Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
- James
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Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
2017 DIY Public Land Iowa, "Ridge Scrape Buck"
Recently I had built up enough points to draw a tag in any zone in Iowa for a few years now. However, timing wasn't right to be able to scout and hunt until this year. I started off the year with a long vacation weekend in the spring dedicated to scouting public land. I hiked sun up to sun down for 3 days covering many public parcels. I was planning on applying for Zone 9 but after discovering so much overly mature timber I was a little reluctant. I did manage to find enough spots that will work for the rut, so in May, I applied for 9 knowing I would draw and I did.
One particular ridge-line on a public parcel continued to stand out to me over the summer in my dreams. I had found a very old overgrown logging road 2/3 of the way up a mild slope. On the road I found a nice scrape where 4 trails converged. It was one of the few thick areas I had encountered on this parcel. In fact, one other parcel looked so good that I did not think I would even hunt this place more than once.
Like I had some sort of premonition on what would happen this fall, I had actually taken a photo of this scrape on that old logging road. It was one of the few great looking places I scouted on that parcel.
Fast forward to October and I took a long weekend to do a little in-season hunting and confirmation scouting to ensure I would be set for my rut vacation in Iowa. My idea was to get as many trail cameras out on different tracts to later help me narrow down the ones I would focus on in November. One of the spots I intended to put a camera was that old logging road. I was curious if the scrape I had photographed back in the spring would still be used this fall. Sure enough, when I got up there to hunt the scrape was freshly opened. I promptly put a trail camera right over the scrape. I didn't see anything on that hunt but on my way out that morning I jumped a really nice buck.
Now we're in November and I had another parcel that had so much more sign and thick areas to hunt so that was my first destination. I had several cameras out here so I put in a morning hunt and spent midday quickly collecting my cameras. Lots and lots of bucks on these cameras but nothing super special. The next morning I would have a perfect wind to hunt the parcel with the scrape cam up on that ridge, it would be an all day hunt.
I climbed up the ridge way before light. Since I had hunted this spot in October I knew exactly which tree I was going to. I should have grabbed the camera on the way in but since it was only 20 yards below me on the scrape on the old logging road I figured I would grab it "when the action was slow". Well by 9a without a deer sighting I assumed it would be ok to take the 3 minutes to sneak down and grab the SD card. Back in stand reviewing pics and I was pleasantly surprised to find not only several shooters but nearly all were daylight photos! It was a nice day so I leaned back into my tree and thought about which one of the big bucks would greet me this day. Finally at 2:30 in the afternoon I catch movement coming down the logging road out of bedding. I can make out a wide rack and click my release on. As he clears the brush and approaches the scrape below me I second guess shooting him, it's early in my hunt and Iowa has Booner's behind every tree right? I drew back to see how things shaped up and it looked pretty good. Released to a full pass through, right over the scrape that all started back in the spring. I hit him back a bit so I came back and retrieved him in the morning. He didn't go too far from where I last saw him in the bottom but took a little searching to find.
Photo of my arrow in the scrape after the shot. It's a little hard to see but it's there.
The happy hunter.
Recently I had built up enough points to draw a tag in any zone in Iowa for a few years now. However, timing wasn't right to be able to scout and hunt until this year. I started off the year with a long vacation weekend in the spring dedicated to scouting public land. I hiked sun up to sun down for 3 days covering many public parcels. I was planning on applying for Zone 9 but after discovering so much overly mature timber I was a little reluctant. I did manage to find enough spots that will work for the rut, so in May, I applied for 9 knowing I would draw and I did.
One particular ridge-line on a public parcel continued to stand out to me over the summer in my dreams. I had found a very old overgrown logging road 2/3 of the way up a mild slope. On the road I found a nice scrape where 4 trails converged. It was one of the few thick areas I had encountered on this parcel. In fact, one other parcel looked so good that I did not think I would even hunt this place more than once.
Like I had some sort of premonition on what would happen this fall, I had actually taken a photo of this scrape on that old logging road. It was one of the few great looking places I scouted on that parcel.
Fast forward to October and I took a long weekend to do a little in-season hunting and confirmation scouting to ensure I would be set for my rut vacation in Iowa. My idea was to get as many trail cameras out on different tracts to later help me narrow down the ones I would focus on in November. One of the spots I intended to put a camera was that old logging road. I was curious if the scrape I had photographed back in the spring would still be used this fall. Sure enough, when I got up there to hunt the scrape was freshly opened. I promptly put a trail camera right over the scrape. I didn't see anything on that hunt but on my way out that morning I jumped a really nice buck.
Now we're in November and I had another parcel that had so much more sign and thick areas to hunt so that was my first destination. I had several cameras out here so I put in a morning hunt and spent midday quickly collecting my cameras. Lots and lots of bucks on these cameras but nothing super special. The next morning I would have a perfect wind to hunt the parcel with the scrape cam up on that ridge, it would be an all day hunt.
I climbed up the ridge way before light. Since I had hunted this spot in October I knew exactly which tree I was going to. I should have grabbed the camera on the way in but since it was only 20 yards below me on the scrape on the old logging road I figured I would grab it "when the action was slow". Well by 9a without a deer sighting I assumed it would be ok to take the 3 minutes to sneak down and grab the SD card. Back in stand reviewing pics and I was pleasantly surprised to find not only several shooters but nearly all were daylight photos! It was a nice day so I leaned back into my tree and thought about which one of the big bucks would greet me this day. Finally at 2:30 in the afternoon I catch movement coming down the logging road out of bedding. I can make out a wide rack and click my release on. As he clears the brush and approaches the scrape below me I second guess shooting him, it's early in my hunt and Iowa has Booner's behind every tree right? I drew back to see how things shaped up and it looked pretty good. Released to a full pass through, right over the scrape that all started back in the spring. I hit him back a bit so I came back and retrieved him in the morning. He didn't go too far from where I last saw him in the bottom but took a little searching to find.
Photo of my arrow in the scrape after the shot. It's a little hard to see but it's there.
The happy hunter.
YouTube Channel - https://youtube.com/@JimmyHunts
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Awesome! Great writeup
- Dewey
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Great job James. Nice buck.
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Well done James.....congrats!
- jwilkstn
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Saw this on IG, great to have the story to go along with it! Congrats!!
Not all those who wander are lost...
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Awesome job James congrats.
Best of luck chasing your buck back home now :)
Best of luck chasing your buck back home now :)
- Edcyclopedia
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Spectacular!
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
- Singing Bridge
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- SamPotter
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Well done James
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Nice job James!
- Haus86
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Congrats!
- oldrank
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Great job !! Nice buck !!
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Congrats on the buck! That's a good area.
- WV Bowhunter
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Congrats!! I’m hoping to draw this fall and head to Iowa myself.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!!
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Re: Ridge Scrape Buck - Iowa Public Land
Great buck James, congrats!
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