Just a couple questions to throw out to my fellow bowhunters. I am new to the scrape hunting scene. I am really starting to get an idea what deer in my area are doing ie: bedding, feeding, rutting. I am seriously considering doing a little scrape doctoring ie: doctoring existing scrapes and making mock scrapes. I would like to hear from someone who has done this and can reccommend a particualr method, knd of scent to use, and when. I have read many books and magazines but would like to hear some real life experiences from fellow hunters. I live in MA and would like to hear from some northeast hunters especially... thanks

Hello stillhuntin:

Well i hunt in ohio, however i dont necasarilly hunt over scrapes, i hunt around them, because a smart buck will scent check a scrape, rather than just go to it to check it for freshness and if your there he will smell you. I put mock scrapes all over my property, i tried it for the first time last year, and i have never seen so many bucks where i hunt at, and was able to harvest a mature 8pt! He was doing a scent check on a trail i knew they were smelling from and i nailed him. Once you locate a hot spot dont hunt it until the rut, just hunt around it, but never enter that particular area. I use tinks 69 and it always works on these eastern deer for me, a new product is scent wafer with buck n rut its great also. Hope this helps,

Hello Stillhuntin,
Welcome to the board!

I have a experiment in progress as we speak. I have started a handfull of mock scrapes within the last month and a half or so useing BuckFever Synthetic Pre/Post rut formula. So far the experiment is going well. The deer have taken over the scrapes and are using them on a regular basis. Some of the scrapes are "Traditional" meaning I am using an existing scrape from last year. Some are "new" meaning ones that I have created.

All my scrapes are getting activity, some more than others. One inparticular has a "cow path" leading to it. I haven't applied any scent into the scrapes after they were started except I have added BF F-Gland sent to the licking branches. So far all seams well. I'm going to put out my setalth cam once it arrives in the mail to see just what has been visiting.

http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/tm.asp?m=622152

Above is the link to the post I started reguarding my experiment. Unfortunately some people have gotten off subjest and started posting about camo. It's not like that are 25 camo post in the history or anything.
I will continue to update the post as I gather more info.

As far as hunting scrapes. This is best done by patterning a buck durring the rub/scraping period of the rut (early rut). Once the doe come into esterous the bucks will become unpredictable and will break from their "daily routine".

T.R Michels has tons of great info on the sublest. He can be found in T.R's forum or at http://www.trmichels.com/
T.R is a wealth of information.

Hopefully Shed33 will show up soon. He should also be able to provide you with some good info.

I am a big fan of hunting mock scrapes and have many of them each year that I hunt. I am hunting North East Texas and usually make them in late August. What I have found to work best is obviously a good looking licking branch overhang from a tree or large bush. If there is a heavily used trail with no overhanging licking branches I will cut one from another tree and fasten it to one on the deer trail. I then put a drip above the licking branch that will drip through the licking branch onto the mock scrape. Starting the drip early will arouse curiosity in the bucks wich will start making this scrape a normal check point to and from feeding. I do not usually hunt directly over the scrape if possible. I usually try to find a point atleast 50+ yards off. Many times the bucks will pull up and watch what bucks are visiting the scrape or not come into the scrape until right at dark. Sitting back off of them will give you a little extra shooting light and be able to spot bucks that might have their guard down.

I shot my p & y buck when he was checking his scrapes.

Thanks to everyone who is adding to the thread. Adams I did see the forum that you had started and thanks for filling me in. I know you will love your trail cam. That is what got me to where I am now with the mock scrapes.
Myself and my bro both bought cams about 3 years ago. We had been bowhunting since we were old enough (15 in MA). I had taken a few small bucks and does and missed a few decent bucks...once in a great while see a real nice one. We just figured there werent a lot of mature bucks. We were wrong.... once we had the cams it was unbelievable how many nice bucks were cruising through our hunting grounds under the cover of darkness. My brother was able to take a nice 10pt (22 1/2 inside) two years ago...a deer he had photoed in velvet. He struck again last year taking an 8pt he had photoed at a scrape during mid november. I was able to take a nice 7pt last year also. The thing is the nicest of the bucks are very nocturnal so this year I want to try a few mock scrapes to try and keep the bucks in the area a bit more, so that maybe I can get a crack at one. Any suggestions regarding how to go about it, or when....isnt june a bit early to start scrapes...i thought sept/oct would be best.