Mock Scrapes: Why Most Don't Work 

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I've put in a couple in the last month. One right next to doe bedding on a ridge top. Another on a bench where deer travel to and from, mostly to, bedding in the morning. They were both adopted and did their job. I've counted 7 bucks so far that really took to them. All I did, honestly, was find oaks, scrape up the ground, bend the limbs down some, and urinate on the bare ground. Interestingly enough the first customers using the licking branch in both were does. Another failed not because of location but I opted to try a maple branch. Beech in this area is number one for scrapes, oak is always second. They just ate the leaves on the maple branch and left. But I did get a really cool picture of a bear standing up looking up into the tree the camera was on so it was well worth the attempt in the end.

I've never thought about leaving my branches so long and leaning them against the tree. Not sure why, because it's a damn good idea. I often struggle with zip ties and other branches to complete the licking branch I want. Your way would eliminate that. Going to try it. Thanks. As far as getting back to remote areas. Although I can get back there and hunt it, It would probably kill me to drag deer out of the area. They've cut down on quad use, which helped me tremendously at one time, just for dragging the deer out. But I have to look at other methods now. One day you will too! I've turned my best areas over to my son who can deal with it much better than me. If he's so chooses. And has for the most part. You're only young once. Enjoy it!😊 But I enjoy your videos, always learning something. That's what I teach other hunters, never, ever, stop learning! Appreciate you man😉

Great video and I agree with the fact that you have to find where the deer are first - even in low density areas. Once again great video!

I'm really enjoying the videos, i also hunt Northern MN, and im going to try the mock scrapes this coming weekend.

Thank you.

Live in Maine and a couple years ago I tried a licking branch and got deer walking by, and a few checked it out but nothing crazy. I cleared the leaves out to bare dirt, even peed in it a few times, I used a vine (after watching many videos and they recommend vines or whatnot) and thought I did something wrong. Then in a field up the road that often has 10+ deer in it in the summer I started noticing a few deer rubbing on a pine or spruce branch, over the summer I saw a few small bucks , even a fawn on its hind legs trying to get to it. So I'm thinking maybe in this area deer use spruce/pine as licking branches and the vine doesn't work? I have noticed over the years around here some bucks like rubbing pine trees with their antlers and some like hard woods with their antlers. A few years back their was a very nice buck that would only rub hard woods. And the whole pee myth, after 20-30 mins deer can't tell the difference between human urine and deer urine, they just know it's urine, I've watched scientific videos on the pee issue.

Nice video. Your basically doing (as far as getting in there) what we do up in Michigan’s U.P. we get inn there and all we hunt is stand land. Thanks for the tips very helpful

Another great video. Thank you. I just started hunting deer this year. Wasn't even familiar with mock scrapes. All very fascinating and i can see how you can set yourself up for a deer harvest if a buck adopts your mock scrape. Has to be in the right place however as this video points out. I'm curious you said scrapes are the deer's method of communication. Do they visit these scrapes throughout the year or just pre-rut and full rut? Your trail cam activity and history can probably answer that as well. I live in Massachusetts and I want to do some scouting and tracking this winter to get a better understanding of deer patterns and where they like to hang out. Are they visiting scrapes throughout the winter? Thanks again. You've got yourself a new subscriber!

Your correct, I like it in a location it will hit them in the head as they walk through!

I like that idea of leaving your branches long for more stability. I use spruce as well, but the needles fall off quick. Do you find that it makes a difference ? Nice Bucks.

Do you use any scent in your mock scrapes or just scrape the ground? They just made any deer scent illegal where I hunt and would only be able to scrape the ground.

Great videos, I hunt similar large public forest in Wisconsin. When you talk about an ag food source near does zone, how far is too far 1/4, 1/2, 1 mile? If no ag near by what other big woods food source would you look for?