Start Early - Most folks set their mock scrapes up just before the season and wonder why they're not as effective as they'd hoped. While deer typically only scrape in the fall, they will use licking branches year round. Set yours well ahead of hunting season to give deer ample time to find it and start using it.

When should you hunt a scrape?

In much of the country, late October is the pre-rut. This two-week period prior to the rut kicking in is an optimum time to hunt scrapes. However, scrapes located on field edges seem to be the least significant. Scrapes located in the woods near travel corridors and doe bedding areas are the key scrapes to hunt.

Are mock scrapes effective?

But if you create the mock scrape with care and choose proper placement and timing, mock scrapes can be highly effective. The process for making these mock scrapes is very simple; make a mock scrape where Mr. Big would really naturally make a mock scrape and be as unobtrusive as possible.