Want a Big Buck This Deer Season? Have You Tried a Mock Scrape?

If you are a deer hunter looking to get that big buck this deer season, have you tried making a mock scrape?

Get our free mobile app

Michigan Whitetail Deer Hunting

Michigan has some fantastic whitetail deer hunting from its borders of Indiana and Ohio, all the way across the Upper Peninsula, and all points in between.

Not everyone has the greatest location to hunt but there are some ways to get a buck to stop by your location and one of those ideas has been around a long time and I'm surprised that so few hunters do it.

Making a Mock Scrape For Whitetail Deer Hunting

You veteran hunters know what a scrape is already but the newer hunters may not have a clue. A scrape is a way deer communicate by leaving a scent behind and eventually becomes a big part of the breeding season. Another way to explain this is, it's kind of like deer making dates with one another.

Male and female deer will use these. They scratch on the ground and urinate on these areas that are pawed out and usually oval in shape. Scrapes are usually under a tree branch or vine where they will also leave a scent behind. It is easy to duplicate this and best to do it within shooting distance of your stand whether in a tree or on the ground.

First, you need a drip bag and I'm not pimping the brand above but it is essentially what you need to get you started.  The full spectrum scrape scent is good to use just before archery season starts. Hang it on a branch high enough that the deer can't reach it and over the spot you want to make your mock scrape. Most drip bags will only drip during the day to encourage the buck to check them during the day in hopes of finding a new mate. All you have to do is scratch out the ground below where you hung the bag with a stick and make it look like a deer made and they will start stopping by and checking it out. Sometimes it's good to put a trail camera on it to see what is stopping by when you are not there.

I put one out a few weeks ago and the next day deer were stopping by and checking it out. There were does and bucks checking the scrape. They have been stopping by all throughout the pre-rut phase but I did but this by a regularly traveled path they have been using.

Once the bucks are getting into rut it is better to switch to a doe in estrus scent because that is what the males are looking for.  Normally these just come in a bottle with a lid but I do like the idea of a spray bottle for hitting the scrape and areas nearby but you can pour the liquid into the drip bag and it will drip during the daylight hours and hopefully increase your opportunities and getting that big buck. Here is a video below that goes really in-depth with a pro on how to make the perfect mock scrape and he gives you a lot of great tips on the whole hunting process that goes into where and when to fire up these mock scrapes.