Locating Primary Scrapes
- funderburk
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Locating Primary Scrapes
As post-season scouting is right around the corner, one of my goals for the 2020 season is to have way more primary scrapes to hunt over than I did this year. In your experience, where are primary scrape areas located most often and why?
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- jmaas07
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
At a staging area where buck bedding areas overlap
- Rob loper
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
I myself am finding a few certain scrapes around known doe bedding areas that have been opened up for last two seasons. Also when Terrain is different it will probably effect scrape locations im sure.
I would think that scrapes that are opened up year after yeAr are considered primary scrapes.
These scrapes I'm describing Next year will definitely get some attention from me.
Another few i have found is really close too buck bedding.
They will get a shot too.
Im far from an expert but scrapes have always baffled me.
Im now just starting to figure out a little piece of the scrape mystery.
Long story short.
The ones that are opened year after year and are close to bedding will get attention from me.
The ones on field edges, in wide open woods or oak flats seem to me night time stuff ( rubs too). They will get zero attention from me.
Im starting to see everything thats worth putting any time or effort in is all revolving or in very close proximity too bedding.
I would think that scrapes that are opened up year after yeAr are considered primary scrapes.
These scrapes I'm describing Next year will definitely get some attention from me.
Another few i have found is really close too buck bedding.
They will get a shot too.
Im far from an expert but scrapes have always baffled me.
Im now just starting to figure out a little piece of the scrape mystery.
Long story short.
The ones that are opened year after year and are close to bedding will get attention from me.
The ones on field edges, in wide open woods or oak flats seem to me night time stuff ( rubs too). They will get zero attention from me.
Im starting to see everything thats worth putting any time or effort in is all revolving or in very close proximity too bedding.
- Boogieman1
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
My soil is not very productive for scrape activity. Sand or clay soil doesn’t hold scent like rich black soil. Although u can create a sweet spot by introducing good dark soil to an otherwise crappy situation.
Out of the productive scrapes I have managed to locate, there in high traffic areas that converge multiple deer groups. The few I have found tend to be in the lower ground. Don’t know if that’s from the simple reason of richer soil down there or the ability to catch a whiff from above. Corners, saddles, below benches where they cut into a low finger ridge, open gates in thick cover, or where multiple edges convert is where I would start my quest.
Out of the productive scrapes I have managed to locate, there in high traffic areas that converge multiple deer groups. The few I have found tend to be in the lower ground. Don’t know if that’s from the simple reason of richer soil down there or the ability to catch a whiff from above. Corners, saddles, below benches where they cut into a low finger ridge, open gates in thick cover, or where multiple edges convert is where I would start my quest.
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- DaveT1963
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
The primary scrape areas I find that produce best are located on the edge (exit and entrance) to DOE bedding areas.
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- funderburk
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
DaveT1963 wrote:The primary scrape areas I find that produce best are located on the edge (exit and entrance) to DOE bedding areas.
That’s a good point. The ones I have located all seem to be within 100 yards from major doe bedding areas, and plenty that are on the edge and just within that same bedding interior. Thanks for helping me see that!
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- backstraps
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
jmaas07 wrote:At a staging area where buck bedding areas overlap
THIS^^^
- DhD
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
I haven't had a ton of experience with primary scrapes but my most productive trail camera spots this year were scrapes on major trail crossings. I can't remember which podcast I heard that advice on, but basically what was said was even if the scrape isn't active you get deer using the trails on camera.
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- Seeker529
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
Can someone please explain how they know a scrape is primary? i understand ones along a field edge thats the size of a paper plate isnt a primary scrape... but what details make it primary?
- may21581
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
Lots of good info here. Where I hunt the farmers lease land off the state to plant their crops such as hay, oats, corn, beans ect. The land is extremely hilly and they plant on the tops or the bottoms. Good scrapes can open up in different spots depending on the food source that year. In season scouting will show you them. The concistant ones that pop up yearly in the same spots are generally the one in safe spots with good cover where things stay concistant from year to year.
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- seazofcheeze
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
Seeker529 wrote:Can someone please explain how they know a scrape is primary? i understand ones along a field edge thats the size of a paper plate isnt a primary scrape... but what details make it primary?
I think it's easier if a guy thinks about it as a primary scrape AREA. The best areas I have found have either a giant car hood scrape, usually with a larger licking branch (largest as it lots of fingers at the end of the branch or multiple branches, instead of just one or two sticks at the end of the branch), multiple scrapes in a small area (overgrown apple trees in cover) say 20 scrapes in 50yds x 50yds area, or a combination of a giant scrape and volumes of scrapes in one area.
A tactic that helped me determine what kind of action a scrape was getting was to put multiple cams on scrapes a few years in a row. Some scrapes hardly ever got repeat action, and some would have literally every buck I knew about in area hit them within 48 hours. 90% of the time the the same scrapes that got the most actions are the ones that show up year after year, unless there are major changes to the land like logging.
- DaveT1963
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
Primary scrapes have a purpose (hint: they have ZERO to do with bucks). The buck to doe ratio and the age structure will both impact their use.
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- backstraps
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
seazofcheeze wrote::hand:Seeker529 wrote:Can someone please explain how they know a scrape is primary? i understand ones along a field edge thats the size of a paper plate isnt a primary scrape... but what details make it primary?
I think it's easier if a guy thinks about it as a primary scrape AREA. The best areas I have found have either a giant car hood scrape, usually with a larger licking branch (largest as it lots of fingers at the end of the branch or multiple branches, instead of just one or two sticks at the end of the branch), multiple scrapes in a small area (overgrown apple trees in cover) say 20 scrapes in 50yds x 50yds area, or a combination of a giant scrape and volumes of scrapes in one area.
A tactic that helped me determine what kind of action a scrape was getting was to put multiple cams on scrapes a few years in a row. Some scrapes hardly ever got repeat action, and some would have literally every buck I knew about in area hit them within 48 hours. 90% of the time the the same scrapes that got the most actions are the ones that show up year after year, unless there are major changes to the land like logging.
This is my exact finding as well. I have pictures of the same bucks on the same primary scrapes 3-4 years in a row One thing for certain is like Seaz said...primary scrapes almost always appear in the exact same spot year after year. Also I have noticed, these scrapes are almost always within scent of a buck bedding area.
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Re: Locating Primary Scrapes
On a transition edge beside doe bedding, the edge where most cruising tends to take place. Could be terrain/cover/predominant wind influenced cruising.
In cover...but I have a cell cam on one, that had hunters came through most days in November, one guy even hung a cam on the tree beside mine and checked it every few days. A couple mature bucks would still come through and hit the licking branch every 4-5 days (does and immature bucks, regularly). Before the cam showed up, the mature bucks were every 1-3 days. 1 of them just hit it 2 days ago.
In the areas I hunt, young maples (4-10' tall), seem to always have the best licking branches to encourage primary scrape activity. But last year I found a couple more based on the 1st 2 factors above. Both are under/against a honey suckle bush. Its basically the only/best option for a licking branch.
You know you've found a good one when the licking branch gets hit year round... gotta keep in mind changes in food impact doe bedding. Clearcuts grow up, ag crops rotate. Some years, some just wont be good, but could be the next in farm country.
In cover...but I have a cell cam on one, that had hunters came through most days in November, one guy even hung a cam on the tree beside mine and checked it every few days. A couple mature bucks would still come through and hit the licking branch every 4-5 days (does and immature bucks, regularly). Before the cam showed up, the mature bucks were every 1-3 days. 1 of them just hit it 2 days ago.
In the areas I hunt, young maples (4-10' tall), seem to always have the best licking branches to encourage primary scrape activity. But last year I found a couple more based on the 1st 2 factors above. Both are under/against a honey suckle bush. Its basically the only/best option for a licking branch.
You know you've found a good one when the licking branch gets hit year round... gotta keep in mind changes in food impact doe bedding. Clearcuts grow up, ag crops rotate. Some years, some just wont be good, but could be the next in farm country.
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