Mock Scrape and Trail Cam Pics

It's the day before the opener and I went out and checked my trail camera this afternoon.  Not too many pictures but enough to get the blood flowing.

Less than a week ago I made a mock scrape and set up my trail cam to see if the deer were using it.  For you greenhorns out there, I will describe what a scrape consists of. 

I like to use the analogy of a bulletin board to humans.  Deer use a scrape in a similar way people use bulletin boards in high travel areas.   When there is a lot of deer activity in a certain area, deer make scrapes to see who is hanging around and what is going on.  The only difference between humans and deer is that a human will look with their eyes(at the bulletin board), while a deer will use its nose to find out what is happening(at the scrape).  A deers sense of smell is unbelievably good and both does and bucks use scrapes all year long.    

When a deer makes a scrape, it will paw the ground, removing all leaves and grass.  Once all debris is removed, they will pee in the patch of dirt.  Then, they will use a licking branch.  A licking branch is a tree branch that overhangs the scrape that a deer will lick with its tongue and mouth.  Both peeing in the dirt and licking the branch help deer identify one another.

Earlier, I said that I had made a "mock" scrape.  Essentially, I created the scrape for the deer so that I could get pictures on my trail camera in the exact spot I wanted.  To make one I took a small rake and made a bare patch of dirt that was directly below an overhanging branch.  I  make "mock" scrapes around my tree stand to attract deer closer for a good shot.

Here are a few pics of bucks using my mock scrape:

8 point using the licking branch above.

He's nice but I think I will have to pass on him.

Now he is smelling the dirt.

I'll save this one for Nathon!! haha

 

 

 

 

 

Opening day is tomorrow but I will not be hunting this spot because the wind direction will be wrong.  Deer will smell me and I could possibly scare them off.  I will be hunting a different property tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone going out tomorrow and be safe!  Let me know if any of you get one throughout the season because I would like to share and post your stories with everyone.  Ta Ta for now.

-Adam Parr    

Opening Day is Closing Fast!

I am, to say the least, excited for the opener of bow season in Michigan starting this Friday.  I look forward to bow season more than anything in the year.

I am starting this blog because I want to share my stories and sightings with you throughout this upcoming season.  But my main reason is to document everything that happens each and every time I am in the deer stand.  Basically, I want to keep a journal/hunting log that I can analyze and will help me predict patterns of deer for future seasons.

My daily log will include the following criteria to help with my documentation:

1. Date - Day/Month/Year
2. Time - I will tell what time I arrived on stand and how long I sat for.
3. Location - I have three to four different properties I hunt regularly.  I will give a brief description of the set up and which property I hunted.
4. Weather - Sunny, Overcast, Rain, Snow, Frost, High/Low Pressure, Windy/No Wind, Moon Phase, ect.
5. Temperature - Self Explanatory
6. Wind Direction - Self Explanatory
7. Number of Deer Sighted -  Both does and bucks. 
8. Age Structure - Estimated age of bucks sighted.

Hopefully, years of documentation will help me become a better deer hunter.  I will post as often as I can, most likely every few days throughout the season.

That's all for now.

-Adam Parr