Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
06-18-2008, 09:42 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manassas, VA
Posts: 3,612
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
No problem race....I agree with you race about people looking for black and white.....I just try to learn a little here and there and apply it in the field to see how it works out. I love looking and listening to hunting related techniques and tips. For that is how I started since I had noone to take me hunting. I just read and then applied what I read in the woods. I did that over and over until I finally started getting "better". It took me a long time.
06-18-2008, 09:52 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Pingree Grove, IL
Posts: 1,204
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
ORIGINAL: virginiashadow
No problem race....I agree with you race about people looking for black and white.....I just try to learn a little here and there and apply it in the field to see how it works out. I love looking and listening to hunting related techniques and tips. For that is how I started since I had noone to take me hunting. I just read and then applied what I read in the woods. I did that over and over until I finally started getting "better". It took me a long time.
No problem race....I agree with you race about people looking for black and white.....I just try to learn a little here and there and apply it in the field to see how it works out. I love looking and listening to hunting related techniques and tips. For that is how I started since I had noone to take me hunting. I just read and then applied what I read in the woods. I did that over and over until I finally started getting "better". It took me a long time.
06-19-2008, 05:00 AM
#23
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
ORIGINAL: virginiashadow
"Great response Dan- What I find funny is how we often tend to listen to a successful hunter or respected biologist and hold everything they say as Gospel."
I am just seeking some guidance and observation from the people on here....the people that know me know that I do not hold anything anyone says as gospel....like I said, I am looking for real life examples that either support or go against some of the points I brought up in my first post. I hunt hard and long in places that do not have alot of big bucks so I am always looking to just tip the odds a little more in my favor.
Brett
"Great response Dan- What I find funny is how we often tend to listen to a successful hunter or respected biologist and hold everything they say as Gospel."
I am just seeking some guidance and observation from the people on here....the people that know me know that I do not hold anything anyone says as gospel....like I said, I am looking for real life examples that either support or go against some of the points I brought up in my first post. I hunt hard and long in places that do not have alot of big bucks so I am always looking to just tip the odds a little more in my favor.
Brett
Dan
06-19-2008, 05:08 AM
#24
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Nekoosa Wi USA
Posts: 6,066
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
I read the same thing. Im not sure how much truth there is behind that though. I have never founds a scrape that early in the year. But he does have a point there.
ORIGINAL: virginiashadow
I was re-reading John Eberhart's book, Precision Bowhunting when I saw something interesting. He claims that if you can find a large scrape in late August/September that you can be close to sure that it was being maintained by a mature buck. He says you should wait for bad weather such as high wind/rain to speed scout areas looking for this type of mature buck sign.
Anyone have any thoughts/experiences with finding large scrapes just prior to the season beginning, then hunting near those scrapes the first week of season? Thanks all for any information.
Brett
I was re-reading John Eberhart's book, Precision Bowhunting when I saw something interesting. He claims that if you can find a large scrape in late August/September that you can be close to sure that it was being maintained by a mature buck. He says you should wait for bad weather such as high wind/rain to speed scout areas looking for this type of mature buck sign.
Anyone have any thoughts/experiences with finding large scrapes just prior to the season beginning, then hunting near those scrapes the first week of season? Thanks all for any information.
Brett
06-19-2008, 06:40 AM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: IA/WI/IL
Posts: 1,482
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
ORIGINAL: titleist_03
The biggest scrape I see year after year are on field edges. I'm talking ones that are 3+ feet in diameter. We put cameras on them and they get pounded by a handful of different bucks. The biggest bucks we normally get pictures of are on scrapes way back in the woods in secluded places, no matter what the scrape size.
The biggest scrape I see year after year are on field edges. I'm talking ones that are 3+ feet in diameter. We put cameras on them and they get pounded by a handful of different bucks. The biggest bucks we normally get pictures of are on scrapes way back in the woods in secluded places, no matter what the scrape size.
Early season scrapes in my area generally mean a 2.5 or older buck. I can tell this through a few personal observations, and also tracks - which give a good general idea. When I find a cluster of scrapes before mid october in and around thicker cover I consider it part of a 'core' area of a 2.5 year old or older deer - the dominate deer in that small locale.
Two years ago I found such a place. On Oct 13 I slipped into a stand on the edge of it extra early one morning. As the sun crested the hills I had a hog bodied 9 point down after a short sparring sequence.
06-19-2008, 10:00 AM
#26
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 7,208
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
I didn't mean to come across as a know it all. It just seemed that his statements were absolutes, when as we all know there are few absolutes when it comes to deer & hunting. I watch both young and old bucks go along field edges at night and make scrapes. Some of them turn out to be big scrapes. I think that could just be from being hit by multiple bucks. I've never found early scrapes anywhere other than field edges. Not saying they don't exist, I just haven't found any yet.
06-19-2008, 10:31 AM
#27
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Burke, VA (raised in MD)
Posts: 1,096
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
Our scrapes make there first appearances in Early Oct. Although I agree with many things Eberhartproposes, my experience is not similar to his with regard to early scraping. In other words, I cannot attribute early-appearing scrapes solely to mature bucks because I have seen the little guys scraping early too.
It is most probably true where he hunts but it does not clearly apply where I hunt.
It is most probably true where he hunts but it does not clearly apply where I hunt.
06-19-2008, 12:00 PM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,288
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
I have never read Mr Eberhart's book but assume he is talking Primary scrapes, not to be confused with secondary or boundry scrapes. Now as MeanV said in his post, in some places scrapes are scarce to non existant and I also belive this to be because of poor buck to doe ratios. Sometimes a short drive to another hunting area can show a big difference in scrape activity.
Primary Scrapes are like any key pice of property with humans, animals or even fish, if one is removed, another will move into it's spot unless there is some sort of pressure put on them not to. A good one usually has great rub lines going to and coming from it, and you can see where the trees are scarred from seasons past, if your lucky from the same buck from seasons past. Most, Even if they are not being cleaned out or pissed in get checked during the year and you can tell by the fresh tracks and broken twigs on the branch above the scrape.
I killed a good buck back in the early 80's that was cleaning out a primary scrape for the first time that season, most hunters would have never looked at the spot twice.
Primary Scrapes are like any key pice of property with humans, animals or even fish, if one is removed, another will move into it's spot unless there is some sort of pressure put on them not to. A good one usually has great rub lines going to and coming from it, and you can see where the trees are scarred from seasons past, if your lucky from the same buck from seasons past. Most, Even if they are not being cleaned out or pissed in get checked during the year and you can tell by the fresh tracks and broken twigs on the branch above the scrape.
I killed a good buck back in the early 80's that was cleaning out a primary scrape for the first time that season, most hunters would have never looked at the spot twice.
06-20-2008, 11:35 AM
#29
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manassas, VA
Posts: 3,612
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
" I have never read Mr Eberhart's book but assume he is talking Primary scrapes"
Yes he is talking about large primary scrapes leading to and from feeding areas early in the season.
THANKS all for some good information on this thread. I am going to do some scouting this weekend again in some of my areas because the weather has cooled down some.....I will let you all know what I find in August and September in terms of large scrapes and how/and if I see any nice bucks as a result of those scrapes the first week.
Yes he is talking about large primary scrapes leading to and from feeding areas early in the season.
THANKS all for some good information on this thread. I am going to do some scouting this weekend again in some of my areas because the weather has cooled down some.....I will let you all know what I find in August and September in terms of large scrapes and how/and if I see any nice bucks as a result of those scrapes the first week.
06-20-2008, 11:41 AM
#30
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
RE: Early Season Scrapes and Mature bucks...?
ORIGINAL: virginiashadow
" I have never read Mr Eberhart's book but assume he is talking Primary scrapes"
Yes he is talking about large primary scrapes leading to and from feeding areas early in the season.
THANKS all for some good information on this thread. I am going to do some scouting this weekend again in some of my areas because the weather has cooled down some.....I will let you all know what I find in August and September in terms of large scrapes and how/and if I see any nice bucks as a result of those scrapes the first week.
" I have never read Mr Eberhart's book but assume he is talking Primary scrapes"
Yes he is talking about large primary scrapes leading to and from feeding areas early in the season.
THANKS all for some good information on this thread. I am going to do some scouting this weekend again in some of my areas because the weather has cooled down some.....I will let you all know what I find in August and September in terms of large scrapes and how/and if I see any nice bucks as a result of those scrapes the first week.
Dan
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