Buck Magnets

By: Tony Hansen

There is nothing that draws whitetails like an active scrape.

There’s no shortage of opinions on what is (and what isn’t) the very best tactic to employ for finding bucks during deer season. In my opinion, there’s only one that’s proven to be 100 percent accurate, 100 percent of the time in terms of indicating areas where bucks are hanging out and will likely return. Scrapes. In my opinion, there is no more valuable piece of intel than that delivered by an active scrape. A freshly worked scrape leaves no doubt that there is at least one buck in the area (and often more), and that buck is nearby and intends to return. I look for sizable scrapes paired with obvious licking branches. Finding a group of those scrapes in a confined area is the goal. These active scrape areas are the total focus of my hunting plans now. I target them in September when hunting states with seasons that open in that month, and I target them throughout October and November. I put all my eggs in the scrape basket and have no reason to consider any other tactic. Unlike all other tactics and approaches, focusing on scrape areas makes it possible for me to quickly determine what caliber of bucks are using the area through the use of trailcams, and I waste no time wondering whether the sign I’m seeing was left by a buck. Scrapes are buck magnets. Period. In October, when bucks are actively hitting scrapes, a trailcam will capture vital intel in literally a matter of hours. In November, when bucks are cruising hard, there seems to be little rhyme or reason to their movement. But those bucks will almost always be wandering around the areas where scrapes existed throughout September and October. While I may target scrapes in a bit different fashion during the peak of the rut, scrapes still dictate where I’m hunting during that time frame.

Scouting Savvy

A White-tailed Deer buck working a scrape

Scouting isn’t a form of wizardry, even when it’s done during the season. I simply look for sign of deer activity. I classify deer sign in two ways: active and passive. Passive sign includes trails and rubs. That type of sign tells me deer have been in an area but doesn’t guarantee if or when they’ll return. Trails indicate direction of travel and provide some clue of frequency, but not much else can be gleaned from them. Scrapes, on the other hand, tell me more information. For starters, I know that bucks are leaving the sign. I also know, in most instances, multiple bucks are using that scrape and are likely doing so on a regular basis. Hence, scrapes are active sign that tell me bucks are in the area and will likely return. Scrapes make me far more efficient during my in-season scouting efforts. And that’s a big deal because I simply don’t have a ton of time to hunt.

Seasonal Timing

The time of year will determine, to some degree, the scrape locations I’ll choose to hunt. In September and early October, when food is the name of the game for most deer, field-edge scrapes can be dynamite. But they fade fast as the rut draws near, and if the deer are being heavily pressured the vast majority of scrape action will occur under the cover of darkness. For late October and early November, I look for clusters of scrapes in or near cover. If I find several scrapes in an area. I’m pretty excited. If I find big rubs in that area…I’m beyond excited. To me, there is simply no better combination of sign than that. Do bucks abandon scrapes once the majority of does are in heat? Yes, but that’s a brief period of time. When bucks begin to come off that locked-down phase, they will be on the prowl again and they almost always will be returning home and prowling near scrape areas.

Scrape Territory

It’s important to note that you don’t have to set up directly over a scrape to enjoy its benefits The key point to understand is this: Scrapes are the destination. The path they take to get there are the potential ambush locations you have to work with. Scraps are active sign that clearly shows you that bucks are using the are and they will likely continue to do so. Classic terrain features like pinch-points and funnels are still important. Bucks will use these to get to the scrape area, and setting up on that route is what you want to do. Scrapes that are located in or very near heavy security cover can be dynamite throughout the day. So long as you’re able to enter such areas without alerting deer in the pre-dawn hours, they can be some of the best morning locations you’ll find. Bucks seem to have a habit of checking scrapes prior to bedding down for the day. And, of course, these areas can be highly productive during evening sits as bucks will target scrapes when getting up for their evening prowl. I can’t stress enough the importance of a clean entry and exit. You do not want to bump deer (especially the bucks that are working those scrapes) when heading into and out of your stand areas.

End Game

I’ve tried just about every tactic and approach that’s come along in the whitetail world over the past 30 years or so. These days, I’m fully committed to the magic of scrapes because nothing else has proven to be as reliable at revealing the location and movement patterns of bucks