vBCms Comments

Welcome To Hunting Country

    Site News & Announcements (34)
    New Member Introductions (142)

General Hunting Forums

    After the Hunt - Recipes / Cooking (59)
    Waterfowl, and Small Birds (15)
    Big Game General (47)
    Turkey Hunting (60)
    Small Game (11)
    Whitetail / Mule Deer Forum (149)
    Pigs & Exotics (11)
    General Gear and Hunting Accessories (59)

Archery & Bowhunting

    Archery Gear Talk - Compounds (80)
    Archery Gear Talk - Accessories (28)
    Bowhunting (153)
    Archery Gear Talk - Crossbows (7)

Shooting Sports

    Gun / Rifle Target Shooting (17)
    Archery Target/Tournament Shooting (5)

Manufacturers' Corner

    Product Announcements (2)
    Promotions and News (6)

Firearms

    Black Powder (1)
    AR Talk (15)
    Guns & Rifles (88)
    Reloading (12)

Classifieds

    Fishing Gear (1)
    General & Misc (3)
    Archery Equipment (17)
    Guns & Firearms (11)
    Camping & Hiking (0)

Not Hunting / General Chit Chat

    Podunk Corner (1588)
    Photography (118)
    Fishing Chat (46)
1.) luv2bowhunt - 03/05/2014
I've decided this year I'm going to take mock scrapes more seriously and record my success or failure with trail cameras. I'll be trying preorbital and interdigital gland scent at the mock scrapes and was wondering if anyone else has already been doing this.

I've learned over the years that the key to any scrape is the licking branch. From my previous pics at natural scrapes deer seem more interested in the branch than whats on the ground. So I'll be trying mock scrapes with both deer urine and preorbital scent, some with just deer urine, and some with just preorbital scent to see if any of it makes any difference.

Any success or failure stories in this regard would be most welcome.
2.) Floyd - 03/05/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;17540]So I'll be trying mock scrapes with both deer urine and preorbital scent, some with just deer urine, and some with just preorbital scent to see if any of it makes any difference.[/QUOTE]

The licking branch is very interesting. I'd like to see an up close video of the deer's behavior on the licking branch. Especially, when he detects another buck.
3.) Floyd - 03/05/2014
You using Tarsal or Interdigital glands in the scrape as well or just the urine?
4.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
Are you okay with anecdotal evidence? :wink

The only "glandular" scent of the type of which you speak (see what I did there, Bluecat?) that I've given a fair shot was a "forehead gland" scent made by somebody years ago who I believe is no longer in the business. I'll see if I can confirm that or get you more info later. I did have a little bit of success with it.

I have used a little interdigital in the past but again, not much at scrapes. Now I'm kinda wondering why not. I got away from interdigitals a while back, possibly because they are just such a PITA to transport, as pungent as they are. Maybe somebody's come up with a better mousetrap in the intervening years and I should take another look.

I can tell you what doesn't work too well and what does a little. I have no raging success stories for mock scrape hunting, but I have a few interesting episodes. First, I would open the scrape with Power Scrape, which helps deer find the location and immediately creates a little interest. I can't say that the interest is sustained, but it beats the hell out of how I used to open scrapes, which was to just start a dripper with ActiveScrape. Those always had to be "in the right place" for deer to show any interest. With Power Scrape, placement is far less critical for the initial contact to be made.

I have also had some success starting mock scrapes with soil stolen from real scrapes.

I'm not sure I've found a good or a favorite drip, although I would say use something more interesting than ActiveScrape once the first bottle is used up. (When I do mock scrapes, I try to start them very early, before or at the very beginning of my season.)

By far the most activity I get on camera at mock or real scrapes is at night. It's at least 90-10, night to day. The overwhelming majority of the daytime photos come when I would expect does to be in heat, rather than before or after.

I know all that's not ultra-helpful, but if I think of anything else, I'll pipe up. I didn't set up the first mock scrape last year. I kinda go in fits and starts. Some years I skip, other years I have 2-4 out. I think I've done as many as six in a year. That was too much work.
5.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
....
6.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
BTW, I just picked up one of my cameras that I had on a magnolia tree that was just trashed by something last season. Some mild rubbing, looks like a scrape was started underneath (found it too late to really be sure what the pawing was) and branches twisted and shredded. Leaves everywhere. In the middle of nowhere, so to speak. I still have a bunch of cards to go through. If I see anything interesting at scrapes, I'll post.

I think next year I'll put video up on the scrapes instead of still cameras. I do get some cool pics but you have to flip through them real fast to see what's going on, LOL.
7.) Deerminator - 03/05/2014
Location
Location
Location

Should be a good study Luv:tu:
8.) luv2bowhunt - 03/05/2014
[QUOTE=Floyd;17542]You using Tarsal or Interdigital glands in the scrape as well or just the urine?[/QUOTE]

I'm thinking urine and interdigital on the ground. Probably will stay away from the tarsal. Now that I think of it though, it would be interesting to see what happens with urine on the branch and preorbital on the ground. I'm thinking that would have no negative impact.

Hey Tarheel I found this product line interesting. I think I will buy the Pro-pack special closer to Summer. I can't see your video without making the internet protocol changes and that gets to be a pita, switching it back and forth so I can still use my Outlook email.

[url]http://deerlures.com/listing-buck-preorbital-10.html[/url]
9.) bluecat - 03/05/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;17543]Are you okay with anecdotal evidence? :wink

The only "glandular" scent of the type of which you speak (see what I did there, Bluecat?) that I've given a fair shot was a "forehead gland" scent made by somebody years ago who I believe is no longer in the business. I'll see if I can confirm that or get you more info later.[/QUOTE]

:applause:
10.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
Thanks for the link, Luv2.

The forehead gland I used to use (still have some) was a synthetic which for some reason I haven't dragged out in a while...Small possibility I'll come across it later today, but the only one I find available these days is this

[url]http://buckfeverusa.com/history.php[/url]

which might actually be the modern-day version of what I used, LOL.
11.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
Speaking of mock scrapes and stuff that they don't make anymore just to piss me off, does anyone know of anything available today like the synthetic (?), non-absorbent "dirt" HS used to make for holding a puddle of scent before a buck would come in and work the scrape? I think it was called Magic Scrape or something like that. I'm holding on to the last little bit I have like it's Union gunpowder at Ft. Sumter...

There's gotta be a chemistry major out there somewhere on HuntingCountry who can tell me what that stuff was and where I can buy it cheap if the manufacturer doesn't know it's a deer hunting product, LOL...
12.) luv2bowhunt - 03/05/2014
Hmmm........I wonder if a liner material like we use in ponds would work. We use geosynthetic clay liners on the bottom of most ponds. I think that is what you're looking for.

What we do with the leftover material is the question. Stay tuned..................or don't.
13.) luv2bowhunt - 03/05/2014
I deleted a post, had wrong material mentioned. I was thinking of bentonite clay. That must be a similar product to what you're looking for.

Not sure if we have any of that laying around or not. I'll check tomorrow.
14.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
It was da bomb, whatever it was. Much easier than burying a perforated film canister or something cheesey like that.

BTW, I was gonna say I bet you can't find film canisters anywhere anymore either...:re:...but I would have lost the bet....


[url]http://www.sciencebobstore.com/products/Bulk-Film-Canisters-for-Rockets.html[/url]


15.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;17556]I deleted a post, had wrong material mentioned. I was thinking of bentonite clay. That must be a similar product to what you're looking for.

Not sure if we have any of that laying around or not. I'll check tomorrow.[/QUOTE]


The Commonwealth wasn't supposed to know you had the first stuff, huh? :wink

Look for the EPA guy dropping by tomorrow...


This stuff was granular, if that helps. Whether it was something that was dried something or other and/or treated with something, I don't know. Very interested to see what you come up with.
16.) bluecat - 03/05/2014
Quit playing with your glands and just hunt.
17.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
Non-absorbent is the key phrase here. I just looked up bentonite and I see the word absorbent all over. Something you might use as a liner might be on target.

The HS product was a semi-fine powder or granular substance that would hold liquid in a puddle for quite a long time. You would pour out a mound, make a bowl in the middle, and pour your scrape scent in the bowl.

Like good mashed potatoes and gravy....:-) :grin:
18.) Swamp Fox - 03/05/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;17559]Quit playing with your glands and just hunt.[/QUOTE]

Imagine if guys had (girl) boobs...They'd never leave the house. Nothing would get done.

LOL
19.) luv2bowhunt - 03/06/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;17560]Non-absorbent is the key phrase here. I just looked up bentonite and I see the word absorbent all over. Something you might use as a liner might be on target.[/QUOTE]

I'm talking about a geosynthetic clay liner with bentonite. Like this. [url]http://www.gseworld.com/Products/Geosynthetic-Clay-Liners/[/url]

Trying to find some out in our storage yard is going to be the hard part. Will have to wait until the Spring thaw for sure, if we ever have one.

13 degrees here this morning.:td:
20.) bluecat - 03/06/2014
If you are looking for a small amount of bentonite you can try a homebrew store. I've used it to clear wine at times.
21.) Deerminator - 03/06/2014
What happens when the stuff freezes?
"They" say that the majority of rutting activity happens at night.
Why not just purchase a tanker truck of estris and fill the pool.
22.) Swamp Fox - 03/06/2014
I've learned bentonite is used as a filter for various things, and/but seeing it described as absorbent throws me. I know some clays are absorbent and others aren't (or not so much), but I haven't figured out which ones are which that might be commercially available. It wouldn't surprise me that if I could find the right clay or clay dust, that would do the trick: allowing liquid to settle in a pool without leaching too quickly.

I found this stuff in my wanderings, which is pretty cool:

[url]http://befreetech.com/hydroweed.htm[/url]
23.) Hunter - 03/06/2014
One study done on scraping behavior can be found here............ [url]http://www.qdma.com/corporate/buck-use-of-scrapes-what-the-latest-research-reveals[/url]

Conclusion :

Conclusions and Hunting Implications
This study provided new information on the scraping behaviors of wild white–tailed deer. We observed that scrape use is primarily nocturnal and highly seasonal, with most visits occurring 2–3 weeks prior to the rut. After the peak of the rut, bucks almost completely stop visiting scrapes. We also found that yearling and 2.5–year–old bucks mark the same scrapes as older deer, and marking behaviors by younger bucks are not delayed until later in the season. Although bucks may frequently investigate scrapes, the frequency of marking behaviors appears relatively low. This implies that chemical signals may be persistent, and that repeated marking is not necessary.

Because most visits occurred at night, marking was relatively infrequent, and mature bucks were not commonly observed, it might not be advantageous to hunt scrapes. Given this new evidence, concentrating hunting efforts on bedding sites, travel corridors, or feeding areas may be more advantageous. Since frequent scrape activity occurred just after dusk, hunting trails leading to and from scrapes might be an effective way of using these signposts to increase harvest opportunity. With this research and other projects at the University, we hope to learn even more about the role of these signposts in whitetail communication and behavior.
24.) luv2bowhunt - 03/06/2014
Just want to clarify, I'm not concerned with hunting mock scrapes, just creating them and getting videos of what happens.

My hypothesis is that the preorbital scent will attract more bucks than doe in heat on the ground will. Of course all my evidence will be anecdotal and totally useless to anyone in the Northern Hemisphere, but it will entertain me and satisfy my heathen bloodthirst.
25.) Swamp Fox - 03/06/2014
Thanks for that link! Very good article. I agree with most of it based on my own experience. I have seen more scrape activity post-rut than this study indicates, and the over-all timing of scrape activity might be a little more spread out, but a lot of the rest of it is spot-on. I'm going through it a little deeper right now...Stay tuned, LOL.
26.) Swamp Fox - 03/06/2014
I've lifted part of the article, and put my comments in red. Hope that helps! :wink LOL

[Excerpt]


....Study Results
The results obtained from this two–year study were surprising. First, we found that 85 percent of all scraping activity occurred at night (Fig. 1). This was true for both the scrapes along the field edges and those in the forest interior. White–tailed deer are typically considered “crepuscular” or most active during early morning and late evening. However, as you can tell by the graph, bucks are active throughout the night with very little scrape use during daylight hours. In addition, overall scrape visitations were relatively low (remember that the units recorded 24 hours a day for the entire season). On each scrape, there were only a handful of opportunities to encounter any bucks during hunting hours.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]So my 90-10 estimate is not far off. I absolutely agree about the odds of encountering a buck at a scrape during hunting light. Right after dark seems much more likely in my experience than just before dawn. Middle of the night seems more likely than pre-dawn to me.[/COLOR]

Previous research on captive animals indicated that only the dominant buck in an area will perform a full series of marking behaviors, including overhead branch marking, urinating (normal or rub–urination), and pawing. However, our data show that many bucks will work the same scrape (Table 1). Although many different bucks may work scrapes, overall scrape use does not appear very intensive. Even more interesting is that many of these animals are yearling bucks. Therefore, there doesn’t appear to be a suppression effect from dominant animals. Also, yearlings worked the scrapes with the same intensity as older bucks, and many of the marking events were concurrent with those of older bucks.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]Agree completely[/COLOR].

Of considerable interest to the hunters on the property was that almost none of the mature bucks (3.5 years old or older) harvested on the property during the two years of the study were ever captured on video. This is even more interesting given that several of these bucks were harvested within a few hundred yards of a monitored scrape. This suggests either that mature bucks can obtain information from scrapes without actually visiting them (e.g., monitoring them from downwind) or that they avoided the scrapes due to the monitoring equipment. It is believed that the monitoring equipment was not responsible for their avoidance since researchers checked them only once every one to two weeks. Also, the harvest of several mature bucks in close proximity to the monitored scrapes would indicate that they were not actively avoiding the monitored areas.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]I have a handful of pics of “monster” bucks at scrapes, but they are far outnumbered by the number of small bucks and does. The point, though, is that scrapes have been my absolute best shot at getting a look at the best bucks on various properties I’ve used cameras on.. [/COLOR]

The most frequent marking behavior performed by all ages of bucks was overhead branch marking. Nearly all signposting included bucks marking overhanging branches with their foreheads, antlers, or saliva. Pawing the ground and urination occurred in less than half of visits that included some type of marking behavior. Possibly, the scents deposited on branches may provide important chemical signals for communication between deer. Additionally, in early October most scent marking at scrapes consisted of branch marking and/or urination, but not pawing. Therefore, scrapes likely are being visited by bucks and relaying information before the physical evidence of pawing is observed.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]Agree completely. The last two sentences are particularly noteworthy, and jibe with what I’ve seen over the years.
[/COLOR]

We also examined the seasonal use of the scrapes (Fig. 2). The peak of the rut in the Georgia Piedmont typically occurs during the first three weeks of November. Marking by all ages of bucks occurred almost exclusively during October and November. Marking dates by yearlings coincided with the older deer, and marking was not delayed until later in the breeding season. Therefore, these behaviors do not appear to be suppressed by dominant animals, which is commonly seen in penned studies. Although almost all marking ceased by late November, bucks still visited and investigated scrapes through December.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]In my experience, activity at scrapes is much more drawn-out. I get consistent scrape activity into mid- and late February, when I pull the last of my cameras. Many scrapes are first opened in December and later.[/COLOR]

In our study, does frequently visited scrapes as well. We were not able to collect as much information on does because we were not able to distinguish individuals. However, the daily use of scrapes by does was very similar to the patterns seen in bucks. They also were primarily nocturnal, and visitations occurred primarily during October and November. Does not only investigated scrapes, but several were observed marking overhanging branches with their foreheads and saliva. Other studies documented urination in scrapes by does; however, this behavior was not recorded during our study. The frequent visitation to scrapes and occasional branch marking suggests that does could be receiving breeding information about bucks, as well as depositing scents.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]I have a few pics of does urinating in scrapes, but not many, even though. I have lots of pics of does in and around (investigating ) scrapes. Agree with everything else[/COLOR].

During this two–year study, certain scrapes were much more active than others. Some scrapes had visitations by as many as 13 different bucks, whereas others had visitations by relatively few bucks. In either case, this would cast doubt on the theory of a scrape line being created and maintained by a single buck. In fact, despite two monitored sites being less than 300 yards apart, two completely different groups of bucks were using each scrape. Only one buck was monitored at both scrapes. These differences may be attributed to the location of the scrapes. Some scrapes were located in forested areas, while others were along field edges. Areas surrounding some scrapes may have provided better cover, food, or other necessary resources, and therefore, influenced visitation. However, one scrape that was monitored during both years was frequently visited the first year but visited little during the second year. Therefore, some other factor(s) could be responsible for differences in the use of scrapes. During the second year, there was an acorn mast failure in the region. This failure corresponded with a reduction in scraping activity. It is possible that intensity of scraping activity shifted with food availability. In other words, bucks may have shifted their core home ranges to areas where does were drawn to food sources.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]This is very interesting and I don’t doubt any of it. [/COLOR]

Conclusions and Hunting Implications
This study provided new information on the scraping behaviors of wild white–tailed deer. We observed that scrape use is primarily nocturnal and highly seasonal, with most visits occurring 2–3 weeks prior to the rut. After the peak of the rut, bucks almost completely stop visiting scrapes. We also found that yearling and 2.5–year–old bucks mark the same scrapes as older deer, and marking behaviors by younger bucks are not delayed until later in the season. Although bucks may frequently investigate scrapes, the frequency of marking behaviors appears relatively low. This implies that chemical signals may be persistent, and that repeated marking is not necessary.

Because most visits occurred at night, marking was relatively infrequent, and mature bucks were not commonly observed, it might not be advantageous to hunt scrapes. Given this new evidence, concentrating hunting efforts on bedding sites, travel corridors, or feeding areas may be more advantageous. Since frequent scrape activity occurred just after dusk, hunting trails leading to and from scrapes might be an effective way of using these signposts to increase harvest opportunity. With this research and other projects at the University, we hope to learn even more about the role of these signposts in whitetail communication and behavior.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]In my experience, bucks are still visiting and indeed reopening and starting scrapes post-peak-rut, so I can’t agree that “bucks almost completely stop visiting scrapes” post-peak-rut. Agree with everything else, especially the note about post-dusk activity. [/COLOR]


[End of article and commentary]
27.) luv2bowhunt - 03/06/2014
"The most frequent marking behavior performed by all ages of bucks was overhead branch marking. Nearly all signposting included bucks marking overhanging branches with their foreheads, antlers, or saliva. Pawing the ground and urination occurred in less than half of visits that included some type of marking behavior. Possibly, the scents deposited on branches may provide important chemical signals for communication between deer."


That is what I've seen with pics on scrapes. I believe the licking branch is the key, and preorbital scent is more important than doe in heat scent. I will try to verify that to some small degree this year.

The very first thing I learned when I hung a camera on a scrape was that more than one buck visited it.
28.) Jon - 03/06/2014
About 10 years ago I was hunting a lease I had and walking in to my stand I saw a small scrape on the side of the trail. The next day, the scrape was a little bigger so I knew a buck was visiting it at night.
I decided to try something out....... The next morning I peed in the scrape and when I came by it the following day, the scrape was 5x the size and everything around it was destroyed. I put a trail camera on the spot and kept doing it for a few days. The buck that showed up came at the exact same time and just tore it up, urinating all over the scrape and tearing up the branches hanging over the scrape.
I never saw the buck during the day, wish I had because he was a biggun.
29.) Hunter - 03/06/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;17575]Just want to clarify, I'm not concerned with hunting mock scrapes, just creating them and getting videos of what happens.

My hypothesis is that the preorbital scent will attract more bucks than doe in heat on the ground will. Of course all my evidence will be anecdotal and totally useless to anyone in the Northern Hemisphere, but it will entertain me and satisfy my heathen bloodthirst.[/QUOTE]

There is another study I found (I'll look for link again if you want it) that pretty much confirms your hypothesis. It studied all the different scents, including human urine, poured into scrapes. There was no noticeable difference in activity based on what scent was placed in scrape.
30.) Deerminator - 03/06/2014
Usually on a well established group of runs that are heading in the same direction ( towards food or beding areas ), there are less defined runs that intersect all of those major runs.
I have seen, seen tracks of, mature bucks traveling these less defined runs looking/smelling for does that have or are coming into heat many times.
31.) Hunter - 03/06/2014
Another study that may interest you, Gerry. It may also explain why the bucks you scout early suddenly disappear.......

....Elsewhere, researchers are finding that some whitetail bucks actually shrink their home range during the rut. This discovery was made last year in Pennsylvania, and biologists are still analyzing the movements of the nearly 50 mature bucks in the study. "So far we've only looked at preliminary data," says project leader Andy Olson, with the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. "But it indicates that for the majority of these bucks, home range was the smallest in fall, including the peak of the rut, and largest during winter and spring, presumably when finding food sources required more travel."

[url]http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/deer-hunting/finding-deer-hunt/2013/11/rutting-edge-research-0[/url]
32.) luv2bowhunt - 03/06/2014
Good stuff Ted. Thanks.
33.) Swamp Fox - 03/06/2014
[QUOTE=Jon;17596]...I decided to try something out....... The next morning I peed in the scrape and when I came by it the following day, the scrape was 5x the size and everything around it was destroyed. I put a trail camera on the spot and kept doing it for a few days. The buck that showed up came at the exact same time and just tore it up, urinating all over the scrape and tearing up the branches hanging over the scrape.

I never saw the buck during the day, wish I had because he was a biggun.[/QUOTE]


Can you tell us a little about your diet at the time? :-)


(:shh::jd::p)
34.) Swamp Fox - 03/06/2014
[QUOTE=Hunter;17597]There is another study I found (I'll look for link again if you want it) that pretty much confirms your hypothesis. It studied all the different scents, including human urine, poured into scrapes. There was no noticeable difference in activity based on what scent was placed in scrape.[/QUOTE]


Ted, I'd be interested in that link if it's not a bother. Thanks.
35.) Hunter - 03/06/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;17606]Ted, I'd be interested in that link if it's not a bother. Thanks.[/QUOTE]


[url]http://www2.huntinglease.com/f/Article/ladArticletArticlec0/5[/url]
36.) luv2bowhunt - 03/07/2014
Not much of a study there, but still interesting. Hard to take it seriously though, with so many misspells.
:wink
37.) bluecat - 03/07/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;17611]Not much of a study there, but still interesting. Hard to take it seriously though, with so many misspells.
:wink[/QUOTE]

I hate it when some looser misspells words.
38.) Swamp Fox - 03/07/2014
That author's no rookie. Maybe he's just one of those guys who really leans on an editor. Seems like on-line publications are willing to go without most of the time. Even print has gotten bad. I read a recent issue of [I]South Carolina Game and Fish[/I] the other day, and several articles were atrocious...From veteran writers! Have to say I'd never seen that kind of sloppiness from them before. Maybe because no one reads anymore, no one cares. :re:

My favorites are advertisements and product descriptions. Some of them are unintelligible, others barely recognizable English. A sign the world is changing.

As for scrapes:

[I]The same applies to the use of mock scrapes. Some of my setups I considered surefire places where I couldn't moss bringing in deer. However, after several days of no use at the mock scrape even though other deer sign was in the area, I moved the scrape only a few feet to the other side of the tree. The next day I started getting pictures. This taught me placement of mock scrapes and scents must fit naturally into the deer's world. You are not going to change their normal movement patterns very much at all.[/I]


This (from Hunter's second link) seems extreme, especially the example of moving the scrape to the other side of the tree, but it is true that you can't put a scrape just anywhere. A lick, on the other hand, doesn't have that problem, for some reason, as long as deer are using a general area. A feeder or a bait pile often benefits from precise placement, it seems to me.
39.) luv2bowhunt - 03/07/2014
He doesn't mention a licking branch, and I have to wonder if the availability of a licking branch was the same on each side of the tree.

Perhaps when he moved the mock scrape, the availability of a licking branch made the difference. Alas we'll never know how he couldn't 'moss' bringing in deer.

I believe the branch is more important than the pawed ground.
40.) Ventilator - 03/07/2014
Yall are forcing me to bring up the age old question..."When the hell did deer get PAWS?" :)
41.) Swamp Fox - 03/07/2014
LOL...Probably when "hoof it" started to mean "to move quickly away." :wink

It's a fair point, though. My question would be whether "the buck [I]hoofed[/I] the ground" or "the buck [I]hooved[/I] the ground" would be the proper usage. We don't want to bring the grammar police down on us.:-)
42.) Swamp Fox - 03/07/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;17616]I believe the branch is more important than the pawed ground.[/QUOTE]

A suggestion: Add a synthetic scent to your experiment if you believe it will last longer between applications. I assume you want to have the scrape maximally maintained by deer rather than just noticed and then "la-dee-da" as to long-term usage. Seems like a synthetic or a gel (I'm sure/willing to bet that James Valley might make a gel appropriate for the licking branch.)
43.) Ventilator - 03/07/2014
Of course, there`s always "horned tree" , or "did you see all the horning in that thicket?"

then you have the guys out west who don't know the difference between , "Horning, rubbing, or scraping" . that's how they refer to the time when deer rub the antlers on bark to snuff out aggression.lol

A scrape on the ground is likely to be a "pawed spot"
44.) Swamp Fox - 03/07/2014
LOL..I noticed that about the scrape vs. rub confusion.

I admit to saying "horning" every once in a while, though...Mostly because I get tired of saying "rubbing" all the time, LOL. I should post a pic of a rub I found last week, but it would involve going out to the truck for my camera in this freakin' cold rain..... :tap:
45.) Ventilator - 03/07/2014
hmmmm......maybe this should've went into myths and head scratches. Sorry to hijack a worthwhile thread.

As for input...I too, was pissed when I realized the HS Scrape dirt could no longer be purchased. that stuff was awesome. and they still have the cruncher...go figure. (another head scratcher,srry)
46.) Deerminator - 03/07/2014
Horns or antlers
47.) Ventilator - 03/10/2014
rockin chair or bony protrusion
48.) Deerminator - 03/10/2014
Crayons or Crayollas