Buck Bed Scrape

[JoeRE]

It seems like bucks make these scrapes where staging areas intersect...

That is what I have seen as well and I think it has to do with deer densities. I can't remember seeing a scrape that had only one buck's tracks in it, or getting only one buck on camera over a scrape (although I hang cameras on what are definitely community scrapes along field edges and such). Even the ones very close to or in a big buck's sanctuary get used by others as well because there are generally other bucks nearby.

I note buck bed scrapes in my hunting strategy but don't hunt just the scrape. I have found (in hill and farm country anyway) such scrapes just happen to be where a big buck stages to leave his bedding area and I would hunt that location scrape or no scrape. The exception is when it stops raining, after a good long rain, and I think the big guy will hit the scrape to freshen it. I have had that work a couple times but not on any bucks I wanted to shoot.

Hunting the big woods is different I have found, although my experience there is more limited....often scrapes in a big bucks core area are used almost exclusively by him. Those are also, not coincidentally, few and far between.

[Singing Bridge]

Another interesting buck bed scrape I have found is on deep cover micro-islands in conifer swamps. I have found more than one tiny little island with a buck bed, rub in the bed, and a scrape on the prevailing upwind side of the land rise. The beds tend to be on the prevailing downwind side. These scrapes were often 30 yards or less from the buck bed. Through scouting, it appeared that these beds were used by more than one buck. The scrape on these islands reminded me of a deer camp logbook- the bucks were able to smell who had been there as of late. Kind of like a sign-in sheet at a hotel...

[Tadmdad]

bump

SB, previous discussion.....similar topic.

[Stanley]

I'm doing more watching than posting on this scrape subject. My experiences don't offer much intel on why or how to kill a buck on a scrape.

[dan]

bump

[Trailcamaddict]

I've found one "Community" scrape in the past and saw a bunch of bucks using it. However I have never found a scrape while scouting in the winter, spring, or summer. So what gives, you guys are finding scrapes all year. Am I looking in the wrong spots, do these scrapes look different than those found during the rut?

[dan]

I've found one "Community" scrape in the past and saw a bunch of bucks using it. However I have never found a scrape while scouting in the winter, spring, or summer. So what gives, you guys are finding scrapes all year. Am I looking in the wrong spots, do these scrapes look different than those found during the rut?

They are not as active and have less scraping on the ground outside of rut.

[Singing Bridge]

Buck bed scrapes continue to be an excellent tactical discussion. bump...

[Bigburner]

One of the beds I scouted this spring had 2 such scrapes just outside of the stagging area just out of site of the bed. Its downwind of his bed on a dominate NW wind and I'm so excited to hunt this spot this year. I assumed he would hit it first thing once he got up and moving around and it seemed like a spot I could get an early sit and them hit it again around the last week of Oct first week of Nov. If things didnt work out the first time. I'm glad this thread resurfaced b/c Ive been going over the scenario in my head over and over again on how this spot had a high probability based on all the features. Gave me a vote of confidence. Good stuff guys.

[Mibowhunter91]

Great read thanks for the bump!

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[Singing Bridge]

Great read thanks for the bump!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Some outstanding information from dan, Tad and other beasts. They certainly can provide a tactical consideration when the conditions are right.

[stash59]

thanx guys good stuff

[Dustin]

In order to cover more land in less time I use and create buck bed scrapes. Typically just outside of cover or just within. If one exists I use preorbital and interdigital gland scent to freshen it like I was an intruder or make my own mock scrape doing the same. Set a camera on it(higher up on a tree so the wise old bucks don't pick it out) and it gives me profiles of what caliber of bucks are using the bed/area. It usually takes only 1 hour to 1 day for any mature deer there to come over and check it out. They rarely scrape it, but they'll work the licking branch. Pre orbital in my experience is the single most important part of a scrape. Not every buck scrapes the ground, but every buck checks a licking branch. This year I plan on experimenting with this same technique for hunting now that I've scouted and identified the deers exact beds and habits.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

my buddy and I found a community scrape while hunting last fall, so we went back to check it out a few weeks ago. About 125-150 yards away we found some big beds and quite a few rubs... some of the only rubs around. The community scrape is almost bowl shaped from years of use, and there are three different bedding areas all within a few hundred yards. There were also 3 or 4 rubs next to this scrape. This leads me to my question for you experienced scrape hunters.

What constitutes a bbs (buck bed scrape)? Are they worked over hard and very obvious? Here's why I ask.

In the bedding and staging area, we found several scrapes, but none that were worked over hard. You could see paw marks and the broken branch above, but there would still be a decent amount of living grass where they pawed. To me they appeared to be early season or pre-rut scrapes... scrapes made when a buck is feeling good and just messing around so to speak. Or possibly made by a yearling buck who was scraping because of instinct.

When you find different scrapes like this, what tells you that it is a BBS... not a community scrape or a meaningless scrape?

[dan]

Lockdown, most of the ones I killed a buck over were big and well used... But there was an exception or two.