Whitetail Wednesday: Mock Scrapes Can Be Deadly in November

   11.16.16

Whitetail Wednesday: Mock Scrapes Can Be Deadly in November

It’s the peak of whitetail breeding throughout most of the whitetail’s range! During this time, most bucks are tending receptive does. Bucks usually tend receptive does for 24 to 36 hours. While tending, they have no interest in anything except being with the doe and surviving.

It seems no buck is going to spend time checking out a scrape while he’s following a receptive doe. However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore scrapes during the peak of the rut. Scrapes can be a great tool to attract bucks when they are seeking the next receptive doe.

This is why I like to make mock scrapes during the peak of the rut. I use a Tink’s Scrape Bomb Dripper and fill it with their synthetic #69. As the video below shows, this works great to attract bucks that are seeking the next receptive doe.

 

It’s tough to predict where mature bucks will be during the rut. This is because they are usually following their nose seeking the next receptive doe. A doe often uses a different part of her home range than normal when she is receptive, so patterning a receptive doe and the buck that is tending her can be difficult.

Because receptive does and mature bucks are difficult to pattern during the peak of the rut, a good strategy is to create mock scrapes in travel corridors. When bucks are looking for the next receptive doe, a mock scrape can be the key to bringing them within shooting range.

Enjoy creation!

Editor’s note: Be sure to check out Dr. Grant Woods and his popular on-demand web series that shares current information about deer hunting and deer management. The free videos like the one below focus on what the Growing Deer team of experienced hunters and deer managers are doing in the field week to week, including action-packed hunts, proven hunting strategies, habitat management, food plots, trail camera techniques and the gear it takes to get it all done.

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