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Over the past 20 years, motion cameras have proven that the overwhelming majority of mature buck activity at scrape areas takes place under the security of darkness. While many hunters have had minimal success when hunting buck scrapes, over half of my 50 record book bucks were taken at active primary scrape areas, and I hold firm that they are the most productive locations when in the right places and hunted properly.
By John Eberhart
Scrape hunting failure can be attributed to either faulty recognition of which ones receive mature buck daytime activity, poor seasonal and daily timing, improper entries and exits and bad setups. So why, where and when does hunting scrape areas become your best bet for taking a mature buck?
Identifying and Locating Individual Buck Scrapes and Scrape Areas
A scrape is a small 1- to 4-foot area of churned up dirt located beneath one to several overhanging licking branches. Several buck scrapes within a small area make up what I refer to as a primary scrape area. A primary scrape area is generally made in small clearings with brush and or trees scattered throughout with low hanging licking branches. There will typically be several runways converging at a primary scrape area.
The overhanging licking branches are the main focus of communication and are scent marked with saliva and forehead, pre-orbital and nasal glands, while the scrape is scent marked with urine and interdigital glands located between the hooves.
Ixe2x80x99ve found active scrape areas as early as mid-August, but their appeal increases with elevated testosterone levels leading up to the rut phases, with peak activity being during pre-rut.
While individual scrapes might be found randomly along a buckxe2x80x99s travel routes, scrape areas are always located where there is concentrated doe activity, such as at destination food sources xe2x80x94 fruit and preferred mast trees; along the perimeters of crop fields; in pinch points of transition corridors; along perimeters or within bedding areas; and where differing types of terrain features converge. Water sources in areas otherwise devoid of water for xc2xbc-mile or farther in any direction are also prime targets for scrape activity.
Most primary scrape areas are perennial, meaning that unless there are alterations in movement patterns due to changes in preferred food sources such as acorn masts, fruit production, crop rotations, etc., or alterations of the terrain due to property development, they will be used year after year.
The quantity of buck scrapes within a scrape area can vary considerably. In heavily hunted areas, due to the low number of mature bucks, scrape areas are much less common than in lightly hunted and managed areas where there are lots of mature bucks.
On my hunts to lightly hunted states such as Illinois, Iowa and Kansas, I see as many mature bucks as I do mature does, and in such areas there are lots of scrape areas. Ixe2x80x99ve seen as many as 23 buck scrapes within a primary scrape area.
The reason for the discrepancies is simple: In areas where there are lots of mature bucks that fiercely compete for breeding rights, there are more and larger scrape areas. In areas with few mature bucks, they donxe2x80x99t have to compete much for breeding rights, resulting in fewer and smaller scrape areas.
How Deer Use Primary Scrape Areas
The overhanging licking branches in perennial scrape areas are centers of social communication for mature does and bucks throughout the year, while the actual ground scrapes will get little if any activity from January through August (in the Midwest).
Once mature bucks shed their velvet, their testosterone levels begin to rise and at hubs of heavy doe traffic they begin ground scraping activity. As the rut approaches and testosterone levels begin to peak, scrape activity becomes much more intense. While older bucks are responsible for opening up most scrape areas as the rut approaches, 1 1/2-year-old subordinate bucks also take part in scrape activity.
The rut is a two-way street. As mature does get close to their estrous cycle, they abandon their fawns and frequent active scrape areas where they leave their come hither calling cards by scent marking licking branches and urinating in buck scrapes. Matriarch does have been there, done that, and are very in tune with the breeding procedure. On many occasions, Ixe2x80x99ve witnessed them enter a scrape area, leave their calling card scent and loiter in the area for up to half an hour. I have seen as many as 18 utilize licking branches over a single scrape. The more utilized the licking branches, the more it is being revisited. So when youxe2x80x99re preparing a location, always set up within shooting distance of the scrape with the most utilized overhanging licking branches.
Adjusting to Hunting Pressure
Hunting pressure determines where, when and how mature bucks move during daylight hours more than any other factor, and that includes the use of scrape areas! During my 50-plus hunting seasons, Ixe2x80x99ve exclusively hunted public and knock on doors for free permission properties and have been confronted with intense competition from my share of Michiganxe2x80x99s 320,000-plus bow and more than 700,000 gun hunters.
Public vs. Pressured Hunting
In pressured areas, for scrape areas to be well-suited for daytime mature buck activity, they MUST offer perimeter security cover and transition security cover to or from a known bedding area. No matter the number of mature buck scrapes or surrounding rub activity, if theyxe2x80x99re not being visited during shooting hours, theyxe2x80x99re worthless to hunt over.
Scrape areas along perimeters of short crop fields or exposed areas can be disregarded unless youxe2x80x99re happy taking subordinate bucks. Scrape areas along perimeters of standing corn, however, are definitely worth hunting, because mature bucks often bed in large standing cornfields and might take a step outside the cornxe2x80x99s security cover to work or check a scrape area. Once the corn is picked, the location is worthless for mature buck daytime activity.
In lightly hunted and managed areas, mature bucks will frequent open areas where the security cover is not required xe2x80x94 and itxe2x80x99s obvious when watching TV shows and hunting videos, where hunters take mature bucks in exposed areas on a regular basis.
Hunting Active Scrape Areas
If you find a scrape area that fits the security cover requirements and exhibits pre-season activity, donxe2x80x99t go near it again until during hunting season because deer canxe2x80x99t differentiate between whether youxe2x80x99re scouting or hunting. Additional pre-season intrusions will cause mature bucks to visit scrape areas only under the security of darkness. Hunt it during the first few days of season and then mentally hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on it and donxe2x80x99t go anywhere near it until the pre-rut.
If pre-season scouting within mature buck core living areas didnxe2x80x99t turn them nocturnal prior to season, the first few days of hunting pressure will. Hunting scrape areas during the xe2x80x9clullxe2x80x9d will alter the very doe traffic that made it a scrape area in the first place xe2x80x94 chasing them away from the area or causing them to visit after dark. All mature buck activity during the rut phases revolves around doe traffic. When doe traffic is altered, so is the mature buck traffic once they begin pursuing does during daylight hours.
Scrape Areas and the Rut Phases
The pre-rut is about a 10-day window prior to when the majority of does begin entering their estrous cycles (October 28 to November 5 in the Midwest). The peak in testosterone levels, however, motivates mature bucks to search for does that come into estrus a bit early, and scrape areas that meet the daytime security cover requirements will be on their searching route. During this brief window, bucks will remain true to their core areas, thus creating a golden opportunity for scrape area hunting.
Your first hunt should be early enough in the afternoon so you can inspect the buck scrapes for activity, and if none is active, hunt elsewhere. Donxe2x80x99t contaminate a potential hotspot with an unwarranted hunt and after-dark exit because the buck youxe2x80x99re pursuing might still be nocturnal. You might unwittingly alert him with your after-dark exit.
Before you leave, you can use a stick to re-work a couple of buck scrapes and place several drops of buck urine in them. Give the location a few days and repeat the process. After two attempts without activity, give it up.
While hunting inactive scrape areas is fine during peak-rut, donxe2x80x99t hunt them during pre-rut unless theyxe2x80x99re active. If the buck scrapes are active, hunt them. If youxe2x80x99re unsuccessful, hunt there again the following morning. Oftentimes, Ixe2x80x99ll slip out of my harness and leave it and my bow and quiver in the tree to guarantee my morning return.
Side note: If the scrape area is at a fruit tree thatxe2x80x99s dropping food, donxe2x80x99t hunt it in the morning because there will likely be deer feeding at it and youxe2x80x99ll spook them with your entry. Fruit tree scrape areas should be hunted only during evenings.
On morning hunts, be on stand and settled in an absolute minimum of an hour and a half before dawn. Make sure your entry is such that you donxe2x80x99t spook deer that might be feeding in the area. When hunting active scrape areas during pre-rut, try to remain on stand until at least noon and all day if possible.
Why such an early arrival? Even during the rut phases, a pressured mature buck will generally continue to bed prior to first light. You should be set up and quiet before he passes through the area. Otherwise, without knowing it, you might spook him with a typical half hour prior to daylight entry. If hexe2x80x99s spooked by your entry, the likelihood of seeing him later in the morning or during midday is slim.
During morning hunts, Ixe2x80x99ve witnessed bucks come in and bed or stage in the perimeter security cover well before first light and scent check does for receptivity as they passed through after daylight. These occurrences usually happen when the scrape areas are at their peak activity level, which is during pre-rut.
In pressured areas, primetime mature buck rut phase activity takes place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. This midday movement pattern coincides with them attempting to locate an estrous doe and is often a mature buckxe2x80x99s only point of vulnerability.
Twenty of my Michigan book bucks were taken between October 28 and November 14, and seven of the 20 were taken between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., while only 9% of my time spent on stand was during midday. Thatxe2x80x99s a 35% kill rate during only a 9% on stand percentage.
Bucks learn at an early age to either pattern normal hunter behavior and adjust their movements accordingly, or suffer the consequences. Twenty-eight of my 31 Michigan record book bucks carried old wounds while none of my 19 Pope and Young bucks from out of state had ever been touched.
Once the majority of does begin entering their estrous cycles, the peak rut begins and dominant buck routines get abandoned because theyxe2x80x99re usually with estrous does, negating the need to search. Scrape area activity decreases and mature bucks will oftentimes be drawn away from their core living areas when picking their next estrous does that might have overlapping core areas.
Donxe2x80x99t be discouraged by this erratic behavior because this is another time when primary scrape areas come into play. When a doexe2x80x99s estrous cycle ends, the buck that was with her will have to search for another and will revert back to his pre-rut routine of scent checking the local scrape areas when doing so.
Also, since buck ranges expand during peak rut due to overlapping doe core areas, bucks from other areas will overlap into yours as well and will visit the local scrape areas to pick up their next partner. Never forget that primary scrape areas are made in heavy doe traffic areas, making them the best place to intercept an amorous buck even during peak rut.
During peak rut, estrous does lead males around on very unpredictable routes. While breeding bucks will make every effort to corral estrous does within some form of security cover, they arenxe2x80x99t always successful. This makes them vulnerable to hunters on uncharted routes. This peak rut behavior helps balance the scale for all hunters, oftentimes making luck play as big a part in a hunterxe2x80x99s success as skill.
xe2x80x94 John Eberhart has an accumulative total of 50 record book bucks (31 from Michigan and 19 out of state) from 32 different properties. John also runs Eberhartxe2x80x99s Whitetail Workshops (two-day events), has co-authored three bowhunting books and produced the instructional DVD series xe2x80x9cBowhunting Pressured Whitetails.xe2x80x9d For more information please visit www.deer-john.net.
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How to ID Different Types of Whitetail Scrapes and Licking Branches
