Making Great Mock Scrapes Work For You

About this time of year I begin making mock scrapes. In fact, the wet weather I’ve had the past two weekends has been ideal  for keeping my scent down while making mock scrapes and moving cameras. I’m particularly excited for mock scrape location where I’ve had yearly sighting of nice bucks on the downwind side of a known doe bedding area. There is a small logging trail that runs the edge of the doe bedding, and every year a handful of nice bucks are seen crossing the field using this old logging trail.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve never hunted this location? This year I’ve decided to find a well covered, climbable tree and placed a mock scrape 20 yards out from the tree. I also made a licking branch using Smokey’s Pre-Orbital Gland Lure. This set up should give me an ideal shot if the plan comes together. I hung a game camera near by the scrape and will hopefully be rewarded with some good intel and an encounter.

If you’re interested in making mock scrapes work for you in a variety of ways, check out the video below from the guys at Deer & Deer Hunting—enjoy!

Are you watching a nice group of bucks that are calling your property home this summer? Only to be left wondering where they’ve gone this fall? I know I’ve experienced this.

As deer hunters we know  deer have very different needs depending on the season. If you’re interested in learning how to make your property a destination for bucks during the fall, enhancing your opportunities this hunting season, be sure to check out the quick video tip Whitetail Habitat Solutions below describing the annual whitetail habitat shift for bucks. Now, you may be able to find the bucks when they shift to their fall habitat.

Today on the show we’re joined by Adam Lewis, a freelance outdoor writer and CEO/Founder of Sound Barrier, to discuss sound concealment and how to get by a deer’s forgotten defense…their ears.

To listen to the podcast click the orange play button at the top of the page.  You can also download the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play—don’t forget to  share with your friends! If you like the podcast, we’d be incredibly appreciative if you left us a 5 star rating on iTunes.

Click here to listen/subscribe on iTunes (best for iOS devices)

Click here to listen/subscribe on Stitcher (best for Android devices)

Click here to listen/subscribe on Google Play Music (another option for Android devices)

What To Expect From Podcast #3 :

—Birthday parties

—Clint sinking ATVs

—Someone is going on an elk hunt

—Adam Lewis’ background and the beginning of Sound Barrier

—Using cover sound

—Environmental elements that impact sound in the whitetail woods

—A walk though the timber with Adam and sound concealment tips and strategies from truck to stand

—Adam Introduces Sound Barrier’s new products

Show Notes And Links:

—Visit Soundbarrierhunting.com to get sound concealment tips, news and the latest product updates!

—Preorder product through the Sound Barrier Crowd Fund page

—Get sound concealment tips and information by following Sound Barrier through social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram

—If you haven’t listened to our other podcasts, head over to our podcast page and check them out!

—Don’t forget to leave us a comment, or submit a question you’d like us to answer in the form below

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Weekly Harvest

Happy Friday Everyone!

Another week closer to archery season—roughly 2.5 months until the state wide Pennsylvania archery opener. I’ve managed to keep myself busy with lots of range time but the buck fever is really starting to set in. Every night before bed I go over all the potential stand locations for this year in my head…it’s been great for my sleeping pattern.  It’s been a few weeks since I’ve checked game cameras. I’d like to say it’s because I’m practicing restraint and hitting the timber less…but that’s false. Truth is my family and I have been full swing into our summer travel plans. So I’m following good camera checking habits by default!

More family fun this weekend, but before I go I’ll leave you with this week’s best deer news from around the world whitetail web—enjoy!

Best Time To Plant A Food Plot: These tips can help keep your property from tuning into a doe factory.

Debunked—Your D-Loop Length Is Too Long: I’m definitely checking in to this.

Top 5 Ways To Spook A Buck: I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of 1 or 2 of these.

Whitetails: EHD Weather Has Arrived: The super wet spring has turned those would be little streams into mudflats…ripe for midges to thrive.

Deer Hunting’s Tailgate Ties: Tailgate stories are still one of my favorite parts of hunting.

As archery hunters we like to spend plenty to time flinging arrows—we love shooting our bows! I’ve found there is a big difference between dialing in your consistency vs. practicing hunting shots. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my goal this year is to extend my effective bow range (you can find out how here).  But extending my range will do me no good if I’m not able to effectively execute my shots in hunting scenarios come deer season.

Last year I began to implement more hunting scenario shooting. As often as I could, I’d use my climber and simulate a typical stand set. For me this included climbing with all my camera gear, taking anything I’d take during a hunt into the tree with me to practice. The goal was to make not just my hunting shot second nature. But to also create a system for my set up and tear down, making my assent and descent as effortless as possible (you can read more on my preseason practice here).  Luckily, this year my archery club has elevated platforms and blinds set up with 3D targets at variable yardages. So I’m able to execute plenty of simulated hunting shots at in-between distances. Hopefully all the offseason work at the range will prepare me to execute when the shot opportunity presents itself.

Below is a video from the Guys at Deer + Deer Hunting, sharing a few great tips on how to execute your kill shots in a practice scenario.

The season has finally arrived, the wait is over. I got my first hunt in on our farm this past weekend—in a monsoon. Many hunters will wait out the less than desirable conditions until the weather cools (or in my case, dries) and the rut kicks in before they really make their press for whitetail glory. But success can be had in the early season.

Entrance and Exit Strategy

Nothing can kill a hunt before it gets started like a poor entrance strategy. Being aware of where deer are bedding and feeding when entering your stand and how the wind is carrying your scent is critical. Ditches and creeks are ideal choices for entrance and exits to and from stand locations. If hunting a field, try using standing crops as a visual shield between you and the deer and have a buddy pick you up in his truck if possible. Deer don’t seem to equate vehicles with human pressure, especially in farmland where vehicle noise and motion is frequent.

Hunt Food

Know where your food sources are. This time of year there is plenty of browse, but deer will still hit the areas where they can get the best nutrition. Agriculture fields are still a good bet as deer are typically following their food to bedding pattern in the early season. Don’t forget about acorns. Deer will pass up other food sources once acorns begin to drop, especially white oak. A good acorn crop will keep bucks in cover of the timber. Once acorns begin to drop, find a white oak near a known travel route. This spot is a good bet to see deer movement.

Limit Morning Hunts

This is a tip I struggle to follow as I want to be in the woods as much as possible, but morning hunts in the early season can be a risky proposition. During this portion of the season, deer are usually long gone back to their bedding before you ever hit the timber. To hunt a morning you should really have bulletproof information from cameras, or scouting, telling you to be in a stand on a given morning. If you are planning to hunt a morning, make sure you know conditions are just right for your stand location. Otherwise, you are educating deer of your presence and hurting your chances for good daylight movement as the season progresses.

Follow Your Information

This seems like a simple one, but we hunters often outthink ourselves and fall victim to analysis paralysis. You’ve spent the offseason placing trail cams and scouting; now is the time to trust all the information you’ve gathered. Be decisive and deliberate in your efforts and don’t be afraid to make aggressive moves when weather conditions and your information are telling you the risk is worth the potential reward.

Have Fun

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the chase that we forget why we started hunting in the first place…it’s fun! A day in the outdoors spent in a stand is a day well spent. If you’re having a slow hunt, breathe in the clean air and remember how fortunate we are as hunters to be able to experience the thrill of the hunt and freedom most only wish they could feel. It really is an awesome experience. So just get out there and enjoy!