community scrape

[jeff127]

After my deer have completly shifted from their opening day patterns I decided to do some light impact scouting as I have a good amount of mature bucks roaming the property I hunt(finally). walking the edge of a brushy creek area I could see a large 15 foot in diam. area of bare ground/shredded and torn up grass that caught my eye. As I approached I could smell heavy deer scent and the ground had several fresh urine spots----so I set up a camera. after 4 days I had 3,000 pics and from 8 at night till 4 am it is continuos bucks of all sizes doing some heavy fighting right on this spot---some great pics to say the least. The younger bucks are coming through eary and late parts of shooting hours and there are some does hitting it also. I have used trail cams on scrapes before but I have seen nothing like this before. I have never had much luck hunting scrapes or scrape lines before........ anyone seen this before and/or have any luck hunting an area like this?

jeff

[slimngrizzly]

Ive seen this before. More commonly where I hunt in WI where there are just simply more bucks. I cant say scrape hunting is a consistent way to hunt, especially this time of year. We have however killed some nice deer near them.

The biggest factor, to me, in hunting a hot scrape is rain/snow. If its that popular with all those bucks, wait for some precipitation. The rain will "wash out" the scrape and often times those bucks will come the moment the rain stops to freshen it. I think the closer it gets to the rut, the better the odds this happens during daylight, but its still your best bet IMO.

I killed a nice buck a few years ago in MN that I had been getting pics of on a scrape. Oct. 11 we had about 3/4" of wet snow and I slipped in as it was snowing. Just before dark he came running it and got an arrow in him!

It can work!

[CrewJones]

Wow thats exiting, i have a camera on a scrape, it took over a week for a buck to come, out of the 5 8's and one 9 i have on the camera, only the a little six pointer and fork pointer ever come to the scrape.. so far

I wish I had a deer fight club setup like you. good luck

[tracker x-2]

Ive seen this before. More commonly where I hunt in WI where there are just simply more bucks. I cant say scrape hunting is a consistent way to hunt, especially this time of year. We have however killed some nice deer near them.

The biggest factor, to me, in hunting a hot scrape is rain/snow. If its that popular with all those bucks, wait for some precipitation. The rain will "wash out" the scrape and often times those bucks will come the moment the rain stops to freshen it. I think the closer it gets to the rut, the better the odds this happens during daylight, but its still your best bet IMO.

I killed a nice buck a few years ago in MN that I had been getting pics of on a scrape. Oct. 11 we had about 3/4" of wet snow and I slipped in as it was snowing. Just before dark he came running it and got an arrow in him!

It can work!

I recently stumbled upon the exact same area this past weekend and sat there yesterday morning and saw three diff bucks small 6, an 8 and a small 9. Although they were all small i definitely think this area, with your advice of sitting after a rain or snow would be productive!

[dogs]

In 45 years of deer hunting I call what you found there a "hub". Ussally when I come across one I consider it Valhalla, then the county comes in and logs it off.

As the rut gets going your "Comm. Scrape" will be like a bar with the drunkest chicks and cheapest drinks. I envy you. Don't muck it all up with a lot of activity and trimmming. Take my comments for what they are worth..,just my two cents.

[96trigger]

If there was a "like" button to your post dogs, I would have hit it 100 times. That is one of the best posts I have read on here in awhile.

[Jarrid Houston]

Very interesting. Nice thread! Keep it coming, I am interested how it will turn out

[jeff127]

Thanks for the replies

I set up a popup blind 18 yards above the spot in a blowdown as there are no trees large enough to place a stand. It is on the backside of an old barn that I can easily get in and out of with out crossing any trails or making any sound getting into it or checking the camara. I also set a scrape dripper above the licking branches and hosed everything down before and after with scent killer(I am religious with scent control).

I have never hunted in a ground blind before so I am looking forward to trying it. I will post up some pics when I figure out how

[jeff127]

here is some of the action from a couple of the days

[goblueM]

Great pics! That's a nice 10 point

[Rippinlip]

Looks like Friday night at the Fights.

Great pics, thanks for posting

[CrewJones]

very nice

[sticknstring]

Great pics! With the advancing cold front Thursday associated w/ some rain, it would be great time to hunt that spot.

[slimngrizzly]

Wow! A threesome!

[Archerysniper]

Wow! A threesome!

[Bear55]

Community scrapes are great places to hunt. I have one spot that gets torn up every year, its not one big scrape but usually 30-40+ scrapes that show up on the same ridge every single year. I have a stand nearby but not close enough but I hope to move in for a closer look this year.

[tracker x-2]

Awesome!!!! I cant wait to check my cam this weekend. Unfortunately I have to be down here for school grrr. but this weekend ill report back with pictures.

[jeff127]

As soon as I can get any kind of a west wind I will be sitting in that blind with rattle horns at my side.

[CrewJones]

good luck, I grunted a six and fork over to me last night first time in my life a grunt worked

[jeff127]

I hunted this spot on thurs and fri am....zip on thurs and a fork and half rack came running by with mouths open like they were being chased. The strong winds probably didnt help my hunts at all. I checked the card and I had 2100 pics of more fighting----some times all night and one day nothing came by at all. More does are also starting to come in....hopefully I can get some of these bigger ones to show up during shooting hours. I will try again next week.

This is the first time I have hunted from the ground for deer(bow) and it is alot different watching them so close at eye level.

[lungdeflator]

Like dogs said, dont put too much pressure on it! Its going to be hard not to hunt it but, I would just keep the camera running over it and probably wait til the end of October to hunt it. There should be alot more daylight activity towards the end of the month right before the rut!

[engfish]

These pictures are something special. Wouldn't that be something to sit out there in that blind one night and just listen to all that ruckus?!?

Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

[student]

I would back out for awhile. Wait until the right wind, scratch hat, the absolute perfect wind after a snow or rain fall and then hunt it carefully. The last week of October is what I would shoot for. Just my thoughts, but I imagine others would agree. Pressure will move the good bucks off the property and away from the scrape.

[Bear55]

I would back out for awhile. Wait until the right wind, scratch hat, the absolute perfect wind after a snow or rain fall and then hunt it carefully. The last week of October is what I would shoot for. Just my thoughts, but I imagine others would agree. Pressure will move the good bucks off the property and away from the scrape.

I agree, give this place a rest until late Oct. Also a question, do you have any daylight photos of bucks? Its not worth hunting unless they are there during shooting hours, the closer to the rut the more likely that will happen.

[jeff127]

I will definately be hunting it ONLY when the wind is right(anything west). I also will now be holding off on hunting it till right before halloween. IF we ever get some rain and the wind was right I would definately hunt it before then.

I do have activity during shooting hours....the bigger ones are coming just after shooting hours expire or late night and I know the bigger bucks sometimes bed close to this spot.

Last year I shot a nice buck 20 minutes into the season and I am really looking forward to hunting the pre-rut this year since I missed it last season.