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Scrape hunting question. ...?

Autumnrider

Autumnrider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
1,328
Location
Northeast Mississippi
Never ever have I taken a buck while hunting a scrape that is within eye sight. I've taken some on the other ridge away from the scrapes but I was not hunting the scrape nor did I know the scrape(s) were even around.

QUESTION......?
WHEN BOW HUNTING, DO YOU HUNT THEM WHILE THEY ARE IN BOW SHOOTING DISTANCE OR HUNT THE AREA AROUND THEM, LETS SAY, RIFLE SHOOTING DISTANCE?
 
I always hunt the ends of a scrape line. Close to beding or staging area before he enters a field.


Sent from my
Sit drag, Ernie's outdoors linesman belt,
At 20' up
 
You'll get a lot of opinions on this one...

The answer is: depends where the scrape is located and the time of season

Field edge scrapes that are on exposed edges of fields overlooking human habitation tend to only be hit by younger deer during daylight hours, if at all. During the rut you might get a few extra visitors but if it's too exposed they will usually only come at night.

If it's land locked field edge should have more traffic simply because deer feel a little safer, but activity will probably still be minimal until pre rut and rut.

Scrapes inside woodlots have to be evaluated relative to adjacent terrain features. If you find a heavy scrape on a two track but it's fairly open timber with little cover deer will probably not visit it during daylight as frequently outside of the rut.

Scrapes inside heavy cover and near thick bedding areas are your best bet. For deer to hit them during daylight they need to feel very safe, and heavy surrounding cover usually meets their safety requirement. These can produce outside the rut but again your best bet will be a pre rut or rut sit.

Whether you're using rifle or bow you want to position yourself downwind of the scrape as any bucks are likely to come scent checking on the downwind side of the scrape before committing to it.

Personally for bow I would setup downwind within shooting distance of the most heavily used scrape and wait until pre rut / rut to hunt it.


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My theory is that they check them from downwind. You need to pattern sign leading to the scrape and then set up downwind from the downwind spot they would check from.

This worked ALMOST flawlessly for me once. A 10 point buck came in exactly as planned but walked out on my right side and I couldn't shoot.

Being correct in my patterning/tracking but not getting a shot was more gratifying than randomly getting a shot
 
I agree with they come from down wind unless on a point where down wind is not possible. If I don't know where I am I typically get down from the tree and scout 10 till 2 most of the time on full or new moons if I find a hot one being used I will set up immediately and have had several bucks either come to the scrape or be cruising close by in the middle of the day. The other times i've done well by scrapes is right after a hard rain and if it looks good will sit through the rain to be there when it stops. Then always sit till black dark the last minute will probably be the one.
 
If you have a community scrape hunting downwind of a downwind crossing is killer. I have killed two P&Y and one booner from the same set years apart from a community scrape. If you find one you will know it!!


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