The peak of the rut is hitting in some parts of the country and a few reports are trickling in about scraping activity in the Southeast, meaning it won’t be long there before it’s hitting full speed.
Whether you’re a gun or bow hunter, doctoring an existing scrape or making a mock scrape with Smokey’s Preorbital Gland Lure is a good way to get a buck’s attention. Yeah, we know the season has started and yeah, we know you may think messing around with a scrape or making a fake one may not work now.
But, they do. Bucks are ramping up their interest in everything going on around them. All it takes is a little bit of Smokey’s Preorbital Gland Lure on the licking branch above the scrape to get a buck or doe to take notice. Bucks rub their head and antlers on the area, along with licking it, and Smokey’s scent is taken from real bucks. So you’re getting a bottle of the good stuff.
Here are a few tips:
Use the following 5 tips to assist your use of Smokey’s Pre Orbital Gland Lure:
Travel corridor: Find a licking branch in a travel corridor bucks use. Base the location on past observation, old rubs and natural funnels. Use a licking branch that was used last year, establish a new one or make your own by tying a new branch about five feet off the ground.
Licking branch: Before touching anything in the area, put on a pair of rubber gloves. Select a sturdy but flexible branch. Limbs from maple, white oak, ash, beech or poplar produce better results than pine and black cherry. Notice the species deer in your area use. Don’t use a dead or fragile limb.
Application: Mash the tip of the licking branch with a pair of clean pliers. This allows the branch to hold the lure, and exposes the lure to more surfaces so that air currents can pick it up better. Dip the tip of the branch in a bottle of Smokey’s Preorbital Gland Lure. Use just a tiny amount.
Camera: Set your camera so it’s not looking into the sun and leave the area without crossing any primary trails.
Checking camera: Since this is a low-impact scouting method, don’t check your camera any more frequently than once every week to 10 days. Even if it rains, traces of the lure will stay on the licking branch.
(Note: If you’re skittish about using the cameras during the season and checking them, that’s understandable! Smokey’s Preorbital Gland Lure also is good to use before and after the season for camera surveys.)
Make a few mock scrapes or quickly slide in and fix up an existing one — presumably both will be within an ethical shooting range — and then get ready!