Early Scrape question

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mhill
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Early Scrape question

Unread postby mhill » Wed Sep 16, 2015 3:46 am

Hey guys,

While walking through my area for a speed scout prior to the season to check food sources in the woods and recent activity. I found a scrape about 18-20" in diameter with a rub on a tree directly infront of the scrape. Its located in a pine plantation about 150 yards from edge of a known doe bedding area unsure of bucks bed in the CRP which is a Large overgrown CRP field in the timber with apples at the top of the field. The CRP is private land I cannot access. My season doesn't open til Ocober 1st, what do you think this sign means? Is it a scrap that will be revisited or used once and done. Its on a main exit route from the bedding area but its a little early for rut sign, Obviously more and more scrapes will be popping up as October comes and passes. What do you guys think? would you hunt it your first sit? How far from the bedding would you hunt?


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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby kenn1320 » Wed Sep 16, 2015 3:50 am

Will be interesting to read the replys. All it would tell me is there is at least a 2.5yr old buck in the area. I wouldnt hunt over it unless its right on the edge of cover a buck is bedding in.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby dan » Wed Sep 16, 2015 4:10 am

A lot of the time those early September scrapes are much more significant than the ones made later. Bucks right now are bedding close to food and scraping close to bedding... But, that might change by your Oct. opener,
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby mhill » Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:28 am

Two years ago I shot at a 120" Mature 8 point (good deer for NY) not more than 120 yards from this scrape and there was a scrape I didn't know about at the time 30 yards from my stand and this was the same deer trail coming from the bedding. the year after I moved closer to the bedding and the trail was more pronounced and scattered through these pines were rubs but no scrapes. Then this year this early scrape pops up on the same deer run just 120 yards away from the old scrape.

How would you go about this Dan? Would you hunt this area early In the season or would you wait to see if the activity in the scrape shows more sign? I know there are some 2.5 year old bucks in the area that I got in camera last season it could very well be one of them. This has been the only bedding area I have been able to confirm in all my scouting. I know your motto is hunt the freshest sign but you also plan when to hunt a bedding area.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby WEEGEE » Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:21 am

you need to find some more scrapes/rubs. here's why if you connect them like dots on a map that will tell you some things. first look at your dots do they go down only one side?
are they on the other side?
are they just scattered all over with no real pattern?

if they only appear on one side or even the other side in a straight line means your area is a pass through area. he is coming from his bed and going to food/doe areas. meaning your woods is just a quick stop.
now on the other hand if you find just a few scattered then your woods is just in an area he visits ,some times mostly at night.
now if you find them scattered all over with no pattern ,to speak of ,your in the right woods(be careful).

more than likely, he will be coming out of the crp field, to your woods, most of the time(part of his core area)
don't run him off! you have a chance anywhere you sit.
select stand sites that you can get to easy and downwind side only.....please don't stink up your woods with tracks.spray boots or natural cover when looking for this sign.

if the scraps/rubs are along the outside you can set up down wind along that side.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby mhill » Wed Sep 16, 2015 8:09 am

Thanks weegee, that's very helpful.

For about 300 yards from the bedding area to small clearing in the woods that I have hunted off near the old scrape I have very condensed sign around the trail that is heavily ran down, then as the run spreads out they begin to use other paths all headed toward the road where there are apples and then eventually across the road to the only field in the area, which is clover alfalfa ext. I think that heavy run near the bedding area is the most condensed sign. I think the best bet at this deer is to hunt him early on his feeding routine. The prevailing wind blow out of the CRP toward the pines I can hunt so usually getting in the location is not hard also pine needles are soft and quiet walking.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby WEEGEE » Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:50 am

mhill wrote:Thanks weegee, that's very helpful.

For about 300 yards from the bedding area to small clearing in the woods that I have hunted off near the old scrape I have very condensed sign around the trail that is heavily ran down, then as the run spreads out they begin to use other paths all headed toward the road where there are apples and then eventually across the road to the only field in the area, which is clover alfalfa ext. I think that heavy run near the bedding area is the most condensed sign. I think the best bet at this deer is to hunt him early on his feeding routine. The prevailing wind blow out of the CRP toward the pines I can hunt so usually getting in the location is not hard also pine needles are soft and quiet walking.


sounds like you have a good plan....that field is your drawing card...concentrate on that main ,well used trail. but!!!!!
if you look close on the downwind side of that main trail i bet you can find a very faint trail that parallels it. it should be on the prevailing downwind side 20-40yrds at the most. if those two trails get close to each other that's where i would set up.
if the does use the main trail he might use that one ...but if the woods allow two trails he will be on the faint one....he can smell the does on the other trail or where they are at anyhow. he likes to stroll down the other trail just to be sneaky. if that buck trail goes through any sizable brush that's where I'll be on stand and not on that well used trail. try to cover both ,if you can.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:23 pm

Early season the rubs show up in between the bed and food source. This is because that is where he is traveling. A buck doesn't go out of his way to make rubs and scrapes early season. As the food source changes so will his travel route. As his travel route changes so will the location of the rubs and scrapes. I would bet by October 1st his travel route will change along with the food source.

When his testosterone levels increase so will his time on his feet. That is when the scrapes and rubs show up everywhere/anywhere. If you had a couple days to opener I think you would be on to something. It is just too faraway to opener for this pattern to hold in my opinion. It is also just too early for a buck to start looking for the most part.

Not saying it can't happen just don't like the odds.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby mhill » Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:56 pm

WEEGEE wrote:
mhill wrote:Thanks weegee, that's very helpful.

For about 300 yards from the bedding area to small clearing in the woods that I have hunted off near the old scrape I have very condensed sign around the trail that is heavily ran down, then as the run spreads out they begin to use other paths all headed toward the road where there are apples and then eventually across the road to the only field in the area, which is clover alfalfa ext. I think that heavy run near the bedding area is the most condensed sign. I think the best bet at this deer is to hunt him early on his feeding routine. The prevailing wind blow out of the CRP toward the pines I can hunt so usually getting in the location is not hard also pine needles are soft and quiet walking.


sounds like you have a good plan....that field is your drawing card...concentrate on that main ,well used trail. but!!!!!
if you look close on the downwind side of that main trail i bet you can find a very faint trail that parallels it. it should be on the prevailing downwind side 20-40yrds at the most. if those two trails get close to each other that's where i would set up.
if the does use the main trail he might use that one ...but if the woods allow two trails he will be on the faint one....he can smell the does on the other trail or where they are at anyhow. he likes to stroll down the other trail just to be sneaky. if that buck trail goes through any sizable brush that's where I'll be on stand and not on that well used trail. try to cover both ,if you can.


Thats spot on Weegee, There is a trail that is a "secondary" trail that breaks off the main trail at the top of it and then turns down hill and runs parallel to the main trail id say about 50 yards away. I have a tree picked out that has a 20 yard shot to the portion of the forked trail and 20-25 yard shot where it turns parallel and a 30 yard shot to the main trial. The secondary trail also does stay going away from the main trail and then turns down hill and runs parallel about 150 yards from the main trail, that trail heads to a clump of 3 apple trees that i set my dad up hunting over. There are a few faint trails that come from the top of the hill also that all funnel to the road for apples that come past my dads stand also.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby WEEGEE » Wed Sep 16, 2015 2:35 pm

Stanley wrote:Early season the rubs show up in between the bed and food source. This is because that is where he is traveling. A buck doesn't go out of his way to make rubs and scrapes early season. As the food source changes so will his travel route. As his travel route changes so will the location of the rubs and scrapes. I would bet by October 1st his travel route will change along with the food source.

When his testosterone levels increase so will his time on his feet. That is when the scrapes and rubs show up everywhere/anywhere. If you had a couple days to opener I think you would be on to something. It is just too faraway to opener for this pattern to hold in my opinion. It is also just too early for a buck to start looking for the most part.

Not saying it can't happen just don't like the odds.



stanley's post have very good merits for sure....the first of Nov. that buck your after, will change patterns .you then have a 50/50 chance he will run passed your stand, as well as the local 7/11 parking lot!
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby cbniner » Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:11 pm

Next question, how would you go about hunting this buck now that he knows you are hunting him?

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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby mhill » Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:48 am

WEEGEE wrote:
Stanley wrote:Early season the rubs show up in between the bed and food source. This is because that is where he is traveling. A buck doesn't go out of his way to make rubs and scrapes early season. As the food source changes so will his travel route. As his travel route changes so will the location of the rubs and scrapes. I would bet by October 1st his travel route will change along with the food source.

When his testosterone levels increase so will his time on his feet. That is when the scrapes and rubs show up everywhere/anywhere. If you had a couple days to opener I think you would be on to something. It is just too faraway to opener for this pattern to hold in my opinion. It is also just too early for a buck to start looking for the most part.

Not saying it can't happen just don't like the odds.



stanley's post have very good merits for sure....the first of Nov. that buck your after, will change patterns .you then have a 50/50 chance he will run passed your stand, as well as the local 7/11 parking lot!


IMO that's what hunting is, its a chance you take everyday when you pick a stand location. Even the BBSK him self doesn't go into a stand location knowing he will have a 100% success rate. He might know he has a higher rate of success than 50/50 but there are always to many variables.
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Re: Early Scrape question

Unread postby mhill » Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:56 am

cbniner wrote:Next question, how would you go about hunting this buck now that he knows you are hunting him?

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


Im not quiet sure he knows im hunting him... Im not even sure its the same bucks as the one I shot at in 2013, it could be a 2.5 year old that was in the area last sesaon in 2014 as a 1.5 year old. I had 4-5, 1.5 yr old bucks using this area last season. not sure what is still around but very well could be one of them.

This spot is a early season spot, it has the only good food source for quiet some distance but once the food source is depleted the deer movement moves else where. Ill probably hunt this tree the first day or 2 then let it rest for a while before trying it again in late October when the pre rut is ramping up. Ill then look for more fresh sign around that scrape location to see if I can find a primary scrape location. If not ill hunt the freshest sign I come across. I have another tree that is 30 yards from a transition that is along an old logging road. This logging road is about a 1/4 mile up the hill from this scrape location.
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