Vertical mock scrapes.

[Steelheadtracker]

Made a vertical mock scrape yesterday for the first time after coming across some videos by whitetail habitat solutions. Just rewatched one and he said not to tie the branch directly to the line going between two trees, but let it hang and dangle (forgot and did opposite). Also says vine of 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter (the one i used is about 1.5 inches.) Should i leave it as is or fix it?

 

["J"]

Made a vertical mock scrape yesterday for the first time after coming across some videos by whitetail habitat solutions. Just rewatched one and he said not to tie the branch directly to the line going between two trees, but let it hang and dangle (forgot and did opposite). Also says vine of 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter (the one i used is about 1.5 inches.) Should i leave it as is or fix it?

Can you provide a link too the video you watched?

 

[Steelheadtracker]

He has several videos on them.

 

[bowhunter1023]

It's my first year of attempting this too. You're probably fine as long as the deer can reach it. Good thing to learn via trial and error.

 

[Steelheadtracker]

True. Ill just have to check my camera and see if anything has hit it. Hows yours doing?

 

[Stressless]

Jeff's setup is the bomb. He has an entire playlist on Mock scrapes/licking branches. once you start using them they are addictive.

Remember one per location, it should be in a couple intersecting lines of travel, within bow shot and cut out any other "natural" competing licking branches they may start using within 20 yards or so of your Mock Scrape / licking branch.

a couple of my setups. On your question, about half of mine on line between two trees, I use a prusik knot to tie the grapevine ( highly suggest you use one - not a branch) to the overhead line. I also do two over hand knots on the main line, one on either side of where I want the vine to hang down. For those -suspended- vines, I look for a vine that splits, cut one of them about 6-7" and the other 5-6" you can fit the Y of the split on the mainiline and tie it securely. that way they can't move the vine along the mainline, or know it off the mainline. Hope that helps.

Standard off a limb of a tree.

Suspended between two trees.

 

[Steelheadtracker]

Nice setups and thanks for the tips. So when you suspend it on a line between trees you tie your vine directly to the main line, not hanging off the line like the one on the branch in your first pic?

 

[Big_Holla]

There was a podcast I used to listen to and they were mock scrape guys. Their recommendation was to create 5-6+ mock scrapes in a semi-circle around your stand, all within shooting distance of your stand. They would remove overhanging branches that were out of shooting range or obscured from making a shot. The reason for so many was to make that location a hub where bucks could spend a lot of time, rather than hit one and move on to the neighbors property. By creating that set-up you would then inadvertently create a scent web that bucks would go out of their way to check and deposit their own, especially pre-rut and post-rut.

 

[giles]

What is the point of this? Just for pics or to try and change patterns?

The reason I ask is because I generally hunt the sign the deer put in place naturally. Find these things in these things in the woods and hunt them. Why hang string and put all the commotion and human interaction in the habitat.

Convince me and I’ll try it this year. Might even buy a cam to put with it.

 

[Stressless]

First I'll put what I've personally seen with a Mock Scrape/Licking branch (MS/LB) they are synonymous (one thing) in my mind.

This vid is of a MS/LB I made from a beech branch. THIS is what you want a mature buck to do within bow range. Pause and become focused on pusssy and breeding - not on survival. How to accomplish that in the next post 'cause I hit Post on this one too early.

Nice 2.5 y/o on one of MS/LB.

 

[giles]

One of the most memorable things about my deer learning was about a PLB (pine licking branch).

 

[Stressless]

First thing. I bow hunt so that means I want to have a mature buck within 20 yards 30 yards at the outside. In that wheelhouse a cruising buck will be in the shooting window about 10 seconds....+/- 5 secs. Look it up that's fact. I don't look for sign and setup a mobile climber or sticks and hang on - too old and wise now.

The important part is to stop the buck (does fawns bucks) within the shooting wheelhouse for as long as possible and to get his mind off looking for YOU and thinking, all wrong headed... if you get my drift.

All the deer in the woods use a properly setup communal LB, Bucks will start to use the MS as in the video above in mid/late Oct


To setup a MS/LB:

I scout and find pinches/funnels/terrain features that:

1. Have established intersecting deer trails
2. Have access that won't blow the deer out of my plots and/or bedding areas
3. Have a suitable tree for a stand - 20-25 yards max
4. Have terrain that supports my scent cone blowing where there is low probability of deer winding me / wind direction dependent
5. Is in the "established" movement I am creating/created (or exists on public land)
   1. Plots to bedding
   2. Bedding to browse
   3. Plots to larger AG fields

Once that area is located and a stand in place I create a MS/LB within 20-25 yards of the stand - if there is evidence or I know of a existing perennial scrape I'll try to use/incorporate that as site for the MS/LB, UPWIND of course from my stand and the winds I'ld sit that stand... Cutting the other branch or overhanging LB and putting mine up in close proximity.

ONE MS/LB per hunting location (in some of "Hunting Locations" I have a two stands to allow me to hunt one pinch/funnel/terrain feature with different winds) but that one MS/LB is where damn near every deer that walks thru the Kill Zone will go, Pause dick around and hopefully if he's (or she depending on what I'm after) will get harpooned.

I've built them since 2016, got good at them in 2017 and by gosh they work.

Most of what I learned came from this channel. I HIGHLY suggest you review Jeff's outline and strategy for HOW and WHERE and What to put a MS/LB in your hunting zones. You won't regret it.

His youtuibe playlist for MS/LB is [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmV8Ilexgmhee-6E06udW874E3ZoYWRfz]

 

[Wildlife]

I've got plenty of pine!

 

[Wildlife]

One more for shits & giggles.

Then again, I also make up some like this.

The one PLB that I just put up a little over a week ago. The Simmons photographs is what covers that PLB.

 

[giles]

Anyone ever take dirt from a scrape to start another one miles away? I killed a buck doing this back in 13’. Took it to his core area and dumped it in his scrape. Really pissed him off and he came in hot right after I went up the tree.

 

[Wildlife]

I've taken already used nature licking branches out from one area, put into a garbage bag to transport and rehung in a different area of choice and that works really well 'TOO'.

 

[Stressless]

@giles with this setup - and don't use string, use a grapevine, 3/4"-1" thick and at least 5' long, they'll last for about 3 years. Bottom end should be right about thigh high.

"I generally hunt the sign the deer put in place naturally" That's exactly the point, you NEVER use scent with this setup - the DEER(Fawn, Doe, Buck), if you set it up right, in the right location, naturally apply the preobital gland and then the next and the next it's like a calling card for every deer that passing thru the area, which is why you one solid MS/LB setup per hunting location, you want them right in that Kill Zone within the shooting wheelhouse.

I learned a bunch over a couple years - My biggest fails were making them rigid - i.e., fixed (in my case screwed to a telephone pole or tree, a big buck likes to work them hard and they will break the vine/branch off and when it breaks it's not hanging over the MS and they quite using it.

Some good MS/LB locations but fails because they eventually broke them off the fixed to a hard point. You need the rope to give it play.

Hope this helps with the Mock Scrape stuff.... Jeff's channel has much more depth and GREAT videos! Cheers.

 

[giles]

#ruthuntingiseasy

 

[Stressless]

@giles - Agreed but one of the reasons I put the videos up is the dates.... 21 Oct, 22 Oct, 24 Oct.... Think core buck, setting up and using one of these now - will establish his line of movement PRIOR to the rut, when they are still in definable patterns. after 1-2 Nov they work during the rut and you just never know what buck may show up.

This is to pattern and establish line of movement and get a change to harpoon your core buck in his wheelhouse prior to the rut. K - Back to Work for me LoL ..

 

[Big_Holla]

I've dabbled with making mock scrapes in the past by tying a live limb down or finding a good height one and cleaning out underneath. This set up was just that. Problem was it was in the big holla which made it tough to hunt.

A couple years ago I decided to try cutting oak branches and tying them in locations I knew bucks were passing by, mostly to see which bucks and when. It was the year in these pics when I realized I could put them in places where I wanted (since no actual limbs were available) and get these bucks to perhaps spend a little more time on our property.