With all  sincerity how highly do you rank scrape hunting? It seems to me a lot of people put a lot of "Stock" into scrapes and sitting over them.

Personally I have had 3 hunts where it was phenomenal and had deer come into scrapes all day long. The rest of the time I was sitting in a tree looking stupid. this is over a period of 15 years and have come to the conclusion it wasn't specifically the scrape that I was hunting but rather deer movement on the particular day.


The same has also been true of rub lines.

Well, its different where you live.
I've learned that hunting high doe concentration areas(where I hunt) has produced more mature bucks for me than taking a stand near a scrape. If I can find the does, I will see more bucks during the rut period. Pre rut, I have found active scrape sites to be productive, but honestly, most activity has been at night in my neck of the woods. But I HAVE seen bucks at them, just not an awful lot. I don't have a season to hunt at my leisure either, my time is limited. So for my own enjoyment, I choose to hunt high traffic areas over scrape sites if they dont intersect.

Some scrapes are hotter than others. I do know in my area field edge scrapes are always visited at night. I like to hunt scrapes closer to bedding areas especially after a rain shower because bucks like to freshen them up.

David, my feelings are the same.

I just dont understand why so many people put so much emphasis on scrapes? I figured I am missing something?

Perhaps its just pre-rut excitement?

You have a time to hunt scrapes and a time to hunt does. There are times for every aspect of where to hunt. After a rain, like mentioned, in the first steps of pre rut, better find a scrape. Alot of folks hunt a scrape too closely. Most bucks will check the scrape just by being down wind of it.
A rub line is a great place to kill a deer, because he has to be there to make the rub. Rub lines are less predictable. Travel pinch points and trails can be productive.
If you don't take the moon phase timing, you can be just sitting in a tree ALOT. this kind of stuff is what makes hunting a certain buck so much fun!! If the tactic you use is not producing, change tactics.

Deer are creatures of habbit (just like us) just figure out what the routines are in your area and get in there with them.

God bless,
Nathan

Its all relative to where you hunt. Some hunters see 10 small bucks per day waiting for the 150+ class "5 1/2 year old +" to come by. Others wait three weeks just  to see a doe. ALL RELATIVE to buck/doe ratio of where you hunt.
Once you hunt other places, you see the huge difference in conditions. You adapt to YOUR conditions to be successful. A thousand guys will be willing to tell you what to do, but only you are an expert of where you hunt.

Well said YORNOC !  

QuoteOriginally posted by YORNOC:
Its all relative to where you hunt. Some hunters see 10 small bucks per day waiting for the 150+ class "5 1/2 year old +" to come by. Others wait three weeks just  to see a doe. ALL RELATIVE to buck/doe ratio of where you hunt.
Once you hunt other places, you see the huge difference in conditions. You adapt to YOUR conditions to be successful. A thousand guys will be willing to tell you what to do, but only you are an expert of where you hunt.

Well put sir  

I hunted all day yesterday with in eye sight of 4 scrapes and didn't see a deer!!! That has happened to me a bunch of times... I'm going Bach to heavy trails and dropping oaks.

Maybe oneday I'll figure scrapes out   :confused:    :confused:    :confused:

The key to scrap hunting is knowing what direction the buck will approach it from, and setting up so he can't catch your wind. Most hunters set up totally wrong and thats why they have zero buck activity.