Anyone seeing any scrapes or rubs yet? when is the best time of year to hunt them? on a side note, anyone see much on wednesday?
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Anyone seeing any scrapes or rubs yet? when is the best time of year to hunt them? on a side note, anyone see much on wednesday?
Hunting scrapes is a waste of time. I know theres guys that have killed bucks over then but the reality is scrapes are visted at night. That being said, setting up 200 plus yards on the down wind side of a primary scrap is a good idea. Bucks will cruise down wind of these scraps to see if anyones visted them. You might just catch mr big trying to scent check his scrap lane later in the evening from cover.
Rubs start when bucks start shedding theyre velvet so yes there are rubs out there. But a dominant bucks rub post scented up typically dont show up until later in October. Again, dont set up on top of a rub. Look for thick heavy cover near by and setup expecting the buck to come from that to the rub. Rub lines are great for showing a bucks travel route. Good luck
Btw, just my opinion and experience.
Wednesday was a slow day all around based on what I read and saw myself, I hunted mid day under an oak in a spot that usually gets activity at that time but had nothing show up.
And I'm looking to get out this weekend. Hello cold front.
i had a doe or fawn couldnt really tell come in behind me around 530pm and keep walking. nothing yesterday morning 17hr in the stand over 2 days so far
im thinking of going for a few (5) hr sit monday morning til 12. calling for SW wind at 25km and feeling like 2 at 6am. BRRRR! might make a mock scrape and mock rub with some buck scent and hang a camera over it for a few days
Mock scrapes are great for taking buck inventory. Good call
Areas with fresh rubs are good place this time of year. Deer are patterned up and it will indicate where the bachelor groups are traveling. Trails with rubs are a good starting point
I really don't bother, I use them as indicators of activity and how fresh sign is. I look more for funnels going too and from. ambush points. If scrapes and rubs are around cool, if not, no big deal, once rut starts, bucks travel out of their lil comfy zone , so I tend not to focus on the scrapes and rubs. Just my thing, of course others may differ.
Read a great book last year... It focussed on topography, funnels, etc... the author pretty much believes rubs/scrapes are a waste of time... they won't return to that scrape during daylight.
Yea that is pretty much the feeling these days. I think results of trail cams trained on these spots have shown they aren't what old hunters used to think they were. Indicates that there are deer around, but not much else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Splaker
Early rub lines...hunt them!
Ken.
Ken, are you scouting for the early rub lines or know of them from previous years on the land. I am a bit apprehensive to walk through the bush adding pressure
Scouting can be done during mid day while the deer are bedded.
Rub lines are great because they can tell where the buck is walking a certain area and when. Whereas a scrape is only telling you that a deer has been there and depending on the scrape (border or breeding scrape) he might not be back.
Rubs tell the tale like this..lets say you find a rub line on a trail coming from a field back into the bedding area. The rubs are on the side closest to the field, in my mind the buck who made the rubs in this ongoing fashion was probably going back to bed in the morning. Conversely if the rubs on a trail coming from the bedding area are on the side of the trees predominantly walking away they most likely were made in the evening while traveling to the field to feed.
So, if your targeting a buck in the early season and you find a rub line hunt it.
Ken.
when would ye start makin mock scrapes....??
I would start now. But not to hunt over.
I have opened up mock scrapes in Sept. wile the bucks are in velvet.
The mock scrapes I hunt over are started near the end of Oct. on a main trail preferably at a crossroad.
When opening up a mock scrape be careful about your sent.
Rubber boots and make sure you spray them down with scent eliminator, use a branch to scrape away the leaves and open up the ground. And #1 make sure there is a licking branch.Pick a spot that is 25 yards up wind from a tree that will hold your stand with clear shooting lanes. Preferably in a funnel or pinch point that limits animals from scenting you down wind,a pond, deep ravine, a rock outcropping ...Usually a buck will sent check his scrapes from down wind without ever actually visiting the scrape.So if you tip the odds of him having to come "to" the scrape instead scent checking from behind your stand you might be in business!
The great thing about a mock scrape is that it can be placed in the best area for you!
Ken.
Iwas moving a stand and checking an old salt lick today.Found 2 scrapes in the bush today and 2 outside the bush, at least the boys are around
Saw on make a rub last night. Then i smoked him.
I usually start hunting around rubs and scrapes after the first hard frost, which if this weather continues should be soon....