Scrape/Pressure Question

[Conan]

I located a scrape line leading to an area about 75yds wide where there are 4 scrapes, 1 of which is active. The scrape area is at the point of a ridge coming out of a thicket. The scrape line is perpendicular to the ridge point. I placed a stand 20yds away from the active scrape on the upwind side. I've hunted the stand 3 times (twice in the morning, and once at night) and haven't seen hide nor hair of the buck. A doe with 2 fawns came up the trail and went right to the scrape one morning, but other than that nothing.

My problem is this: I'm hunting a park and there is a hiking trail 80yds below my stand location. Mornings are alright as far as hikers, I only see one elderly gent walking his dog, but the one night I hunted it was like the changing of the Buckingham Palace Guard. I saw 9 hikers in 4 hours.

I can only assume that he is freshening/checking the active scrape at night. Should I move to an area with less human activity?

[Bill Carlsen]

I have never had any luck hunting scrapes. Have only seen does come in to them. The only time I had a nice buck actually approach a scrape he only checked it from a distance. If anything I would move a bit downwind of a scrape from a place where a passing  buck might travel thru scent checking. I know guys like Rothhaarr and the Wensels routinely kill bucks at scrapes but IMO trails that bucks use to scent check those scrapes are probably going to be more productive. Others on here have had different experiences than I but what I have stated is how it has worked for me. Actually what i do is key in on does because that is what the scrapes are all about....getting does. I figure if I am where the does frequent as the rut settles is the bucks won't be too far away. Now, if you can find a rub line you might have a better chance of catching a buck  hunting the rubs rather than the scrapes. Actually scrapes and rubs pretty much only tell you where a buck has been....that is the only certainty you can take away from finding that kind of sign. Figuring out how to ambush him takes more work and thought than hanging a stand at one of those spots unless there is a lot of competition for the available does. Good luck.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

We have some good success hunting certain types of scrapes, The problem is that they might not come back to a scrape and refresh it for a week to 10 days this time of year unless it rains. Then it might be at night when he does check it then you have to wait them out again till he comes back around.

Are trail cams showed us alot about scrapes and we hunt the same ones now year after year during certain times of course. We have lots of daylight picks of mature deer at scrapes. My son drilled this mature buck right as he finished using a scrape while a doe stood 10yds away.

 

Yes, Most scrape activity is at night but during the real rut they will check them all day long. It's just hard to sit day after day and not see anything coming to the scrape and, Is it really worth your time and effort especially when your not sure of what deer are using the scrape. We have picks of up to a dozen different deer using the same one and some just a one or two.

Tracy

[Friend]

No expert here, however I have taken a couple bucks right over scrapes and have had several bucks over them that I let walk. That was years ago. Seldom have I hunted over a scrape in the past 15 years. Scrape hunting can get you really pumped and have mainly ended in disappointment for me.

I am always glad to find a primary scrape area and do set-up based on its location. I look for a spot that is promising in its own right and has a trail leading to the scrape area. That spot may be anywhere from 50 to 100 yards away. You have an opportunity for bucks just using the area, buck scent checking and for bucks actually heading to or from the scrape. Having a good feeling with regards to the deer movement,anticpated time, wind movement and approach and departure from the deer stand should be of primary importance.

Lower impact hunting have consistantly produced better results for me. When I make a mistake, I feel that I have a better chance at re-setting up and am more confident that I haven't tainted the area.

[Greyfox54]

For what it's worth in my experience I would check the scrape to see which way the deer was headed when he made it . If he made it facing the thicket he probably made it on his way to a bedding area . also if it has been made facing away from the thicket he probably made it leaving his bedding area . They usually leave thier bedding areas in the afternoons-evenings and enter them in the morning . That should give you an idea when to hunt it . Unless you can enter and leave your stand without spooking deer I wouldn't overhunt it as it doesn't take much for a deer to pattern us . As far as joggers are concerned I wouldn't worry about them at all . If they are always on the trail the deer get used to them . A few years ago there was a Fish and Game biologist that was doing a snake study in the pines where I hunt . Seemed like he always checked my area around 5-5:30 . I used to leave when he showed up until he told me he had seen a couple nice bucks as he was checking his snakes that just watched him from a distance .I then stayed in my stand when he came around and a couple times after had deer come in as soon as he walked away . I never got one but that wasn't his fault . Good luck , hope this helps .

[Conan]

My mistake, I meant the downwind side. Plus, I backtracked his rubs and found another scrape above the thicket below my current stand site. I also located a bunch of beds in the thicket, so the deer are bedding about 100yds below me closer to the hiking trail. As such he is probably scent checking the scrape area from the thicket, and with the foliage still on I just can't see him.

[George Vernon]

I'm guessing with the nearby bedding area the scrape trail will be most productive for morning hunts as you can get to your stand before the deer return to the bedding area.  Afternoon or daytime hunts will be tough since you're close enough to the bedding to be easily seen or heard.  The hikers are distracting, but the deer are probably used to them.  Give your self several days in the area since I don't think bucks will be at the scrapes every day unless there are a lot of bucks and fewer does in the area.  I usually take scrapes as confirmation of deer being in the area.  Then I look for the obvious trails the does and fawns use and set up close to them as the rut activity builds under the belief the bucks will move to the does.  Prior to the rut, and after, I look for the lesser used trails that parallel the obvious ones.  These seem to be the ones the older bucks use at first and last light.

[jhg]

In my experience you have a narrow time window with scrapes. Once any does are nearing estrus bucks won't use them much since their tiime is better spent elsewhere. Scrapes are what they use to find the first one IMO. She comes along, pees on it with her estrus pee and thats all it takes. He will ck. it until he finds a hot doe, either with a scrape or some other way. They may refresh them but later on its more random, thus less apt to produce a shot for you.

Morning and evenings I left them alone because bucks have other things to do that are productive for them. Early in the season I hunted scrapes late mornings thru middle afternoons. That was when he would be looking for something to occupy his time...

But even then, it could be a lot of waiting.


The pay off is usually a nice deer.
Never hunt right over them. Be downwind 25 yds or so.

Joshua

[dan d]

One thing I found interesting about all this is the deer are probably use to humans and there scent (from the hiking trail)  meaning your scent  would not be as big of an issue, kinda a good thing in my mind.
Dan

[overbo]

Scrape hunting in the East is a totally different ballgame than hunting them in the Midwest!Usually midwest deer have a better buck to doe ratio and aren't hasseled as much by humans,traffic,dogs,ect,so they are wired different.
I remember when Va's bow season went thru the rut and then came that awful blackpowder season that starts the first saturday of Nov. Over 50% of the bucks killed in Va's season is durring that  ML season.W/in a couple years the rut activity changed dramatically and scrape hunting a worthless venture.
I sure wish you success.

[wapitimike1]

Gotta love cameras for stuff like your this. I've got a major scrape and rub line running through some horse and walking trails. I'm not sure if it's night or not, so.. It's camera time for me. I know some people don't like the idea of camers but. If you work full time (or more) in this world times to valuble to waist!!