need some help UPDATE!!

[sbo1971]

I live in central Alabama and even though I am not new to deer hunting it has been over 24 years and back then I only did stalk hunting. I will be hunting on private land that has not been hunted in over 10 years, I know where the deer are bedding down and there are several trails in the area where I will be setting up. I have some questions that I was hoping some of you could help me with. I am planning on using a mock scrape for the first time and was thinking of doing the following; about four weeks before gun season starts (Nov 20), create my mock scrape and then use the Wildlife Research Center Magnum Scrape Dripper to drop the buck urine into it. About a week before gun season opens I will swap to using doe estrus either in the dripper or on a wick. Does this sound like a good idea or am I missing something? My second question is this; blind or stand? I figure that it’s too late to put up a stand for this season but once again I not sure. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Tenpoint]

I've never used a mock scrape, so I can't help you there. But if you know where the bedding area is and you know where the food source is, then you're off to a great start. Just keep the prevailing wind direction in mind when choosing your spot. I'll always take a tree stand over a ground blind. It leaves less scent in the area and you can see WAY better.

Good luck!

Tanpoint

[Bang4bucks]

I have a bit of experience with mock scrapes. First off, their inconsistant. some times they work great. Other times they dont work at all. i know this cuz i did an experiment with them by putting a camera looking at them. a couple of the scrapes had several bucks come to it over time. The others had NONE. some tips:
1) dont make your scrapes TOO big. its kinda like rattling elk horns together while white-tail hunting. you'll scare everything away. 2-3ft in diameter at MOST.
2)dont put it right on a trail. put it 5-6ft off the main trail. try to put it under an over hanging branch of some kind. bucks will also rub the glands around their eyes on this overhanging branch.
3) i usually us doe estrus in my dripper. never really had faith in the generic bottle they send with the dripper that just says "doe pee"
4) keep the scrape fresh. dont let it dry up and get packed down.
5) i rattle with real antlers. when i make my mock scrape, i spray on the the antlers with doe estrus and use that antler to make my scrape. the estrus not only blocks any human scent on the antler but it embeds the estrus into the dirt of the scrape. and using an antler to make the scape makes it look as real as it gets. ie: no boot prints in the scrape.

I prefer a tree stand. especially hunting over a mock scrape. cuz the bucks are at the scrape looking for the other buck, or the doe in heat. either way, their constantly looking around.
Hope this helps a little. good luck!

[sbo1971]

Thanks for that info, I was wondering about the scent that comes with the dripper, it supposed to be a combination of doe and buck urine. I was plannin on using a limb about 1 inch in diameter to make my scrape and not my boot, good idea on putting scent on what you make the scrape with.
One thing in my favor is that no one has hunted this land in over 10 yrs as it belongs to my parents, the last guy that did killed a 168 lb buck, so I am hoping that I can work this in my favor.

[Bang4bucks]

i wouldnt recommend that dripper scent crap. just use estrus. if you wanna use some buck urine, you can buy some but use like 1/4 buck urine and 3/4 estrus.

i am not sure how many acres you have or how hard the land around you is hunted but if you have over a hundred or so acres or the land around you isnt hunted much, i would be patient, cuz likely hood is that theres a monster around cuz nobody has been around to kill him young so he has a few years of growth. no lie, i am a little jelous of your situation. most guys would KILL for a setup like that. good luck! Whack um & Stack um!!!

[Tony204ing]

I thought i just posted something here but i dont see it.maybe i forgot to submit it.Any way im not 100% on this but 4 weeks seems a little early to start.I would say 1-2 weeks but bang sounds like he would know more than me about it.

[Bang4bucks]

thank you Tony, let me correct myself. I gave my knowledge of USING scrapes. i guess i didnt really mention WHEN to use them. Now is a bit too early for using mock scrapes. its dependant upon your area. for instance:

Right now we have minimal scrapes. and the few rubs we have are mainly from them rubbing off velvet. however in about 1 1/2-2 1/2 weeks (Nov 1) we will start seeing more scrapes and rubs. Our rut will peak around the end of the 3rd week of nov. (nov 24) I will start using mock scrapes around nov 10th. i will intitially make the scrape with estrus and will keep it freshly dug up, but wont put estrus on it again for about another 5-10 days. then i will keep estrus on it with a dripper. i put my drippers out about 1 1\2 weeks before i expect the rut to start. usually gives me a good head start on attracting the bucks before the whole woods starts smelling like estrus.

[sbo1971]

Well, I just put my stand up today, I think I have the perfect spot, I am on the side of an old road bed that is covered in grass, there were two fresh sets of tracks there. my stand is 15 ft high, with a clear shot up to 75 yds. There are three trails that converge within 30yds of each other onto the old road bed they are using. I am going to start putting some corn out at the 75 yd spot in about two -three weeks and then about 20 yds from my stand is the perfect small tree hanging over the road for my mock scrape and scent dripper which I will put out around the first to second week of Nov. I can not wait for Nov 20 to get here.

[Tony204ing]

I can't wait to hear the outcome

[Bang4bucks]

Everything sounds like you got a good setup goin.... except ONE thing...well maybe two. if your using a climber stand or a hang-on you may want to move a little higher up about 20 ft. if you have a ladder stand theres not much you can do. lol the other thing... i dont think you mentioned wether or not you were gun or bow hunting. if your gun hhunting, 75yds is just fine. however, if your bow hunting... i think 75 yds may be just a bit too far.

[sbo1971]

Yeah bmy stand is a ladder stand and I will be using a Weatherby 308.

[sbo1971]

Well I de-scented myself as much as possible and checked out my site today. There where fresh tracks entering the old road bed about 35-40 yds from my stand and then went right past the ladder to my stand(within a foot) and out to my parents garden where it proceeded to eat their collards. I created a mock scrape with scent dripper about 30 yds from my stand as that was the only decent place to create one. I have started to see alot of deer activity around here the past couple of weeks when we had that cold spell and I swear I think I heard a doe and or fawn bleeting while I was out there.

Do you guys think that my scrape is too close to my stand and also the only way to get to my stand is to walk up the road old bed coming from the garden, I am afraid that is going to be my undoing, but there are very few good spots to set up.

[sbo1971]

Wanted to let everyone know that after 23 yrs of not hunting, I am once again hooked!!! Today was the fourth time in the stand since gun season opened on the 20th, Had one about 20yds away that morning but in some really thick brush, never saw it, just heard it grunt. This Morning I put out some Trails End #307 and within 45 minutes I took my first deer in 23 yrs. Had a really small doe walk out onto the roadbed around 15 yds in front of me, then turn and walk away from me up the roadbed. 50 yds up at the same time another small doe walked out into the roadbed and gave me the perfect broadside shot. She ran about 20 yds and dropped, weighed 100 lbs. Now that I have killed my first deer and have some meat for the freezer, I will be waiting on a nice buck to take my next shot.

[Bang4bucks]

congrats!! glad things worked out for you!!