Deer scrape?

Since im quite possibly the worst deer hunter in PA if not the country, I have a question for ya all experts. I set up a new stand today in what I thought looked like a good location. several trails coming together along some very thick cover. After getting into the stand I noticed 2 scrapes about 15 yards away. Should I drip some Doe in heat on the scrapes and when is the best time of the day to hunt this area? Or should I hang one of the wicks in a tree? Any advice appreciated and if you need more info let me know. Thanks Ken

A big no to peeing on it.
Best time is when wind is from them to you.
Sounds like a good spot, good luck.

I'm a less is better guy. Sneaky looking trails along edges of changing bush like you describe, scrapes all the better, sit be patient, shoot deer.
In out unseen un scented.

Osky

By no means am I an expert deer hunter but I would consider all the key elements to already be in place. You have travel paths, cover, and an attractant. All you have to do now is get in undetected.

Put up some cams and see when the deer are moving through. I like to hunt within sight of a scrape but I have never seen a mature buck use one. Seen a few little spikes and such. The big ones seem to run them late at night or just randomly during the day. Never been able to pattern one enough to hunt over a scrape. But that is deer down here, yours may act different, a cam will tell the tale. I have noticed that after a good rain the scrapes are generally freshened up within 24hrs.

IMO leave the pee at the house, its a gimmick to sell to buck hunters. With the trail cams, the only ones i consider are the blackout versions that emit no visible light when they go off.

Thank you for the input.

Your not the worst Deer hunter their is. From now on your the best in your area.
Patients killed more Deer and Turkeys, than any lure, or fancy tactics.
Practice patients watch what's happens."
How did you catch so many mink in one season?" "I set more more traps."
Johnny Thorpe.

As others have mentioned the best tactic for killing mature bucks is not to let them know they are being hunted. or at least not in that area. Which means you get into your stand undetected, you hunt undetected, and you leave your without alerting any deer. And that means small bucks and does also. Remember your scent can be detected several 100 yds away so dont let it blow into other trails or bedding areas. Mature bucks are better at patterning hunters than most hunters are at patterning deer.

I would not go back and put a camera up. I would not go back to that spot again until the wind is in your favor and your hunting that spot. You were in there once. Don't stink it up anymore. There is a reason why lots of people have their best luck on first time sits in a spot. Put a camera up to soak after your tagged out or after the season.

I'm in the same category as you when it comes to deer hunting. I set up to travels routes but I struggle with any success. I sat in a blind last night for the first time this year. I thought it might be a good spot but wasn't sure what to expect. Just before last legal light I seen a good deer coming down from the pines. I then heard something but couldn't see where it was coming from. I finally spotted what I heard and here was a 150 class walking 30 yards from me. I had time to range him but didn't have time to take a good archery shot at him.

If I were you I would sit there a few nights and see where the action spots are. I have never used any attraction scent/lure or what ever all those products that are on the market. We also can't use trail cameras either so scouting/patterns/routes/habits are what I use to help where to set up at. I have only harvested 3 Whitetail deer in my life.

Learning their patterns and habits is what works for me. I'm no expert just what I do.

My go to is scrape hunting and has been for many years of bow hunting...
I don't hunt field edge scrapes unless there's standing corn and heavy cover...

Sounds like your in a good area heavy cover and runways intersecting...
Them scrapes are there for a reason communication and in that area because off doe traffic is congested..
It's easy if you have hunted scrapes that are productive, if there's many runways that intersect you'll most likely always find scrapes and if in good cover ya better hunt it..The home buck located the scrapes there because of high traffic..

I wouldn't put nothing in it it's doing its job by the deer anyways...its like putting apples under an apple tree that is producing apples its not needed..

I hunt scrapes in the morning just because I work 2nd shift most of the time..
I've learned to be in my tree 1-1.5 hours before daylight, around here a lot of the times bucks will enter these areas early and move on somewhere close by and enter the scrape area when does come through that's why I only hunt scrapes around heavy cover which allows deer to move in and out during daylight conditions..I've shot probably80% of my deer with a bow hunting over scrapes it's exciting when they heat up. Pre rut is the best time once full rut is in the scrapes get used very little...

Doe in heat on the scrape this early is a big. NO. Give it a week. If anything put buck urine, pre orbital, or buck tarsal scent on it and if you do be extremely careful to not touch anything with your bare hand especially the licking branch and be scent free. I wouldn’t put a camera on the scrape. Also sounds like a place I wouldn’t hunt until the wind is right for me or I’m on the downwind side of that bedding mid next week till the end of season.

Makes no sense to put anything in an active scrape..why?
If it has multiple licking branches it's getting used by several deer..

From my own experience if you wait for the right wind for get it, hunting down wind of the scrape is always good but I've had deer from all directions come in no matter the wind, it's a crap shoot...
So you get winded go to the next scrape area..on a given year I'll have a dozen scrape areas that I setup in the spring some are active some not...if you wait for the stars to line up its to late the pre rut is over and better focus on bedding areas or wait for the post rut and some scrapes will become active again...

Do you all think the buck that made the scrape thinks to himself I'll come back to check THIS scrape. Or, if he passes back by on the same route the same buck checks the scrape and may freshen it up. My point being I think if you find several scrapes in the same area there is a good chance that buck will be back to THAT general area. I have watched bucks make scrapes, but I can't remember any deer coming up and checking one, buck or doe. Not saying deer don't check them occasionally.

Scrape hunting can be productive .But as others have already said it is because you are in a good location .I have seen button bucks and does make scrapes .Many scrapes are made and never returned to. And studies have been done on people making a mock scrape and urinating on it themselves.I have tried that and returned to see that deer had been visiting that spot .As the rut heats up the buck travel more .Hunting a good travel way and not letting deer know you are there is as good as sitting on a single scrape

another 10 days and you can crap in the middle of the scrape if ya want and wouldn't hurt.patience grasshopper-the rut is close-real close i think this year.

You hung your stand in a good location without any awareness of the scrapes, I think of a scrape as a travel route, the same as a rub line earlier in the season, you may have a better intercept point than where your currently at (based on cover, wind and location)? I'm a bowhunter and not a photographer but this is a perfect application for a camera, i a mature whitetail using the scrape, what is the frequency of use timing (often within an accuracy of 10-15 mins each day). The timing tells you when you can sneak in and when you need to be on high alert. If a mature buck is only using the scape at night I will add a drip scraper, usually not before Nov 4th. Once estrus starts the scape will most likely be abandoned and I switch to drag line. The scrapes and rubs on my field edges are usually territorial and mainly used for establishing dominance - I never hunt them.

Three kind of scrapes. Field edge..don't waste your time......random middle of woods, don't waste your time. Near bedding by more scrapes and lots of rubs. Winner.

I am planning on heading back out to swap some cameras where I hunt. I will make a short video if you would be interested in that?

what Some don’t understand is that after you lease your stand a deer can still bust your location your smell stays in the tree for hours after you leave. Look for low impact stands that are easy to get in and out of and deer don’t get down wind of after you leave. I have observed deer crossing my walk in path many times hour’s after entering most of the time they sniff around and cross but the more wary ones simply turn around and leave.

Best way to tell how big a buck you have is go in during lunch time put a cam on the biggest scrap that has a licking branch over it. If you have multiple cams find another one a good distance from that one and do the same. . EVERY buck in the area will visit it . Some won't work it but will walk by. I seldom run cams until scraps appear. Wait a week and then check the cards...... Good luck. Ladder stands are the best tool to get in and out undetected..

Oh yes pick stand location based on wind direction as MUCH as deer sign. If you are gun hunting place stand as far from sign as you are comfortable shooting . Same for bow really .................

I would just wait it out Ken. That buck will be coming back daily to check on them. There is probably an entire line of them that you just haven't seen yet. Just make sure to have the wife pull that crossbow back for you before you leave the house!

Well I finally got the time to sit over thew scrape. Wind was good until about 60 til quitting time but i sat it out anyways. 10 minutes left til quitting til quitting time and 2 does come busting through the brush right under me. Less than a minute later a buck came through on their tails. He was just a 4 point but maybe his daddy will show up soon. First time I ever got to hear a buck grunt in the stand so that was cool! Ken