We're heading into the time of year when most hunting seasons are getting started, and guys (and gals) are either making final preparations for their stand sites, or they're already finding out if their scouting paid off. In just another few weeks the bucks will begin to leave their marks in the woods in the form of scrapes. There's something about finding a fresh scrape that gets your heart pumping; and the bigger the scrape, the faster the heartbeat.
Many a hunter will give up on his chosen and well-scouted spot to hunt those new scrapes, and some will be successful -- most will not. Hunting over a scrape is an "iffy" proposition. Most biologists agree that bucks do the majority of their scrape activity at night. Further, many scrapes are made and then never checked again, as bucks take out the frustration of waiting for the does by creating scrapes they never re-visit.
The few days right before the rut is a good time to hunt scrapes. And right after a rain is another good time, as bucks will want to re-scent their active scrapes. But unless you're a gambler, you're better off to stick to your game plan and hunt the travel corridors, staging areas and food sources.
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