Scrapes-How important are they in your opinion?

[CaptainMusky]

I have been scouting an area over the last couple weeks for the rifle season which begins this Saturday for me.

REcently I have noticed several new scrapes in an area, all of which would be within 300 yards of where I had planned to put my stand. On one visit we actually had a scrape made WHILE we were in the woods. We passed right by it on the way in and out, it wasn't there on the way in, but sure was on the way out.

My question is this, how important do you feel scrapes are to stand placement? Do you put you stand near scrapes or aren't that concerned about it?

I hunted over some scrapes last year, but no bucks showed up.

What has been your experience?

[pikerliker]

Hey Captain in my opinion it depends on where bucks and does are in the rut. If it is early enough that the bucks are making them and working them, then definatly it's a good idea to be close by (but not right on top of them). If they are to the point that they are chasing does, then it doesn't matter all that much. Then I would go where the does are. It sounds to me like you should hunt them especially if one was made while you were in the woods! I actually watched a buck make a scrape 10 yards from my stand last year! Now that was neat. It might also not be a bad idea to try some moch scrapes with a little doe in heat or buck urin to see what you can get stirred up. I had a friend back in 92 shoot a buck that green scored in the 170's that was working a scrape right as legal shooting hours started. He was a real brute! Hope this helps.

~piker

[CaptainMusky]

Thanks for your insight. Yeah, I had never had that happen before where a scrape was made while I was out in the woods. In fact, we couldn't have been more than 50 yards away when he did it. That is pretty balsy if you ask me.

From my stand I will be able to see 3 of the scrapes pretty easy. That wasn't necessarily my plan that I see them, but that I see the deer as it approaches, which I should be able to see him from any direction.