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John's Journal... Entry 120, Day 3

HOW TO FIND A BUCK AT HIS SCRAPE

When is the Best Time to Hunt a Scrape?

EDITOR'S NOTE: The information we don't know about scrape hunting can fill up volumes of textbooks. You can compare the amount of information we do understand about scrape hunting to a BB in a boxcar. Each year wildlife researchers gain more data about deer communication, behavior and signposting. However, the knowledge we learn as deer hunters often becomes twisted, leaving us misinformed. Much of what we know about scrape hunting comes from legends and traditions rather than scientific facts. Let's look at the latest research with Dr. Keith Causey, professor of wildlife science at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama about scrapes and scrape hunting and take advantage of it to harvest more bucks at these naturally occurring whitetail bulletin boards.


Causey quickly answers this question by stating that we only can speculate as to the most-productive time to hunt a scrape. However, he recommends sitting in your stand during the rut for as many hours as you can, expecting that a buck eventually will appear at a scrape. Although Causey readily admits we have no scientific data to prove that bucks come to scrapes made in thick cover in daylight hours more frequently than scrapes made in open country, as a bowhunter, he chooses to hunt over scrapes made in thick cover during the rut.

"However, if I hunt with a rifle and can shoot accurately at more than 100 yards, I prefer to hunt a scrape where I can watch deer coming from further away," Causey admits. To hunt a scrape in open country with a rifle, stay as far away from the scrape as possible but set up at a place where you still can shoot accurately. Also hunt downwind of the scrape. The further you remain away from a scrape and keep your human odor away from the scrape, the less likely that you'll spook the buck you want to take as he approaches the scrape. "The most-recent scientific studies indicate that although deer will work a scrape at any time of the day, the most-frequent activity at a scrape occurs at night," Causey emphasizes. "You'll find the best time to spot a buck at a scrape often will be at first light or during the last few minutes of daylight in the evening.

"The size of the scrape often tells the hunter whether the scrape is a traditional scrape or a new scrape," Causey mentions. "If you know your hunting area well, you may go to the same scrape every year and find the deer working this scrape actively during each year's breeding season. Traditional scrapes usually are larger in size than non-traditional scrapes. Intuitively, I believe traditional scrapes will produce more deer sightings than non-traditional scrapes. However, I can't prove my belief with scientific fact." Causey admits that on the areas he hunts, he returns to traditional scrapes during the rut to take a dominant buck, rather than spending time hunting at new scrapes he sees for the first time that season.

TOMORROW: WHY HUNT SCRAPES INSTEAD OF RUBS


 

 

 

Check back each day this week for more about Hunting Scrapes...

Day 1 - What is a Scrape?
Day 2 - Why a Scrape is a Productive Site to Hunt?
Day 3 - When is the Best Time to Hunt a Scrape?
Day 4 - Why Hunt Scrapes Instead of Rubs?
Day 5 - What To Do For Successful Scrape Hunting

John's Journal