Scrapes

[smokeybones]

Newer hunter here. a few years ago I thought that rubs were the bee's knees but i have been noticing more action around scrapes.
Early Nov rolled around and I hunted and area that produced a lot of deer on camera, does and bucks, well known bedding area close by.
I walk slowly down the hill an hour before last light, see a massive scrape but older. Keep walking, see another nice scrape, a lot fresher. My intuition says to sit by this scrape but being inexperienced i dont listen to myself. I ended up sitting facing away from the scrape in the direction where i had put the camera and had a lot of activity on. 10 mins before last light i hear the beloved, sh sh sh, sh sh, sh sh sh.. and i turn around slowly with an akward stance. sure enough, big body standing sniffing his fresh scrape. I give a grunt in the grunt tube. he lifts his head, i stay still. he puts his head down, i grunt again. he lifts his head. grunt one more time, now ive got his attention and he walks behind me with in 20 yds.
(this is a story about not shooting a deer if you cant tell)
now he is about to walk into a shooting lane so i want to get in a better position, i break a couple branches and the dry leaves make all sorts of noises, he runs off the way he came... i grunt again, he stops. i grunt again he turns my way again. this time he is about 50 yds from me and nothing is stopping him. all in all i love these woods and want to continue learning from my mistakes and listen to intuition. it might be the greatest teacher of all, if i learn from the mistakes, if not its just knowledge.. I'll be out this weekend for sure!
Do bucks stop scraping at some point? do they stop tending scrapes after a while?

Glad to join this community, happy huntin!

- smokey

 

[longbow]

Welcome to the site.

If you were up in a tree you could have probably just turned around and shot him.

Bucks makes scrapes on their trails as they travel along. If a scrape is hit numerous times and there is a lot of deer sign in the area, rubs, dropping tracks then that scrape/trail/area is a good one to watch. I would position myself at least 50 yard downwind in a tree if hunting with a gun.

Bucks make most of their scrapes during the breeding season. When that is over they normally stop making them, although I have seen them well before and after breeding season.

 

[longbow]

smokeybones?

 

[smokeybones]

Been watching a couple of old scrapes and bucks haven't returned to them. I dont own a stand yet so i'm doing my best to be cautious of wind direction from the ground. I have 10 days left of bow hunting season and haven't seen many deer since mid november.

any suggestions for december deer behavior?

 

[lester2]

Been watching a couple of old scrapes and bucks haven't returned to them. I dont own a stand yet so i'm doing my best to be cautious of wind direction from the ground. I have 10 days left of bow hunting season and haven't seen many deer since mid november.

any suggestions for december deer behavior?

Food sources!

 

[smokeybones]

Can you be a little more specific?

I am sitting right around oak/beech groves. would they be more around water or fields with grass to eat?

Thinking time in the woods is going to be the best teacher for my area but any suggests are helpful! thanks everyone

 

[lester2]

Can you be a little more specific?

I am sitting right around oak/beech groves. would they be more around water or fields with grass to eat?

Thinking time in the woods is going to be the best teacher for my area but any suggests are helpful! thanks everyone

Oak and beech groves are excellent spots, especially if they are near cover. Consider a couple things tho. First, at least where I hunt, any beechnuts that drop are gone first, and in most areas by now you’d be hard pressed to find any nuts. Second, you might think you’re in a good spot because there are acorns on the ground but in many cases they are old brown rotten nuts left over from previous years. If there are green, white meat acorns in your area with signs of recent pawings from deer that’s where I would spend my time. Hope that helps and good luck.

 

[smokeybones]

Oak and beech groves are excellent spots, especially if they are near cover. Consider a couple things tho. First, at least where I hunt, any beechnuts that drop are gone first, and in most areas by now you’d be hard pressed to find any nuts. Second, you might think you’re in a good spot because there are acorns on the ground but in many cases they are old brown rotten nuts left over from previous years. If there are green, white meat acorns in your area with signs of recent pawings from deer that’s where I would spend my time. Hope that helps and good luck.

Thanks guy! Any time out there is better than not

 

[Deerslayer34]

Newer hunter here. a few years ago I thought that rubs were the bee's knees but i have been noticing more action around scrapes.
Early Nov rolled around and I hunted and area that produced a lot of deer on camera, does and bucks, well known bedding area close by.
I walk slowly down the hill an hour before last light, see a massive scrape but older. Keep walking, see another nice scrape, a lot fresher. My intuition says to sit by this scrape but being inexperienced i dont listen to myself. I ended up sitting facing away from the scrape in the direction where i had put the camera and had a lot of activity on. 10 mins before last light i hear the beloved, sh sh sh, sh sh, sh sh sh.. and i turn around slowly with an akward stance. sure enough, big body standing sniffing his fresh scrape. I give a grunt in the grunt tube. he lifts his head, i stay still. he puts his head down, i grunt again. he lifts his head. grunt one more time, now ive got his attention and he walks behind me with in 20 yds.
(this is a story about not shooting a deer if you cant tell)
now he is about to walk into a shooting lane so i want to get in a better position, i break a couple branches and the dry leaves make all sorts of noises, he runs off the way he came... i grunt again, he stops. i grunt again he turns my way again. this time he is about 50 yds from me and nothing is stopping him. all in all i love these woods and want to continue learning from my mistakes and listen to intuition. it might be the greatest teacher of all, if i learn from the mistakes, if not its just knowledge.. I'll be out this weekend for sure!
Do bucks stop scraping at some point? do they stop tending scrapes after a while?

Glad to join this community, happy huntin!

- smokey

Wow you sure screwed up. I would have set up watching the scrapes and never break a bunch of branches when the deer is only 20yds away especially after calling him in. That deer won’t come back to a grunt call. He will remember that.