'll see. I am in a gutter hole tho.
