Questions on Scrapes

[PK_]

Couple things I believe to be true about scrapes.

1. In very low deer density areas, especially big woods or other vast terrain, you better pay attention to them. If you come across one you are likely on the fringe of a buck bedding area or in a place that concentrates deer activity. Both are of super high value in areas with low DPSM.

2. If you find an active scrape in spring/summer, it is likely very close to a mature buck's bed. Also keep a lookout for just the licking branch being worked this time of year. Several years ago (before I had the knowledge I do now of beds) I watched a huge bodied buck come to an outside corner field edge that borders a great buck bedding area and work a licking branch like 5-6 mornings in a row(I was only there for a week long turkey hunt) around 8am. From the size of his body I am almost certain he was the behemoth non-typical we were chasing for 2 falls right there in that thicket.

[isitseasonyet?]

Couple things I believe to be true about scrapes.

1. In very low deer density areas, especially big woods or other vast terrain, you better pay attention to them. If you come across one you are likely on the fringe of a buck bedding area or in a place that concentrates deer activity. Both are of super high value in areas with low DPSM.

2. If you find an active scrape in spring/summer, it is likely very close to a mature buck's bed. Also keep a lookout for just the licking branch being worked this time of year. Several years ago (before I had the knowledge I do now of beds) I watched a huge bodied buck come to an outside corner field edge that borders a great buck bedding area and work a licking branch like 5-6 mornings in a row(I was only there for a week long turkey hunt) around 8am. From the size of his body I am almost certain he was the behemoth non-typical we were chasing for 2 falls right there in that thicket.

I see this a lot too, we're I hunt the deer numbers are pretty low, in years where there are more deer it seems like the big boys are less likely to hit those scrapes during the day,I would get more pictures at night, thats when i think its like fools gold, but when it's harder to find does its almost like they're "out checking the bar and leaving their number"

I have seen a lot of deer not just bucks in particular hit that licking branch it seema like with out even stopping they just reach up hit it and keep on trucking, but that in my opinion tends to be in major travel areas anyways so maybe they only hit it because they happen to be walking by.

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[Aaron1987]

Couple things I believe to be true about scrapes.

1. In very low deer density areas, especially big woods or other vast terrain, you better pay attention to them. If you come across one you are likely on the fringe of a buck bedding area or in a place that concentrates deer activity. Both are of super high value in areas with low DPSM.

2. If you find an active scrape in spring/summer, it is likely very close to a mature buck's bed. Also keep a lookout for just the licking branch being worked this time of year. Several years ago (before I had the knowledge I do now of beds) I watched a huge bodied buck come to an outside corner field edge that borders a great buck bedding area and work a licking branch like 5-6 mornings in a row(I was only there for a week long turkey hunt) around 8am. From the size of his body I am almost certain he was the behemoth non-typical we were chasing for 2 falls right there in that thicket.

I have seen the same type of behavior on the licking branches. Probably pay more attention to them than the actual scrape. One buck can come in and create a large scrape in just a few minutes but many of them will just swing by to check the branch. I agree with what most are saying on the thread on hunting over scrapes but I do believe them to be a useful tool.