Contributors to this thread:
How many here actually do this? Do you find them effective? When do you start? What is the best scrape lure on the market today?
Ive never had any luck with mock scrapes
I tried drippers and mock scrapes with little luck. But I then tried a product called Smokeys preorbital gland lure and placed on a licking branch it got the bucks hitting the spot frequently. NO, I am not affiliated with the company in anyway.
GoJakesGo - Ya know me neither - well limited I guess.
My problem is follow through I think. I have a friend who uses the commercial scent dripper and scent from Wildlife Research and he get's many photo's of some nice deer at all hours.
His secret is I believe he sticks with it. He works to make sure the thing is always working and filled appropriately.
Smokey - That link you posted looks pretty interesting.
Any more info on how you like it or use it?
I take an overhanging limb or place one where I want it and with a pliers I grind up the ti of the limb a bit then I swab the lure on the tip of the limb like a buck rubbed his PO gland. I use latex gloves when working with scents. I have had bucks hang around and if the limb is high they will get on their hind legs to rub the limb.
It seems to get them coming back more than a mock scrape without the lure.
I use James alley scents for rut and make scent drags and scent distractors so along with this it seems to improve sightings.
Gods truth. I made a mock scrape two days before the opening of gun deer season back in 1988 and actually peed in it. I only made it to keep other hunters from heading deeper into my hunting area. It was under a maple branch at the split of two logging roads behind St. Johns lake. I didn't see anything and decided to head back to a meeting point around 10 AM on opening day. When I rounded the corner, there on his hands knees was a hunter from a different group smelling my scrape. I never figured anyone would do that and when I walked by the guy with a noticeable belly laugh, he said "what are you laughing at a hole haven't you ever seen a scrape before". I just kept walking. I still laugh when I think about it.
What has really worked well for me is the buck buster propane scent heater. I had a buck come up and actually lick the hot cup. I dropped him on the spot.
Well I do use a dripper but it mostly (like all srapes) seems to get hit at night, and mostly by smaller bucks. I was going to add this as a tip for very effective and very real scent. I use tarsal glands from any deer (buck or doe) during the rut. Any of my friends know I want them now, so the skin them off and freeze them in a zip lock bag.
Since I use it in a dripper over a known scrape line and either in a mock scrape or one made early on, it doesn't matter if you mix the scents of multiple deer or bucks and does. I will have community scrapes that will be six feet around by the time the pre rut ends. I take the tarsal glands and add approximately four ounces of water to two glands (hair off the hock). I mix the water in the closed baggie, sloshing the water and hocks around getting all that dried urine and rutting scent in the water. It will turn brown. Cut a small corner of the bag, filter it over a coffee filter, and I can attest wirh 100% certainty, it works in a dripper. I also spray it on my decoy as a cover scent. If you don't find this in the least bit interesting, you are missing out. I simply freeze the filtered product in a glass container, and use it when needed. When I start a dripper I will use it until it empties. It may spoil a bit, but deer don't seem to mind. Like I said, most pictures are very early morning or night, so the advantage of shooting one over it isn't necessarily there, but it will keep deer in the neighborhood until lockdown occurs. I will drag a cotton ball on a string with the scent on it during pre rut. Mostly little ones follow the scent, and sometimes (like any new scent) they high tail it out of there. Nothing exact when it comes to deer as we all know.
Howatt - I have seen that also, and read an article on that. I think I will try that this year....
I agree the licking branch is the way to go. the scrape will come by the animal. I have mine out now and the does are using it. I think it is a visual attraction with the hanging branch. I have a few "licking branches" from Whitetail'r that allows me to put them where I want. I have attached a link to their site, it's very informative.
I had scarpes once, thank god for medication and ointment.
I havn't had much luck with mock scrapes, mainly because I havn't tried them much. Now grunting and rattling? Yes, good luck with that. I do like hunting over natural scrapes when I find a good one in the right location.
