Scrape Lines

[Islandlaker]

How long will scrape lines be good to hunt over? While rifle hunting I found an amazing scrape line. The woods around it was pressured a lot during rifle season, so I am going to let the area be for a week and then bow hunt it Sunday and Monday. My question is; is there a chance at success? I have never hunted this late into the season and don't really have any idea where to begin.

[sticknstring]

Hard to say. There's definitely a chance, but probably not a great one. Many bucks are in freezers now and the ones that remain in heavily pressured areas are nocturnal. If your area still has a food source and there are does around, you're in the right place and anything could happen.

[MUSKY18]

Totally agree with SNS. Hunted some state land today and found fresh rubs and scrapes but am willing to bet that these bucks have gone strictly nocturnal, especially with warmer weather and mostly due to pressure. With smoke pole season coming there is a chance they will get pushed around a lil more and go really nocturnal. BUT......with the rut going, one hot doe and he might make that mistake you need

[Islandlaker]

I figured they would be nocturnal. Do you think scrap line would be best bet? Scrap line goes between one swamp to a pond. Along the way goes through a ridge area with lots of pine. Biggest scrapes seem to be amongst the pines, and that is where I will most likely set up my ground blind.

[Musky Buck]

I'm a scrape hunting junky, the guys are right, it could happen, my Nov.17th Buck last year was grunting and chasing a doe like mad so maybe, deal is hunt the best scrape closest to the thickest rat hole possible or where you'd expect that buck is likely bedding, just to hopefully give yourself the best chance to see him in shooting light, even if the scrape is not being used, being in close to the thickest may be the chance at him, every so many years I find fresh scrapes during muzzy especially with snow then you can for sure tell, sometimes those scrapes in marginal cover are made at night, used at night, and never checked during shooting light, get in there as tight as possible, don't expect pressured deer to make a mistake at this point in the game, take it to him as close to where they bed as possible.

[MUSKY18]

i will say this however, next week when I am hunting Ripley I will find as many scrape lines in my area as possible and try to figure out where the bedroom is. Like Muskybuck said, I wanna try and get as close as possible without blowing them out. Easiest way I know to find them, is follow the trail of breadcrumbs they leave for us!

[Musky Buck]

Right on Bret, why not in a sense also ? The largest buck I ever took was in 1988 and he had from my scouting etc. 0 identifyable lol tree rubs, I even searched after season and while hunting sheds in there but I cut a quick shooting lane to 1 of his 3 table top sized scrapes and he was the 7th buck of the morning and the only buck I saw with a doe, I was 17 years old hunting 4A, the 2 day season so word to me is a big buck won't run off the smaller bucks, not always, I'm sure it depends, especially if he's with a doe, once done I wouldn't want to be in his path. At 17 it was tough to not drop 1 of those first 6 with a 2 day season, but I had Sunday yet. Get in there close as possible, hope for perfect wind, then it's up to him as he lays their in his bed, will he get on those cloven hooves and crack a twig for ya with just enough daylight to go, good luck !