We’re now halfway through August, and the scrape activity is heating up. My SpyPoint cameras have been sending me intriguing videos every day. I’ve set up a few new cameras over fresh scrapes because I want to be proactive as the food sources start to shift. Two of my new scrapes are located deeper in the woods, and I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of activity they are capturing.
Bears
I receive many questions during my seminars about bears. One key point I’ve learned is that bears are attracted to the scent of the preorbital gland, and they will investigate mock scrapes just like deer do. Over the past few years, I have noticed an increase in the bear population in the area where I hunt. Recently, the BuckRope on an inside corner scrape received attention from a bear. In the video, you can see the bear approaching, smelling the ground, and then sniffing the rope. It gets even more interesting as the bear tries to bite the rope. Some hunters worry that the scent left by bears will drive deer away from the scrape, but that is not the case at all!
No Fear
Drop Dead Fred frequently visits the inside corner scrape throughout the day. If you look at the timestamp of this video, you’ll see it was recorded one day after a bear visited the scrape. Fred continues to engage with the BuckRope using his preorbital and forehead glands, showing no concern about the bear. Other bucks have also worked the scrape, but Fred is a regular visitor. I hope he maintains this routine into the first week of October. If he does, I might have to use a Black Eagle Spartan to take him down.
New BuckRope Scrape
Setting up multiple cameras close to each other helps me determine where I might want to establish a new scrape. Currently, I have two SpyPoint cameras positioned on a bean field, but I decided to add another camera and create a scrape near a primary path leading into the field. Earlier this week, I spent an afternoon setting up a new scrape on the corner of the bean field. Later that evening, a mature doe visited to investigate the Head-Scratcher gland lure and leave her scent on the rope. The doe spent a reasonable amount of time at the scrape, using her nasal glands to learn about the new “Phantom Buck” scent I had introduced there.
BuckBranch Horizontal Scrape
In August, I enjoy setting up scrapes deep in the timber between bedding areas and food sources. I have hunted a small 40-acre farm since 1997, and I know the property well. Recently, I ventured into the timber with a hunch that the deer were using a ridge top to leave their bedding area and move toward a hidden food plot. I decided to set up a BuckBranch in the timber over the trail where I believed the deer might be passing through.
My instincts paid off quickly! Less than three hours after setting up the BuckBranch, I observed multiple does and a few bucks stopping at the new horizontal scrape. I watched as a young buck investigated the scrape and sniffed the ground. I applied my Contender Interdigital mix in the scrape and used Head-Scratcher gland lure on the BuckBranch. The new scrape is located just fifteen yards away from where I plan to hang one of my XOP treestands.
Deep Timber Highways
I enjoy exploring deep timber highways and creating mock scrape lines. The deep timber highway on the 40-acre farm is a heavily trafficked trail for deer. I’ve set up four scrapes along this trail for the deer to visit and engage with. I also have one camera positioned over the scrape that receives the most activity.
After several years of observation, I identified a scrape that’s consistently used by the deer as a community scrape. Once I discovered this location, I enhanced it with a new licking branch. Additionally, I have two stands located along the deep timber highway, which are excellent spots to sit during the early archery season. I often intercept some of my target deer as they walk along the trail heading back to their bedding areas.
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