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Mock Scrapes

I was luck enough to buy an 80 this winter and put out 5 vine licking branches in April. I have a camera over 3 of them and from the first week until now, the deer have been using them. This is the first time making mock scrapes and so far, I'm impressed. They don't paw the ground, but every deer licks/chews/rubs the vine when they walk past.

I checked one of my cams last week at a new spot and unbeknownst to me I had it set up on a licking branch and a community scrape. I knew a cross-trail was there but missed the branch and scrape. I have does and bucks going into it and pawing the ground. This blind squirrel found a nut. There are anywhere from 1 to 6 bucks in a group checking it out.

A few years ago, I put up a hemp rope (had to replace it this year) tie wrapped to a small cut grape vine, tie wrapped to a branch and about 80-90% of the bucks who pass by it 12 months a year will work it as a licking branch or at least inspect it and about 99% of the bucks will it work and scape under it during rut in late October through November, and probably about 50 - 75% of mature does will inspect it year round... Licking branches are cool...

I have made them for years, don't laugh but have had as much success by urinating in them as using commercial scent. Literally had a coyote roll in one the first night one year. I have never used a licking branch.

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