Hunting Whitetail Bucks Using a Mock Scrape

Hunting Whitetail Bucks Using a Mock Scrape

So you’ve found an active buck scrape, but hunting the area has still left you empty handed. Chances are good that the buck is checking the scrape after hours — at dark-thirty. So how do you bring the white-tailed buck out without alerting him? There are many ways to tackle this situation, but here’s one of them.

First, you really want to make the buck believe that another buck has taken over his area. You can do this by working his active scrape or either creating a mock scrape. Both can be perceived as the same technique, but when creating a mock scrape you start from scratch.

When creating a mock scrape your primary concern should be not leaving any human scent at the scrape or even in the area for that matter. Rubber boots and gloves are not an option — they are a necessity.

Begin by choosing an area similar to the scrapes you’ve found. Make sure there is a “licking” branch located about 38 to 40-inches above the area to be worked. Start out by working the ground with the heel of your boot to reveal some fresh dirt. Typically this would be done in a circular or oval pattern. Keep in mind that this “worked area” does not have to be a hole in the ground! Simply removing the top layer of grasses or moss will work fine.

Because a buck always urinates in his scrape, you are going to need scent. Several different companies provide whitetail buck urine as both liquids and a gels, so pick one that you are confident in using. I suggest sticking with the liquid formula for this application. Otherwise, try the scrape switch method.

Hunting Whitetail Bucks Using a Mock Scrape

Liberally cover the fresh, exposed dirt with buck urine. There is no need to mix it in the dirt. Let it soak naturally as the buck urine would.

Next, you need to work the licking branch to complete the 1-2 combination. Go ahead and twist the end of the branch by turning the limb in all directions until you can remove a small portion.

I like to create the scrape just as described and walk away, but some hunters prefer to use a drip bag to ensure the scrape remains fresh. Also, if desired a preorbital gland scent can also be applied to the end of the branch to complete the scenario.

Check the scrape every few days for activity or place a game camera near the scrape if you want to keep a really close eye on it. Make sure it is scent-free, too! It’s a good idea to freshen up the scrape each time you visit until you see signs of deer activity. If you find that a buck has come by and worked the mock scrape, freshen it again and hang your stand. There is a good chance you might get a look at the buck if he’s working the area. And hopefully he’s a big mature buck!

Hunting and Mature Whitetail Buck Behavior

Mature Whitetail Buck Behavior: Going Nocturnal

A white-tailed buck fortunate enough to have survived multiple brushes with death over the course of several hunting seasons understands that it can avoid danger by simply avoiding daylight altogether. Severe hunting pressure promotes nocturnal behavior in whitetail bucks – plain and simple. So how can savvy hunters with the desire to pursue whitetail bucks late in the season cope with this seemingly impenetrable nighttime armor?

For just a moment, put yourself in the position of a mature buck. Over the course of the last three, four, maybe even 5 years, he’s likely covered every square-inch of his home range. At one time or another, the buck has encountered humans during daylight hours, or at least detected human scent.

It is quite possible that a mature whitetail can recall areas where he previously encountered humans or their scent. Afterward, it will purposely avoid those areas during daylight. However, I’m willing to bet that mature bucks simply find comfort in thick cover and undisturbed areas where human scent is rarely encountered, if ever. Also, thick bedding areas are where bucks can easily hear an intruder approaching. Any area with good vantage points further intensifies their desire to bed and lay low.

Contrary to what some might think, even mature whitetails displaying the most extreme nocturnal behavior don’t simply find a nice place to lay up and sleep the day away. Even at the very least, a deer must take periodic breaks throughout the day to answer nature’s call.

One study conducted during the winter found white-tailed deer will take as many as 22 such breaks a day! This means that during daylight hours, you can expect a buck to get up and move around approximately 10 times. Whitetails typically stand at these times and generally travel at least a few feet from their previous bed before lying down again.

In addition, though mature bucks’ major foraging activity often occurs under the cover of darkness, they’ll take advantage of these two-minute daytime bathroom breaks to stretch their legs, browse on available vegetation or mast and, depending on the time of year, rub their antlers on a small tree or two before bedding down once more.

Over the course of a day, and after 10 or so repeated episodes, a buck may move 100-yards or more, depending on the size and shape of the cover available.

Late in the season, mature white-tailed bucks may not move much during daylight hours, but they do move. So remaining vigilant and hunting hard is the ticket.

Use the Scrape Switch to Drive Bucks Wild

Use the Scrape Switch to Drive Bucks Wild
To really set a white-tailed buck into a frenzy you have a number of options, but here’s something you probably never thought about. If you’ve done any scouting throughout the year, chances are you have a few places to set up and hunt from for various weather conditions. Hopefully, those places also contain a good amount of deer sign – including some scrapes.

If so, heres a trick to really throw a dominant buck into a raging frenzy during the rut. Take two different scrapes from different areas, preferably a minimum of 1-mile apart or more to avoid the possibility of using the same bucks scent from his home-range.

With your scent-free gear and a small shovel, dig up the dirt from the first scrape down to a depth of at least 6-inches and put it directly into a plastic bag. A small trash bag works well in most cases. Return to your other hunting area with the dirt you’ve just dug up and do the same.

Pour the dirt from the first scrape into the second scrape and pat down to a fairly firm consistency. Now re-visit the first scrape and fill in the hole with the dirt from the other scrape in the same manner. Because you should be well out of any overlapping home-range of either buck, they will perceive this as an intrusion.

This should bring at least one of the bucks back to actively begin working that scrape again. Keep in mind that unless the 2 bucks are evenly matched, you will probably chase the smaller one away, so it will be to your advantage to know which is the dominant buck to begin with. But if you don’t know, just keep an eye on the scrapes.

Now in most cases this technique will work to some degree – but not all. I have seen smaller bucks work a scrape that was made by a larger bucks, but I’ve also seen much larger bucks approach the new scrape very tentatively. With that in mind, its hard to say whether the buck picked up traces of the human scent in the new scrape or if he was just cautious for the fact that he was not the dominant buck in the area.

In any event, realizing what scrapes are and how they provide a means of communication in the world of deer will only boost your knowledge to a higher level. Experimenting and taking notes will increase not only your knowledge level but also your confidence. The next time you’re out scouting and come across a scrape take advantage of the situation by first examining what you’ve found, then put this information to work.

You could very well find yourself face to face with a huge whitetail buck!