Enter your e-mail address here. Why subscribe to Midwest Whitetail?
Scrapes And How They Apply Now
Posted By Wisconsin at 10/24/2009 12:00:00 AM
SCRAPE LINES ARE STARTING IN WISCONSIN AND THE DEBATE CONTINUES
 
 
ACCORDING TO MY JOURNAL OF 20 YEARS THE DEER BEGIN MAKING SCRAPES AROUND OCT. 17 GIVE OR TAKE A FEW DAYS.  THE OTHER DAY ON OCT. 18TH IN MARQUETTE, GREEN LAKE AND WINNEBAGO COUNTIES I WAS DOING SOME SCOUTING WITH MY FAMILY. I FOUND MANY FRESH SCRAPES.   THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET THE CAMERAS
Copy of oct 24th cabin 123 (Small).jpg
Cameras over scrapes yield great photos.
SET UP OVER THESE SCRAPES AND SEE WHAT BUCKS ARE ACTUALLY IN YOUR AREA.  THE SEEKING PHASE OF THE RUT IS QUICKLY COMING UPON US AND MAY HAVE STARTED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BADGERLAND.   ALONG WITH THE BEGINNING OF SCRAPES AND THE UPCOMING RUT BRINGS MANY QUESTIONS AND VARYING ANSWERS IN REGARDS  TO HOW TO HUNT AND CASH IN ON THAT TROPHY WHITETAIL.
 
AGAIN I WILL ONLY SHARE MY OPINION HERE THAT IS BASED SOLEY ON MY EXPERIENCE WHICH HAS ALLOWED ME TO HARVEST A MATURE BUCK FOR BOW SEASON EVERY YEAR.   SCRAPE LINES ARE GREAT.  SOME HUNTERS HUNT THESE SCRAPE LINES RELIGIOUSLY AND SOME HUNTERS USE THEM ONLY AS A LAST RESORT IN THEIR HUNTING TACTICS.  AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE VARYING OPINIONS ON EACH SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM REGARDING SCRAPE LINES.
 
FOR ME I HUNT THEM ONLY THE FIRST WEEK THEY APPEAR.  THE REASON IS THE BUCKS ARE MAKING THESE TO LOCATE THE EARLY RECEPTIVE DOE. MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY SCRAPE TO SEE WHAT COMPETITION IS OUT THERE AMONG OTHER BUCKS.   IN ONE NIGHT I HAD UP TO TEN DIFFERENT BUCKS HITTING THE SAME SCRAPE AS EVIDENCED BY MY TRAIL CAMERA PICTURES. MOST SCRAPE LINES APPEAR ON WELL ESTABLISHED DEER TRAVEL ROUTES SO HUNTERS THAT SET UP OVER THESE SCRAPES MAY BE SUCCESSFUL NOT BECAUSE OF THE SCRAPE LINE ITSELF, BUT BECAUSE IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE ON THE BUCKS REGULAR TRAVEL ROUTE.  BE SURE TO WEIGH THAT PART CAREFULLY IN DECIDING IF IT WAS REALLY THE SCRAPE LINE OR JUST THE NATURAL TRAVEL ROUTE THAT LED TO YOUR SUCCESS.  I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD ALOT OF LUCK HUNTING A SCRAPE LINE FROM OCT. 17 - OCT. 24 HERE IN WISCONSIN.   ALSO, REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A GREAT TIME FOR SOME LIGHT RATTLING TO GET THE BUCKS COMING IN EARLY.   THEIR TESTOSTERONE IS ON THE RISE AND THEY ARE GEARING UP FOR BATTLE AND CURIOUS ABOUT THE COMPETITION ON THEIR HOME TURF.   
 
cow pond fp 08 2075 (Small).jpg
A nice buck visits a scrape.
AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF THE SCRAPE LINES I SOLEY FOCUS ON WHERE THE DOES ARE.   THE MAIN THING DRIVING A DOE IS FOOD AND AT THIS TIME THE MAIN FACTOR DRIVING THAT TROPHY BUCK ARE THE DOES.   IN SHORT…FIND THE DOES AND YOU WILL FIND THE BUCKS.    HOWEVER, YOUR SET UP HERE IS TOP PRIORITY AND ENTRANCE STILL REQUIRES STEALTH AND VIGILANCE.  THE BUCKS AREN'T AS LIKELY TO ENTER THE OPEN FIELDS AND IF THEY DO THEY QUICKLY CHASE THE DOES OUT OF THE OPEN BACK INTO SOME THICK COVER (STAGING AREA).   I CONCENTRATE ALL MY STAND PLACEMENTS IN THE THICKEST COVER BETWEEN THE DOE BEDDING AREA AND FOOD SOURCE WHERE THE FEMALE DEER TEND TO GATHER BEFORE THEY ENTER A FOOD PLOT.  THE END OF OCTOBER THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER IS PERFECT FOR THIS STRATEGY. 
AFTER THAT A LOT OF THE BUCKS ARE BUNKERED DOWN ALL DAY WITH THE DOES (HENCE THE BREEDING PHASE) AND ITS TOUGH HUNTING AT TIMES.  THE FIRST HOUR BEFORE DARK WHEN THE DOES MOVE IS MORE SUCCESSFUL.  OCCASSIONALY A BUCK WILL GET TIRED OF SITTING AROUND WAITING AND WILL BUMP A DOE SO CONTINUE TO HUNT ALL DAY IF POSSIBLE.
 
THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO READ THIS AND AS ALWAYS GOOD LUCK HUNTING,       COLE SANDSTROM