Anyone invest any serious time to it?

… needs to be a big tracked up scrape… don’t waste time on the small ones

Maybe if you have 4 or 5 big ones in the timber but right now hunt the does and pinch points

This^^^ yes...and hunt near this type scrape when you find one near heavy bedding cover. You may have found the one bucks visit first after leaving their beds...or visit last as they return to bed.

Savell won't agree, but a cell camera is your friend. Will tell you what u need to know about that particular scrape...bucks time schedule, direction he arrived from, direction he leaves, amd whether there is even a buck(s) using it you want to shoot...

I found a series of scrapes a couple of days ago but they looked like they hadn't been touched in at least week, maybe more. With sign being so sparse lately, I decided to hang a camera. Sure enough, two bucks hit the scrape the first night and following day. One is a forkhorn and other looks like a small eight.

I don't want to disturb the area by trying to place a stand. They're predicting a strong northwest wind for tomorrow and will favor my approach if they show up. Had heavy rain today into this evening and I assume they'll be busy overnight freshening their scrapes. I'm going to give it a shot. Things are that desperate.

Bucks only hit the scrapes hard in the pre-rut and then after the rut starts to wind down. In the heat of the rut things often get covered in leaves and dried out. So much scent in the air from does they don't need to hit the scrapes during the peak of the rut.

I’ve got a spot I call the community scrape. Seems to get all the bucks on the property moving through it during daylight. A little transition between a swamp and a clearcut. It’s a scrubby water oak that has 4-5 licking branch on/around it and it is used every year. With that said, it’s the only scrape I’ve ever come across with consistent daylight movement.

cool photos

Good luck, Posco!

Moosetrot

You need to know the "J" hook bucks use. Find the trail 50 to 100 yards down wind of the scrape.

I have stands over scrapes. They happen to also be on the highway to food and bed.

Me too. The scrape gets them to stop and they like showing up anytime.

Thanks for the input, guys. I've read of the "J" hook before. That's my plan. Timing on these things is everything, things change rapidly by the day in the deer woods.

I hunt exclusively over scrapes but that is only because i install a mock scrape at every stand. There are other reasons my stands are in the places. The mock scrape is an enhancement. Bicks working them does go down a bit during the core rut but my cams on them say bucks still using. They might not stop and work it but they do stop and sniff a lot. Also if they are running back a forth chasing does that aren't ready yet, often they come back to scrape before leaving. Ive seen that multiple times.

If you plan to hunt a natural scrape, ask yourself why. Be able to define a reason. Is it on the way to or from something you expect bucks to be during shooting hours? Or maybe the edge of cover near secure food?

These northern Maine deer are different than their cousins in the southern part of the state. Those urban/suburban deer will tolerate a lot more human intrusion than these northern guys will. Deer numbers down there are 25-40 deer per square mile. Where I'm at it's closer to 1-5.

I've hunted both parts of the state extensively over the years. I could go to southern Maine today and find scrapes that have been opened year after year for two decades under the same tree. Licking branches as fat as your pinky and worn to a nub. You can't find that up here. I went for the better part of two weeks without seeing a deer track. When I finally did it was on two day old snow. That's why I got so excited to see a scrape line.

Find one size of a truck tire or bigger your good.. those about like a gallon jug are dinks or passion scrapes. 2 year old sees a doe across the hill and scrapes like a dog after a dump .

Fir 25 years that big scrape was the only place I’d put a camera . It will tell you ever buck using the area. If they don’t work it they will walk past it

Population in my area is way down as well. Wolves and other predators. No I do not hunt over scrapes here. Cameras show does visit the most and by the time rifle season rolls around the scrapes are fly by nocturnal stops for the bucks at best.
There has been a time or two I’ve heard a far off deer, being a doe, come by with a buck in tow. I’m not sure that counts.
There is no agriculture around me and the bush is awfully thick. Deer ten yards from most scrapes might as well be in Wisconsin for what it’s worth. Known travel ways seem to produce better here.

Osky

All depends where it is. I’m the hardwoods, yes. In the open pines, no. I’ll find a trail to an open pines scrape and hunt near the closest hardwoods.

My situation is similar to yours, Osky, but there is some agricultural land near me. Not that they grow anything particularly palatable to deer. This is a big woods environment abutting some ag land. Harsh winters and loggers decimating yarding areas put a big ding in our herd. Lots of coyotes to boot.

I usually hunt travel corridors and funnels when the wind is right but it's literally a needle in a haystack. I had two bucks on camera with very unique antlers that made them easily distinguishable. A buddy of mine caught one on his camera six miles away from where I did. The other was hit by a car last year. Same deal, about six miles away.

I have what looks to be a decent eight hitting the scrape just after legal shooting hours yesterday. Another smaller buck hit it at 2:30 yesterday afternoon. I'm going to plunk myself down there later today.