Mock Scrapes Made Easy

Without question, a dominant buck’s super sensitive nose is his mainline of defense. However, strategically constructing mock scrapes can give you the ability to transform his biggest strength into a major weakness. Follow these step by step mock scrape instructions to consistently exploit and tag mature bucks season after season.  

Step 1: Stay Scent-Free

When constructing a mock scrape, it’s extremely important not to alarm and educate a buck by leaving behind foreign odors and contaminating the area with human scent during the process. In order to stay scent-free, always shower with a scent neutralizing body wash and shampoo before entering the field. Wear knee-high rubber boots, latex gloves and pre-washed, odorless clothing. Next, thoroughly spray down from head-to-toe with a quality scent-eliminating spray before, during and after making the scrape.   

Step 2: Choose The Right Location

Always place mock scrapes within shooting range of prime ambush areas that you can reach and effectively hunt without spooking deer. Key locations include the outer edges of current food sources, along major travel corridors and on the perimeter of bedding areas. Pinch points, saddles, gaps, bottlenecks, and inside other natural funnels can also be very productive spots to create mock scrapes.  

Step 3: Keep It Real

It’s extremely important to add realism to your mock scrapes. Start by choosing sites beneath an overhanging branch that is around head-high. With latex gloves, bend and break licking branches right above the scrape. Next, apply tarsal gel (or Rack Rub Gel) directly to the licking branches and utilize a stick to rake away all leaf litter and ground debris. Spray a combination of doe and buck urine along with a specially blended scent like Scrape Mate from Code Blue on the ground beneath the overhanging branch. You can also use products such as Code Blue’s Grave Digger, that is basically a scrape in a vacuum sealed bag. Plus, it has a time-released formula that will keep the mock scrape fresh and active up to 30-days regardless of temperature or precipitation.

Step 4: Establish Patterns & Hunt

In order to establish a predictable pattern, always monitor your mock scrape sites with a dependable game-camera. Setting these units on HD video mode with sound really takes things to the next level. These captured video clips will allow you to see different angles of the bucks rack as it works the overhanging branches and scrape. Plus, it will provide you with peak activity periods when bucks are visiting and working the mock scrapes. You can also hang a programmable time-release product like Code Blue’s Drop-Tine, which allows you to condition the buck to visit your scrapes during times that you can hunt. When you hit the woods this October, don’t depend on luck or wait around hoping for something good to unfold. Instead, take control of your hunt and make it happen by being aggressive and using scent-related strategies that push the envelope just a little. Follow these 4-simple steps to construct highly-effective mock scrapes that will inevitably attract and coax more shooter bucks beneath your stand this season. Use code blue products and be the ultimate predator wherever you hunt!