Sit near scrapes?

[rfickes87]

Hello everyone,

I currently am hitting the scouting hard for next bow season. I'm taking note on the bedding areas I find as well as any large primary scrapes I find as well. My question is has anyone had any success sitting downwind of primary scrapes? I have read that its a good tactic in the pre-rut and early stages of the rut, but I have never tried it personally. Any luck for anyone?

Have you listened to Dan's podcasts on youtube? He's mentioned before that hunting over scrapes all depends on how close it is to bedding.

[dan]

Its all about the bedding.

If a scrape is in the right location, meaning close to his bedding and in security cover where he will feel comfortable hitting it in daylight, hunt it. Keep in mind I have noticed bucks like to favor the downwind side of scrapes coming and going.

If not, don't get hung up on all that sign...keep walking. 95% of scrapes are very low odds for killing an older buck. The other 5% can be awesome. In reality its all about the bedding and travel routes.

But a scrape in the right spot is a darn near perfect kill location. The buck's attention is on that scrape and that gives a hunter a bit more of an edge. Its one of my favorite types of pre-rut setups.

Bingo!

[Dewey]

A great majority of scrapes are made at night. I have not had a lot of luck hunting scrapes unless they are right in the bucks staging area very close to his bed. I always pay attention to those scrapes and usually get some decent action.

Here is one I filmed awhile back.

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

There wasn't an active scrape there at the time I set up that day but knew every year a fresh scrape pops up in that exact spot the last week of October. I was lucky enough to witness the very first opening of that scrape for the year. That hunch and paying attention to past seasons almost payed off. Too bad he wasn't bigger.

By the end of the rut that scrape was at least 4 feet in diameter so it was heavily used. Every year it's the same thing.

wow Dewey that is so cool!!

How'd you get your video the be embedded in this post. anytime i try to post my youtube videos, it just shows it as a link?

Highlight the YouTube link in your post then click on the video button (looks like a PLAY button) on the far right in the posting tools.

[Wetfoot]

Very cool.