Tim talks north woods scrapes...

[Tim H]

Really good information Tim! It helps confirm some of the things I've been observing up north (I hunt northern Wisconsin near lake Superior). Those secondary logging roads are a big deal to the deer! Most of them are too overgrown to even notice, but, 25% of the length of those 100 year old roads are openish highways that the deer use (even the oldest bucks), with complete confidence.

They're just like the "corridors" that Stanely taught us about. Safe easy walking. When they are coursing near a bedding or feeding area, they are almost irresistible to the bucks.

Also, I love your observation (With buck pictures to prove it!) that scrapes in a strategic area on these logging roads are sign that "they are giving us to use"! Spots where daylight activity is expected. Super powerful information for a big woods hunter! Thanks for sharing that.

Wow thanks for the awesome words Klemz! To get that from you and hearing you mention Stanley means a great deal to me! In a sense, I was hesitant to talk about secondary trails because not all people have those in their areas. But I suppose the same principles can be applied to a lot of areas. Find the areas the bucks are moving where they feel comfortable to let their guard down. Many people might not find scrapes important, but as a bigwoods hunter if used in the right scenario, it could really pay off! I like to say, you only gotta be right once!

[redz]

I just watched it earlier today. Great info, thanks!

[UPbowhunter]

Great vid!

[strutnrut716]

Outstanding work Tim !

So many excellent points from what you confirm with trailcam photos. That last week of Oct to first week Nov really hit home for me. That's exactly when I have the most daytime photos of anything decent. Guess I will be planning accordingly this year.

Also, the old time logging roads you point out. Really makes sense ! Some of the older locals up north tell me about small gauge railroads that were used way back many years ago for logging. They are hard to find and see, but the old railroad beds I know of are golden !! Just like you show in your video.

Thanks for sharing !

[Tim H]

Outstanding work Tim !

So many excellent points from what you confirm with trailcam photos. That last week of Oct to first week Nov really hit home for me. That's exactly when I have the most daytime photos of anything decent. Guess I will be planning accordingly this year.

Also, the old time logging roads you point out. Really makes sense ! Some of the older locals up north tell me about small gauge railroads that were used way back many years ago for logging. They are hard to find and see, but the old railroad beds I know of are golden !! Just like you show in your video.

Thanks for sharing !

Thanks Steve! I love hearing about old timers and how they hunted years ago. A lot of them really knew how to kill deer! So when they talk I listen.

[tundra@1]

I have hunted the north, and my house is in the western ,UP. LOTS. has changed, good and bad, it's a cycle. But with 50 years behind me, here is my advi

[tundra@1]

My advice. Deer movement on good bucks evolves around water. You need to learn the drainage systems. I could say alot about that. Enjoyed the video.

[Tim H]

My advice. Deer movement on good bucks evolves around water. You need to learn the drainage systems. I could say alot about that. Enjoyed the video.

Thanks for watching and your comment. Could you please elaborate what you mean about this?

[Uncle Lou]

Good stuff Tim. I found quite a few scrapes up north where I hunt in the Huron National Forest where they are lined up on an old railroad grade. Since it is easy walking along that grade, I usually pass those up as well. But my eyes are always searching when I have to pass through that area on the way in and out.

Hey, what kind of pants are you wearing, Duluth Fire Hose, First lite,? need another pair of olive pants, I usually just get dickies or carhart at Tractor Supply, but those are cotton, and yours look like polyester.

[Tim H]

Good stuff Tim. I found quite a few scrapes up north where I hunt in the Huron National Forest where they are lined up on an old railroad grade. Since it is easy walking along that grade, I usually pass those up as well. But my eyes are always searching when I have to pass through that area on the way in and out.

Hey, what kind of pants are you wearing, Duluth Fire Hose, First lite,? need another pair of olive pants, I usually just get dickies or carhart at Tractor Supply, but those are cotton, and yours look like polyester.

Thanks Lou! Those actually are old carhartt pants. I call them my permethrin pants.

[Ryan549]

Whole lot of information there!

[may21581]

Good job tim. Your style of hunting and mine are very similiar. I've shot all my mature bucks in such areas you talk about.

[greenhorndave]

This was awesome Tim. Really like how you showed the terrain around the ones you thought were both significant and insignificant.

[KLEMZ]

Now that I'm looking back at it, I've had some great buck encounters in recent seasons on secondary fire trails with scrapes (north woods). These hunts we're not pre-planned to be on the secondary trails, but were the result of finding fresh sign and hunting it. Some of these areas were related to active bedding, some were related to active feeding areas. Looking forward, I will definitely be on the lookout for strategically placed hidden fire trails. I'm beginning to think that knowing the locations of these old trails in the north woods is as important as knowing the location of the bedding or feeding.

I'm thinking that the scrapes on these fire trails are active during the two weeks that Tim stated...Last part of October, first part of November. But, I have suspicions that the trails themselves may be more universally used (if close to bedding/feeding). In fact, the reason the scrapes are on the secondary trails might be because of the universal usage?

The buck encounters I've had on the secondary trails (with scrapes), were all AFTER the peak scrape working time frame. They were during the actual breeding time frame (lock down, as some people call it). A time when bucks don't have time to be running around working scrapes. Yet the bucks were still using the secondary trail. In one case, the buck left the doe he was tending, hopped through some dead fall branches just to get to his comfy secondary fire trail, I killed him before he could reach the scrape he was heading towards. For a mature buck to divert away from a doe in estrus that he is tending is powerful proof that the scrapes on the hidden corridors are a huge deal.

[Tim H]

Now that I'm looking back at it, I've had some great buck encounters in recent seasons on secondary fire trails with scrapes (north woods). These hunts we're not pre-planned to be on the secondary trails, but were the result of finding fresh sign and hunting it. Some of these areas were related to active bedding, some were related to active feeding areas. Looking forward, I will definitely be on the lookout for strategically placed hidden fire trails. I'm beginning to think that knowing the locations of these old trails in the north woods is as important as knowing the location of the bedding or feeding.

I'm thinking that the scrapes on these fire trails are active during the two weeks that Tim stated...Last part of October, first part of November. But, I have suspicions that the trails themselves may be more universally used (if close to bedding/feeding). In fact, the reason the scrapes are on the secondary trails might be because of the universal usage?

The buck encounters I've had on the secondary trails (with scrapes), were all AFTER the peak scrape working time frame. They were during the actual breeding time frame (lock down, as some people call it). A time when bucks don't have time to be running around working scrapes. Yet the bucks were still using the secondary trail. In one case, the buck left the doe he was tending, hopped through some dead fall branches just to get to his comfy secondary fire trail, I killed him before he could reach the scrape he was heading towards. For a mature buck to divert away from a doe in estrus that he is tending is powerful proof that the scrapes on the hidden corridors are a huge deal.

KLEMZ, this is really great information! A lot of the fresh sign I find are are the secondary trails too. The sign normally begins October. Thanks for sharing some of your experience with hunting in the northwoods! By chance are you able to send me a pic of the buck you killed that left the doe?