deertale

Whoa.... Finaly found buck sign in my hunting area. It was raining last night so rather than sit in the stand, I scouted some new areas. I found a nice scrape (2-3' dia) and 10 yrds away another smaller one. There was also some small sapplings broke int he area. It was getting dark so couldn't scout more. I GPS'd the spot and picked a tree with good back cover and out a camera on the scrape. I think I should be good with not leaving scent because it rained ffor most of the night. What do you think - How soon should I get out there and hunt this scrape? What time of the day? My gut says ASAP! The bucks should be checking scrapes for any scent of a ready doe. One problem is I don't think I could find the spot in the darkness of morning with out making a racket. I might try Wed. afternoon?

wis_bow_huntr

hard to say how soon to hunt it. This could be what they call a random scrape or a roaming scrape. is there a branch haginging over these scrapes?

Legacy357

most scrapes are made at night....where is the scrape located? coming from a bedding area? along the edge of a field? travel route? the best time to hunt that scrape is RIGHT after it stops raining....just as your scent got washed away, so did the buck's. He wants every deer to know that this is his area. Also, you can always freshen up and piss him off by pissing in the scrape. The deer smell the ammonia in the scrape and all mammals (including humans) omit ammonia when they piss...the buck will be checking scrapes for the next 2-2.5 weeks so time it out and you might score.....

wi_buckstomper

to me a scrape only tells me that bucks are using the area and i dont put a plan to hunt over a scrape because to often there made at night

huntingson

I have heard this logic a few times on here and I just don't understand it. It seems completely contradictory to me. You knowa buck is there so you don't hunt there? More than likely, wis_bow is right and it is just a random scrape that won't be hit regularly, but if that is the best sign you have in your area right now, then hunt it.

SteveO KanevO

I think you should wait. Does are not in estrus yet. I believe that the bucks are concentrating on packin on a few pounds for the winter. If the scrape is in a travel corridor I would say that it would be alright to hunt it but I wouldnt expect any activity at the scrape for awhile.

MichaelT.

I have killed good deer over scrapes. In my opinion, the next thing I would do is to keep looking for more. I am not being a smarty *&% about it either. You can have success hunting over a single scrape, but you can learn a lot if you can find a scrape line. Learn the direction of travel. Find improved ambush points. All kinds of stuff. Finding a scrape is good. Finding more is great.

Good luck
God Bless

LaHoytguy

So if the bucks are trying to get fat it would make sence to hunt food sources that have nearby cover/bedding area. HoweverI think the bigger bucks are under rocks this time of year. I have been all over my lease and everytime I see a deer running across the road day or night it is a doe or yearling. The only bucks I have seen in the last 3 weeks has been one spike that had little4"long spikes. In the South during this time of year there is so much food and water available the big bucks do not need to go far to get what they need. I am just waiting for them to start thinking about something else. About the nocturnal scrapes, I did see an 8 pt come out to a feeder that had alot of doe activity all day and make a scrape. It was cool to watch. He even went so far to urinate/deficate in the scrape then reared up and nibbled on a branch. As he was coming through the woods leaving his bedding area I could hear him coming because he was tearing up trees making rubs along the way. He was all fired up that day, course it was Thanksgiving weektoo about 730am.I guess you can figure out what happened in the following minutes.

SteveO KanevO

LaHoytguy great another southie. I know what you are talking about deer are different down here. Ive seen several good bucks all at night and all are feeding. The only bucks I have seen in the woods have been 2 spikes.

LaHoytguy

Yeah I wish they would stop thinking with the big head and switch gears. Its sucha cool feeling when you see a doe comeout and then another or so and they keep looking back. All kinds of visions run through your head on what could be fixing to come out.