1st timer.....Mock scrapes??
 

I just started back deer hunting here in S.Carolina after nearly 15 years. I had to tell somebody this:

I made a mock scrape and hung the Tink's power scrape combo pack last night in about a 6ft. pine tree. I was definitely a little skeptical. Holy cow was I wrong! I had previously found about a 400 yd long rub/scrape line on the property I hunt. So, I had been doing some research and saw where a "mock scrape" was a good way to get a buck to show himself on a trail camera. I got him on the camera. Big 8 pt. I would guess he has about a 20" - 22" outside spread with extremely tall antlers. I'm guessing 18" high. This is a HUGE deer for my neck of the woods. He is the biggest buck I have ever seen that was not on TV. The problem is that he only shows up between about 12:00am and 3:00am. Here is my question: The rut is coming in about 2-3 weeks here in Central S. Carolina. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this big fella out during the daylight hours? Cause I know once the rut begins he will be all over the place after the does. Anyway, I am glad I found this forum and thanks in advance for any advice! Good luck to the rest of you hunters!!!

There is a scrape that had been used by my tree stand for years - underneith an overhanging branch onto the trail. The tree grew up, the deer broke off the overhanging branch, and the deer stopped using that tree.

I ended up zip-tie'ing another branch from that tree back onto that tree the last couple of years to keep a low hanging branch, and created scrapes under the tree - and the bucks started coming back!

Best thing I can suggest - toss some piss into the scrape to entice them to visit during other hours and/or even toss some branches/leaves into it to make him re-open it.

Here's a couple videos over top the scrape I'm talking about:

Video 1, The big buck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmBrJuz02Pw

Video 2, The little guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYFDffvfuvo

Video 3, the Medium guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL7q-Yt6Xs8

If you look closely, you can see where I attached the branch.... all those videos are from last year when I "reactivated" the spot.