Difference In Scrapes

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Phillybuckhunter
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Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby Phillybuckhunter » Sun Mar 10, 2019 12:09 am

Just wanted to see everybodies opinion on primary active scrapes or just your run of the mill scrape along a trail or field edge. And which ones you would actually hunt.


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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby dan » Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:18 am

Scrapes are made to communicate with other deer. The majority of scrapes made in rut time are made by bucks looking for does. They put rut scrapes in areas where does cross there travel wrought, often on the edge of doe feeding areas. They make so many at this time frame that young eager bucks are making them all night long along there travel wrought. The fascination hunters have with scrape lines is somewhat funny to me, cause bucks leave this kind of scrape everywhere they go and 95% of their travel is at night so 95% of this kind of scrape is made at night... Hunting over random scrapes is like hunting over trails or other sign... Sure, bucks were there, but most likely it was at night.

There are some things you can look for that tip those odds though, one that comes to mind is scrapes that are adjacent to doe bedding. Pretty simple, when do does bed there? During the day. So when would bucks be there expecting does? During the day... But scrapes left where does feed at night are left at night when does would be present.

What most people call a primary scrape is a scrape that is at a terrain feature that has several trails intersect and the scrap[e stays open mist of the deer season even outside of the rut... Again, you need to think about when deer visit this spot and why before think you are going to get regular visits from giant bucks in daylight...

There is one more kind of scrape that you won't hear much about. Its often confused with a primary scrape. This is a scrape that is where 2 or more buck bedding areas that are close to each other share a common staging area. These scrapes are used most of the year like a primary scrape, but they are usually within 100 yards of buck bedding and are more used to communicate with the competing buck in the adjacent bedding area. These are not easy to find, but are usually made in daylight when the bucks exit there bedding area. The recent youtube video of Andrae D'Aquisto being interviewed by me, he talks of a scrape that don't get pawed. I saw where he shot that buck, and it was a classic bed scrape in my opinion.

Some of my largest bow kills came from hunting over this type of scrape in early season when most people are not seeing scrapes. One such buck was a giant that bottomed out a 300 pound scale after field dressing and is arguably my best bow kill. I observed that buck as he exited his bedding and worked the bed scrape on several occasions waiting for the right day, right wind. The competing 140 class buck that was coming from a bedding area on the edge of the big bucks area was showing often working that scrape too.

The day I went in for the kill the 1st buck was the 140 class 10 point. I was watching him leaving after working the scrape when the big boy came out of the shadows and gave me the shot...

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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby HunterBob » Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:31 am

That is super helpful Dan. I have heard you talk about this before, but for some reason the way you are saying it here is helping it click for me. Are there also scrapes made while a buck is tending a doe to signal to other bucks to stay away?
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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby dan » Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:35 am

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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby dan » Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:36 am

HunterBob wrote:That is super helpful Dan. I have heard you talk about this before, but for some reason the way you are saying it here is helping it click for me. Are there also scrapes made while a buck is tending a doe to signal to other bucks to stay away?

I have not seen that.
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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby freezeAR » Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:22 am

Not to hijack the thread but I want to explain a situation I came across esrly season (Oct 1). I cyber scouted some hill country public and found a point on leeward side. The point was near the top with only acess from valley. 1000 ft elevation change. Hard to get to, had to use my bow pull rope to get my stand and bow up at one spot where I had to scale a rock wall. As I approached the point I blew a deer out. Inspecting the area I found a scrape.

So my question, are the two most important factors to determining this type of scrape is proximity to bedding and scrape being used outside of rutting scrapes?
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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby dan » Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:26 am

freezeAR wrote:Not to hijack the thread but I want to explain a situation I came across esrly season (Oct 1). I cyber scouted some hill country public and found a point on leeward side. The point was near the top with only acess from valley. 1000 ft elevation change. Hard to get to, had to use my bow pull rope to get my stand and bow up at one spot where I had to scale a rock wall. As I approached the point I blew a deer out. Inspecting the area I found a scrape.

So my question, are the two most important factors to determining this type of scrape is proximity to bedding and scrape being used outside of rutting scrapes?

I would say thats a fair assessment. Mist likely that was a bed scrape
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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby freezeAR » Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:32 am

Appreciate the reply great post Dan.
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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby dan » Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:03 am

Scrapes are made to communicate with other deer. The majority of scrapes made in rut time are made by bucks looking for does. They put rut scrapes in areas where does cross there travel wrought, often on the edge of doe feeding areas. They make so many at this time frame that young eager bucks are making them all night long along there travel wrought. The fascination hunters have with scrape lines is somewhat funny to me, cause bucks leave this kind of scrape everywhere they go and 95% of their travel is at night so 95% of this kind of scrape is made at night... Hunting over random scrapes is like hunting over trails or other sign... Sure, bucks were there, but most likely it was at night.

There are some things you can look for that tip those odds though, one that comes to mind is scrapes that are adjacent to doe bedding. Pretty simple, when do does bed there? During the day. So when would bucks be there expecting does? During the day... But scrapes left where does feed at night are left at night when does would be present.

What most people call a primary scrape is a scrape that is at a terrain feature that has several trails intersect and the scrape stays open most of the deer season even outside of the rut... Again, you need to think about when deer visit this spot and why before think you are going to get regular visits from giant bucks in daylight...

There is one more kind of scrape that you won't hear much about. Its often confused with a primary scrape. This is a scrape that is where 2 or more buck bedding areas that are close to each other share a common staging area. These scrapes are used most of the year like a primary scrape, but they are usually within 100 yards of buck bedding and are more used to communicate with the competing buck in the adjacent bedding area. These are not easy to find, but are usually made in daylight when the bucks exit there bedding area. In my recent youtube video of Andrae D'Aquisto being interviewed by me, he talks of a scrape that don't get pawed. I saw where he shot that buck, and it was a classic bed scrape in my opinion.

Some of my largest bow kills came from hunting over this type of scrape in early season when most people are not seeing scrapes. One such buck was a giant that bottomed out a 300 pound scale after field dressing and is arguably one of my best bow kills. I observed that buck as he exited his bedding and worked the bed scrape on several occasions waiting for the right day, right wind. The competing 140 class buck that was coming from a bedding area on the edge of the big bucks area was showing often working that scrape too.

The day I went in for the kill the 1st buck was the 140 class 10 point. I was watching him leaving after working the scrape when the big boy came out of the shadows and gave me the shot...



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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:59 am

HunterBob wrote:That is super helpful Dan. I have heard you talk about this before, but for some reason the way you are saying it here is helping it click for me. Are there also scrapes made while a buck is tending a doe to signal to other bucks to stay away?


I’ve come across those kinds of scrapes a couple times. They’re called standing scrapes but they’re not for signaling a warning to other bucks. My assumption is they’re made as a buck is “standing over” a doe that is in or almost in heat. They can be pawed spots made just anywhere even without a licking branch. As far as the age class making them, I would assume all but not certain that they might be made by younger less experienced bucks. Maybe even to the point it’s the subordinates actually making them behind a more dominant buck on a doe. Again, these are assumptions not fact but I have seen the scrapes and seen the buck following a doe. There were also subordinates around and never saw who was actually making the scrapes.
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Re: Difference In Scrapes

Unread postby HunterBob » Sun Mar 10, 2019 4:41 am

Wannabelikedan wrote:
HunterBob wrote:That is super helpful Dan. I have heard you talk about this before, but for some reason the way you are saying it here is helping it click for me. Are there also scrapes made while a buck is tending a doe to signal to other bucks to stay away?


I’ve come across those kinds of scrapes a couple times. They’re called standing scrapes but they’re not for signaling a warning to other bucks. My assumption is they’re made as a buck is “standing over” a doe that is in or almost in heat. They can be pawed spots made just anywhere even without a licking branch. As far as the age class making them, I would assume all but not certain that they might be made by younger less experienced bucks. Maybe even to the point it’s the subordinates actually making them behind a more dominant buck on a doe. Again, these are assumptions not fact but I have seen the scrapes and seen the buck following a doe. There were also subordinates around and never saw who was actually making the scrapes.

That makes sense. Thanks for the info


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