kujo48

Thinking about making a few mock scrapes this summer. Is there a certain type of tree deer prefer to use as a licking branch? Also anyone who has done mock scrapes and has any advice and pointers feel free to chime in. Thanks!

Wingbone

Wait till Oct. to make the scrapes. In summer, deer are focusing on eating, growing antlers and raising young. Interest in scraping doesn't happen till the antlers are formed. Any small tree with an overhanging branch about 3-4 ft. off the ground will due. It should be along a deer travelway, (trail, logging rd. swamp edge, etc.)

alleyyooper

So many ideas on how to go about making a mock scrape on the net. Here is just one.
http://www.northamericanwhitetail.co...t_scrape_1108/

Al

Ferguson Outfitters

I know on the east coast and down south, they love to use Holly.

Here is another tid bit of information, Holly is the only plant in North America to contain caffine, are the bucks getting a jolt? I don't know but it is a fact.

http://www.naturalnews.com/033646_ya...oxidants.html#

Guess where I hang out?

TSR6

I do a mock scrape every year. I mount my trail camera right by it, and have my tree-stand only 30-40 yards off the trail here with a clear shooting lane. Every year, they return and start using it after I open it up. I started doing it below a low lying branch on a tree – over the years, while wiping their scent onto the branch – it got broke off. Activity slowed down without the branch, so I actually zip tie a branch from a nearby tree to this broken branch every year now. I make sure it hangs over my mock scrape so they’ve got something to rub their scent on… and it works. I always make the scrape itself a little smaller (smaller 9x9” or so of bare dirt) – like a smaller buck’s traveling scrape. Every year, a buck comes through and opens it up to a larger scrape. I also find a nearby fallen tree branch and use that to scrape it up – this leaves lines in the dirt as if it was deer hooves(if they even care?), and keeps my scent out of the dirt.

Here’s a video of a buck visiting the mock scrape, and opening it up…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL7q-Yt6Xs8

Here’s nice buck visiting that same spot…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcBLrXdBNrw

A super nice 11-point buck visited, and rubbed his scent all over my fake hanging branch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73gvVtcOMT4

I'm not saying I do this all "right" - but this method works for me.

Ferguson Outfitters

My grandpa used to hang a white sock above the scrape and it would make them start challenging it from some distance off, exposing themselves. I always wondered do they just know something is out of place.

After all my "test" of unconventional stuff, you should see what I can do with 100lb clear fishing line.

SniperPSS

Wait until the rut. Place the mock scrape at the base of a small pine tree. I've come back to find the tree shredded and have shot many bucks over them. Try to put them near a real scrape to piss off the dominant buck. He won't want "you" there.

kujo48

Thanks for all the good advice guys!

TheHardWoods913

I usually start my mock scrapes in late August early September. Deer use scrapes year round to be honest, but do not hit them hard like in the fall/rut. I like to start around this time to condition them that they are there, come end of october and early november the bucks usually take them over and start hitting them hard. I usually start with Tinks Scrape Starter and the Dripper, refresh when necessary, start changing scents as season progresses and according to the rut...but always stick to Tinks scents, they work great for me. I have even peed in a couple of my scrapes before and gotten good deer on camera because of it. Good luck, scrapes are a great way to to bag a nice deer but also not easy...remember mature bucks tend to hit scrapes at night, but when he makes that mistake and hits it during day light hours...its all worth it!

DnH_Scents

I think you nailed it. I do a great deal of this sort of thing while evaluating efficacy of scents. The key is not the scrape. The key is the licking branch. If there is now suitable branch exactly where you need it, bring one to the location. The next key is the proper scent on the branch tips and leaves and to avoid any human scent. Don't worry about creating a scrape. The scrapes get formed naturally under the licking branch.

You want to attract both bucks and does (you really want to attract does during the rut so don't just focus on attracting bucks)

I just recently created a video of my first scent trial of 2014 with the new scent Ive been working on. It shows the branch and the deers reaction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRZCuODvbrA I think people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to mock scrapes. Bucks (especially young bucks) make them all over the place. They cast a wide net and don’t always come back to revisit. Deer densities and buck-doe ratios play a huge factor in Scrape hunting. They do however (both bucks and does) utilize a licking branch to communicate more so than a scrape because the licking branch is a quadruple threat consisting of just about every scent gland the deer have.

The Preorbital gland and forehead gland and even saliva are deposited on the overhanging branch and then the interdigital gland secretions (Between their hooves) gets deposited while they are under the branch and then (but not always) they may urinate under the branch but whether they urinate of not, the scent on the overhead branch is the scent calling card that deer use and they can tell one deer from another but (and this is only my assumption) deer cant tell one deer’s identity from another by urine scent which is why Hunters peeing in scrapes also works. They just cant tell pee from pee but the scents deposited on the branch are unique.

Most scent sellers over hype and make bogus claims that don’t hold up in the real woods. I tell folks what my scent IS NOT. Its not magic. It cant make deer appear where there are no deer. It wont draw deer off your neighbor’s land and it wont call deer in from great distances. My lure is used where guys hunt because they are already seeing sign and then they want to direct the deer in the area to a specific spot for trail cam video/pics or for a shot with a bow. If you have low deer densities and little deer traffic, you’re going to be hard pressed to make any lure work.

What I do with my scent is get does and bucks to continually return to the social networking branch and a scrape naturally occurs (as well as rubs on nearby saplings) And yes, that's real deer hair in the product. Im working on uploading a large number of trail cam video footage of deer using the licking branches Im creating with my scent and at every branch site I get a natural scrape but to watch the videos, its clear both bucks and does spend 10 times more time on the branch than they do worrying about the ground below. The amount of time these does work the branch is amazing and attracting does is good news for hunters because she brings in the bucks. Smart hunters want to attract does because where the does are, the bucks will congregate trying to hook up.

I just uploaded the latest footage to youtube from last week. you can see last weeks deer (and bear) at the licking branch and the scraping they are starting. The first buck would make an great looking logo. LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmBZxq_HaIw