Thread: Mock scrapes

What I learned over the years of observing deer is; if you find a liking branch, make note of where it is, find a good stand site downwind, and be ready to hunt it when the wind is right during the season. I've found several licking branches and watched every single deer that passes it will lick, sniff, or nuzzle it as they pass. When the rut kicks in, those licking branches become scrape sites. That branch is a scent signpost where deer expect to keep track of other deer in the area, kind of like dogs to a fire hydrant. The deer won't be there constantly, but they definitely know where it is and will check it out on the way by.

Jim

the stuff I used said it was golden estrous doe pee , remember it well , as it was the only scent I tried that didnt freak the deer out . used it in a dripper bottle at one place and it had a fair amount of sign under the tree , never when I was there though darnit ....

I've fed the deer at my house every day for 30 years, so I've had a front row seat to observing unpressured deer behavior for a while. I don't hunt anywhere near here because it wouldn't be fair and I value the relationships I have with them. It took me a long time to earn the trust of the deer, though now, 6 of the 15 regular visitors will eat from my hand. I call them like dogs and if they can hear me holler, they come. The great, great, great grand daughter of the first wild deer that ever ate from my hand visits every day. She was orphaned when she was in spots and she only ever knew to trust me, so I let her eat out of the bucket and she gets extra treats. I can pull ticks off her ears and she will turn towards me so I can catch horse flies off her back. She turned 8 years old this year. Her grandmother was 13 when she was killed on Veteran's Day 5 years ago on someone else's land.

Anyway, I use the deer I can comfortably move around to test buck lures and scent control products on. For the most part, the closer it is to the peak of the rut, the less alarming the estrous scents are. However, when estrous scent is around, there's often a rutting buck more than willing to chase the does around, hoping to figure out which doe is coming in heat. The does don't really like being chased, especially when they're hoping to eat. I mostly see yearling bucks running with the does (obviously) until they start to shed the velvet off their antlers. By then, the does run them off, because the boys are more interested in sparring & breeding than anything.

Jim

That’s pretty cool Jim.

Yep, thanks Jim. I basically test deer scents in the wild makes the hunt more educational and interesting. Sounds like you have a great testing facility.

Here's a few of me feeding. The most I ever had here at once was 27, but that was in the middle of winter when there was snow on the ground and wasn't much to eat in the woods. They know a sucker when they find one.

Jim

Here's a couple that raised here. The guy in the front (I called him Dude) was a runt when he was born and had the smallest set of spikes for his first set of antlers. He was a small 8 when he was 2 years old. This picture both bucks were 3 years old. Somebody took Dude out during muzzleloader last fall. I was hoping he might get a few more years. Guys don't give the bucks much chance to grow up around here. As soon as they start getting decent bone on their head, BOOM, gone. If Dude got the chance to reach five or 6 years old, he would have had a huge rack. The genetics are here, they seldom get the chance to reach full maturity. The guy in the back (I call him Dave) is still around. He was still in velvet the last time I saw him. The big boys don't tend to run with the does & yearlings, but he's around and bigger than last Fall. Neither ever ate from my hand, though they'll get within 8-10 feet of me.

Jim

That is awesome. Deer don't grow old around here so a nice buck is really a rarity. Fun to watch. My close encounters in the wild are always treasured.