Singing Bridge wrote:To me, big woods buck scrapes are simply a treasure... low deer populations (sometimes incredibly low) and the toughest conditions lend themselves to making them that.
Bridge, I'm in the remote mountains of PA. Low deer density but older bucks. I'm enjoying this thread and wanted to share my thoughts. I find a lot of the biggest scrapes down in the creek bottoms, often under beech limbs. I see some as big as my dining room table. Last year I left a camera sit over one large scrape for the entire archery season. I had several nice bucks ( and small bucks/does) frequent it but it was all night sign except for one nice 10 point just before dark the first week of Nov. You would think when you see these scrapes in person that you would do very well hunting over them. But that's not the case. And this is even a mile back with little to no pressure.
Now, I am seeing a trend however where I go and scout these points/knobs up on these main ridges at the top third and obviously find the beds but then also I'm finding that there is often a scrape at the top center base of the point (if its flat enough). Or also on nearby logging roads adjacent to bedding. To me its just like as if it's they're using it like a mailbox I keep seeing these and I'm thinking in my head each time "oh there's another mail box scrape. Just a couple nights ago I was out for an evening hunt. Wind in my face walking out the top 1/3 of a ridge and I wasn't seeing any hot sign I liked to set up on. So I looked at my topo and noticed a small knob up ahead on another ridge. I walked out that ridge to get off the side of that knob and unfortunately I got too close (about 60-70 yards) and kicked up a big buck and he ran off. I decided to walk up and investigate that area and there was an old logging road passing thru across the top of the point with a big fresh scrape obviously made that day just 30-40 yards up that knob from he was bedded. he clearly made that scrape and then bedded down for the day. I may go back to this spot and hang a camera. leave it set for the next 4-6 weeks and see how it gets used. I haven't in the past b/c I hate to be intrusive with cameras in those areas but i'd like to try it just for future intel for next year. But I'm willing to bet that he made that scrape during the day since its so close to bedding. These are the types of scrapes I'm much more willing to pay attention to rather than those down in the bottoms, even though they appear much bigger and more heavily used.
On a side note...
that logging road seems to offer the best deer travel thru that thick bedding area and its at the perfect bedding elevation of the ridge. I'm considering going back and hunting about 80-100 yards back from that scrape. Would you go back? After having bumped that buck once already? My guess is he may stick around for a few more days/week until the rut starts and then he could be gone. Perhaps though I damaged the area too much and he's already gone...
Just wanted to give my 2 cents on my recent natural scrape observations.