By Scott Bestul

Mock scraping is nothing new to serious deer hunters, and most of us recognize that the overhanging branch is critical to making a mock that rocks. Indeed, it’s a fairly common practice to wire, tape or nail a branch to a tree of our choosing, rather than limit our scrape construction to a tree that already sports a branch that grows at the right height.

But this weekend I was shown a new (to me)—and highly successful—takeoff on this technique. My friend and fellow whitetail fanatic Billy Jerowski took me to a farm he hunts. Twenty yards from one of his best stand sites, Billy had strung a wire across a good deer trail, about seven feet off the ground. From the wire, Billy had made not just one “licking branch” but several. Using zip ties and/or light wire, Billy attached cedar branches, vines, and even rope to the main wire. These “branches” didn’t parallel the ground, they simply dangled toward it, hanging just high enough for a buck to get his antlers and head into the tangle and play around.

According to my friend, bucks have gone berserk over this system. As the photo shows, early summer vegetation is lush here now, but last fall’s scrape(s) were still highly visible under these licking branches. Billy said the sign under his mocks was even more impressive last year. The bucks love to get their antlers up into the dangling ropes, vines and branches, where they can thrash them, leave their own scent, and investigate odors left by other bucks. Of course the great thing about this system is that you can make a mock scrape in a spot where you have all the advantage. You not only don’t need an existing overhanging branch….you don’t even need a tree!

Your thoughts? Any experiments of a similar nature that you’ve tried?

Comments (13)

from Big O wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

Nice ! I"ll have to give this a try this year thanks again.

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from idahooutdoors wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

I shall have to try.... Just make sure to use a line or cord is not so strong a buck could get tangeled and harmed by it if it happened to get pulled down....

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from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

Instead of doing that, I usually take a stout rope, with a weight on one end and toss the weighted end over a branch.

I apply pressure on the rope and bring the somewhat broken branch closer to the ground,where bucks can reach it with their racks and orbital glands.

I've considered tying a couple off in similar fashion, as the article mentioned, but was leery of the "line" coming down only to entangle the object of my intentions.

This way, I'm not introducing any foreign material,such as the zip ties or wire that may spook/harm a savy knowledgeable buck.

After pulling the branch down,and making the scrape,I take a saw and make rubs in known bedding areas,on trees that lead to the mock scrape, and one of my tree stands in the area.

I generally, hunt the area when conditions are perfect, like opening day bow or gun season, or prior to the rut.

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from Jim in Mo wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

Listen to us talk. Are us deer hunters obsessive compulsive or what? LMAO! It's June and we're talking deer. Good tip Phil, but damn, just sitting back thinking of what we're talking about.

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from buck hunter 17 wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

that is a GOOD tip. i am going to try it next year.

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from leifjohn wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

definitely trying this in the fall!

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from steve182 wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

Probably a good place to find sheds too. nice move

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from FloridaHunter1226 wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

Good Idea... one of those things where at the end, you ask yourself "Why Didn't I think of that"! Definitely have to try, lets see if the deer respond down in the South.

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from redneckbeer wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

You relly need to get a life,you and your pal have to much idol time on your hands, Mother Nature will take care of the real scrapes...

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from redneckbeer wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

Thats REALLY!! sry

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from trophyslayer wrote 2 years 48 weeks ago

I was thinking of using this same idea except for hanging some branches in front of my treestand for cover.

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from Scott in Ohio wrote 2 years 46 weeks ago

i will definitely try this next fall. I know just the spot...

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from countitandone wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

Good topic, good post, but this is nothing new to most of us around Christmas. We hang our own "mock scrape" under a door opening, a pass through or what have you in the house. Yep, Christmas style mock scrape...the rest of the world knows this as...mistletoe! Works every time!

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from idahooutdoors wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

I shall have to try.... Just make sure to use a line or cord is not so strong a buck could get tangeled and harmed by it if it happened to get pulled down....

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buck hunter 17 wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

that is a GOOD tip. i am going to try it next year.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from leifjohn wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

definitely trying this in the fall!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Big O wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

Nice ! I"ll have to give this a try this year thanks again.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

Instead of doing that, I usually take a stout rope, with a weight on one end and toss the weighted end over a branch.

I apply pressure on the rope and bring the somewhat broken branch closer to the ground,where bucks can reach it with their racks and orbital glands.

I've considered tying a couple off in similar fashion, as the article mentioned, but was leery of the "line" coming down only to entangle the object of my intentions.

This way, I'm not introducing any foreign material,such as the zip ties or wire that may spook/harm a savy knowledgeable buck.

After pulling the branch down,and making the scrape,I take a saw and make rubs in known bedding areas,on trees that lead to the mock scrape, and one of my tree stands in the area.

I generally, hunt the area when conditions are perfect, like opening day bow or gun season, or prior to the rut.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Jim in Mo wrote 2 years 51 weeks ago

Listen to us talk. Are us deer hunters obsessive compulsive or what? LMAO! It's June and we're talking deer. Good tip Phil, but damn, just sitting back thinking of what we're talking about.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

Probably a good place to find sheds too. nice move

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from FloridaHunter1226 wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

Good Idea... one of those things where at the end, you ask yourself "Why Didn't I think of that"! Definitely have to try, lets see if the deer respond down in the South.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from redneckbeer wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

You relly need to get a life,you and your pal have to much idol time on your hands, Mother Nature will take care of the real scrapes...

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from redneckbeer wrote 2 years 50 weeks ago

Thats REALLY!! sry

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from trophyslayer wrote 2 years 48 weeks ago

I was thinking of using this same idea except for hanging some branches in front of my treestand for cover.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Scott in Ohio wrote 2 years 46 weeks ago

i will definitely try this next fall. I know just the spot...

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from countitandone wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

Good topic, good post, but this is nothing new to most of us around Christmas. We hang our own "mock scrape" under a door opening, a pass through or what have you in the house. Yep, Christmas style mock scrape...the rest of the world knows this as...mistletoe! Works every time!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.