Hunting Scrapes or Last year's Intersections?
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
Hunting Scrapes or Last year's Intersections?
As you can see from the attached map (with GPS points of rubs, scrapes, etc) the trees in the middle get a lot of rubbing and scraping activity. However I am not 100% where the bucks bed. I have seen an old buck walk out from the river ridge from the north and I have seen younger bucks crossing east/west in the center woods.
I have found active, large scrapes as shown on the map, BUT when I looked at last year's buck tracks during the rut in the snow there is an intersecting spot that may be good to set up on as well. So should I be setting up where all this sign is (scrapes vs intersections) or do you think bucks only stop by this area an night based on its location?
(see attached map)
I have found active, large scrapes as shown on the map, BUT when I looked at last year's buck tracks during the rut in the snow there is an intersecting spot that may be good to set up on as well. So should I be setting up where all this sign is (scrapes vs intersections) or do you think bucks only stop by this area an night based on its location?
(see attached map)
#2
If it were me I would be hunting along the stretch of rub 52 thru 54 on the ridge top. I wouldnt put any stock into the scrapes and rubs along the field edges as 90% of these were done at night time. Get back in and try to catch them before they get to fields and are on their feet during shooting hours. Just my thoughts but let us know how it works out for you.
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
If it were me I would be hunting along the stretch of rub 52 thru 54 on the ridge top. I wouldnt put any stock into the scrapes and rubs along the field edges as 90% of these were done at night time. Get back in and try to catch them before they get to fields and are on their feet during shooting hours. Just my thoughts but let us know how it works out for you.
#4
If it were me I would be hunting along the stretch of rub 52 thru 54 on the ridge top. I wouldnt put any stock into the scrapes and rubs along the field edges as 90% of these were done at night time. Get back in and try to catch them before they get to fields and are on their feet during shooting hours. Just my thoughts but let us know how it works out for you.
#5
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
However the large primary scrapes are not on field edges they are back in woods a ways. As you may note on the map the width of that center group of trees is almost 1/2 mile.
#6
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
If it were me I would be hunting along the stretch of rub 52 thru 54 on the ridge top. I wouldnt put any stock into the scrapes and rubs along the field edges as 90% of these were done at night time. Get back in and try to catch them before they get to fields and are on their feet during shooting hours. Just my thoughts but let us know how it works out for you.
#7
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Lindley NY
Posts: 74
As you can see from the attached map (with GPS points of rubs, scrapes, etc) the trees in the middle get a lot of rubbing and scraping activity. However I am not 100% where the bucks bed. I have seen an old buck walk out from the river ridge from the north and I have seen younger bucks crossing east/west in the center woods.
I have found active, large scrapes as shown on the map, BUT when I looked at last year's buck tracks during the rut in the snow there is an intersecting spot that may be good to set up on as well. So should I be setting up where all this sign is (scrapes vs intersections) or do you think bucks only stop by this area an night based on its location?
(see attached map)
I have found active, large scrapes as shown on the map, BUT when I looked at last year's buck tracks during the rut in the snow there is an intersecting spot that may be good to set up on as well. So should I be setting up where all this sign is (scrapes vs intersections) or do you think bucks only stop by this area an night based on its location?
(see attached map)
I would want to hunt between the pine thicket and rub line. My guess is the buck is walking out of the thicket in the morning feeding in the field but passes by his rubs first to freshen some of them up but the other spot would be on scrap 60 how far is that sign post rub from scrap 60?
Last edited by chas0218; 11-01-2011 at 05:31 PM.
#8
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
Throw a game cam on the scrap and see when he is visiting the scrap and that would tell you if its worth hunting the scrap or intersections. I hunt intersections (where multiple trails merge into one) all the time mostly because that is where i have been most successful. How far are these scraps from the main trail? Most of the time scraps are within 15 yards off the trail... I have seen rubs off the trail a little ways but most scraps I have seen are near the trails.
I would want to hunt between the pine thicket and rub line. My guess is the buck is walking out of the thicket in the morning feeding in the field but passes by his rubs first to freshen some of them up but the other spot would be on scrap 60 how far is that sign post rub from scrap 60?
I would want to hunt between the pine thicket and rub line. My guess is the buck is walking out of the thicket in the morning feeding in the field but passes by his rubs first to freshen some of them up but the other spot would be on scrap 60 how far is that sign post rub from scrap 60?
That north ridge has very lightly used trails and the rubs and scrapes are few. So would that be a south-wind only hunting spot?