The Time is Now!

The Time is Now!

If you ask a serious bowhunter where they want to be during the last week of October and the first week of November, you’ll likely notice a typical response. Many will say, “I want to be near a bedding area or a natural funnel, hunting over a primary scrape.” These few weeks are crucial for hunting over scrapes. Do you know which scrapes to target? Are you aware that there are different types of scrapes? If you’re unsure about the differences, read on carefully to ensure you’re in the right place at the right time.

 

Competition Scrapes 

Most competition scrapes begin to appear once bucks shed their velvet. These scrapes serve as a form of communication among bucks, signaling their presence in the area and indicating to each other to stay away. During this time, testosterone levels in bucks are just starting to rise, and there's no immediate concern about breeding. These competition scrapes are typically hit at night and are short-term, usually ceasing after the first part of October. Since most archery seasons start at the end of September or the beginning of October, hunting over these scrapes can be difficult. However, they can help indicate whether a buck is using the area for bedding.

 

 

Beware of Random or Secondary Scrapes

Bucks often create scrapes in various random locations as they travel. A buck may make a scrape near an active licking branch but only visit it once. This is why these are referred to as random scrapes. The occurrence of random scrapes increases as bucks prepare for the rut. It’s essential to carefully identify these scrapes so you can set up in the correct location to intercept an active buck.

The primary focus of this video is watching a buck create a random scrape. If you look closely, you’ll see a doe alongside the buck. A low-hanging branch fell during a strong windstorm, which prompted the buck to create a scrape at that spot. Despite having a camera set up in the area, I never observed another buck visiting or working that scrape. The buck likely believed it was a good location to signal to others that he had been there. It's advisable to avoid hunting over or near random or secondary scrapes, as the likelihood of a buck visiting them is pretty low.

 

Primary Scrapes

A primary scrape is typically found along heavily traveled trails, in dense vegetation where deer move, and near doe bedding areas. Bucks will work these scrapes year-round, but the most intense activity occurs during the pre-rut and rut. A primary scrape often features one or more licking branches, which bucks use frequently, and the area beneath these branches tends to be heavily worked. I prefer to hunt near primary scrapes in late October and early November because I encounter a variety of bucks throughout the day. If you have a primary scrape on your property, it’s essential to set up a stand nearby.

 

Community Scrapes (The Hub)

Community scrapes are primarily found along well-worn trails, in high-traffic areas, and where multiple trails intersect or connect to bedding areas. Typically, a community scrape is quite large and often has several other scrapes nearby, as deer use them year-round for communication. If you set up a camera near a community scrape, you will likely capture images of fawns, does, and bucks from various age classes interacting with the scrape. I have successfully filled numerous Pennsylvania buck tags while hunting over community scrapes that I have created on different properties. I have seen does come to community scrapes to wait for bucks during the rut. If you establish a community scrape or discover one on your hunting property, this is the perfect time to hunt near that location.

A beautiful 9-point buck frequents the community scrape that I created outside a bedding area on a ridge. I need to run a solar panel for the SpyPoint camera that monitors this scrape since deer visit it constantly. I rarely have to access this spot for any reason, so when the end of October approaches, I eagerly anticipate getting into my treestand near this community scrape.

 

Success

I began hunting over scrapes in 2010 and have experienced significant success since then. In fact, there has only been one year when I did not fill my Pennsylvania buck tag. My ability to identify the different types of scrapes made by deer has greatly contributed to my success. Creating both primary and community scrapes on my property has been essential, along with running trail cameras throughout the year. Understanding how deer communicate and recognizing when their communication habits change has made a crucial difference between filling my tag and ending up with tag soup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: The Time is Now!