Cameras on scrapes

[Texas Grown]

Also, if you do put a cam up, don't expect it to be there when you return. There are thieves everwhere. And especially on public lands. Hide it well.

[gumbl3]

Spend about an hour watching videos of Dan Infalt explaining buck bedding. Dude knows more about killing bucks right up in their beds than anyone

[White Falcon]

ETxArrow, you have a message!

[troy_w_7]

There is such thing as primary scrapes that are perennial and get hit year round guys.. at least the licking branches where they communicate. I have cameras on several and continue to get pictures myself. I have a buck i am watching, he is missing part of his right ear at the tip, I know its him even after he dropped his antlers.

Same here, I've identified multiple year round scrapes and that's where I run my cameras year round. The 'scrapes' don't necessarily get pawed at until fall but does and bucks both will still hit the licking branches year round.

[troy_w_7]

I recently did some scouting on some public land. Found two buck beds adjacent to a large doe bedding area. The two buck beds had trails running through them each that both circled around to a pond, out to a large white oak, past 3 scrapes and back to each other. I set cameras up on the scrapes. Won’t check cameras for about 3 weeks so I’m not pushing that envelope too hard. My question is this, from halls experience could this be one buck using two bedding areas for different wind, or two different bucks. If it’s one then I can calculate where he’ll be from the wind if it’s two than could be a little trickier. Thanks

First off, sounds like you found a dynamite spot! I can concur regarding year-round scrapes. I'm aware of many on public ground, which is primarily where I run my trail cameras. The ground won't get pawed until October but both does and bucks will hit these licking branches year round, thus trail cameras here are excellent tools here any time of year.

Personally, I wouldn't worry so much about whether 1 or multiple bucks were using the 2 beds. I would focus more on the trail camera data over the scrapes to see what bucks are in the area. If you're getting them on cam, you can bet 1 or however many you get on camera are using one of those beds. Focus on which direction they enter the camera frame from and note the wind direction that day to figure out what bed they are using on certain winds. You might even want to add 1-2 cameras from the scrape closer towards the beds to see if you can back track them. May help you figure out the trail they are taking as well, in case in fall you need to setup closer to the bed to get shot in daylight.

I will also second the previous comment made about Dan Infalt and the hunting beast forum being the experts on buck bedding. I've been getting into the bedding info more and more over the past few years but by no means an expert.

[cmizell]

you got a good spot it sounds like

[lovemylegacy]

Scrapes, this time of the year?

There is a neat thread in the Game Management forum that covers this very subject. Deer use scrapes year round.

[lovemylegacy]

Anyways, the question was regarding two bucks are bedding adjacent each other or has anyone ever seen a buck utilize two beds(possible for different season or possibly depending on wind direction) I have set cameras up but I won’t be checking them for awhile so as to not blow the entire place up, if I haven’t already.

Yes, it is possible it is one buck, two beds. However, I would bet it is multiple bucks.

[TexasTrotline]

Well done on finding the area on Public! I'd try (and this can be VERY hard) to not hang a cam and fall into the temptation of putting more human scent in the area. Whether it is does or bucks, if the bedding area is still utilized around the rut the does will bring the bucks there. I'd find a tree or two down wind of the most prevailing wind in the area and go hunt it without cams November 8-15. A big mature public buck will not tolerate your scent. I've learned this lesson more than once. Just finding the spot is a win - having the discipline to leave it alone with cam checking is the hardest part because cameras are a blast. The worst is when the cam confirms you had a monster in there, but you get one pic of him and he is gone. I completely second gumbl3 - go watch some Dan Infalt or John Eberhart youtube videos on hunting bedded bucks. Here's the craziest deer bed hunt I've ever seen: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V5GYILUCBM"]HOW TO KILL BUCKS IN THE MORNING EARLY SEASON! - YouTube[/ame]

[lovemylegacy]

Well done on finding the area on Public! I'd try (and this can be VERY hard) to not hang a cam and fall into the temptation of putting more human scent in the area. Whether it is does or bucks, if the bedding area is still utilized around the rut the does will bring the bucks there. I'd find a tree or two down wind of the most prevailing wind in the area and go hunt it without cams November 8-15. A big mature public buck will not tolerate your scent. I've learned this lesson more than once. Just finding the spot is a win - having the discipline to leave it alone with cam checking is the hardest part because cameras are a blast. The worst is when the cam confirms you had a monster in there, but you get one pic of him and he is gone. I completely second gumbl3 - go watch some Dan Infalt or John Eberhart youtube videos on hunting bedded bucks. Here's the craziest deer bed hunt I've ever seen: HOW TO KILL BUCKS IN THE MORNING EARLY SEASON! - YouTube

I totally agree

[Marsh Bandit]

How do you know that you found a bedding area?
And how do you know the difference between it being a buck and doe bedding area?

[SRK14]

I made a mock scrape next to a thicket last year with a magnum scrape dripper. I was surprised at the daytime activity it got. But the bucks diddint have to travel far from thick cover to work the scrape

[lovemylegacy]

How do you know that you found a bedding area?
And how do you know the difference between it being a buck and doe bedding area?

A deer bed can be anywhere. They look like depressions in grass or leaves. A buck bedding area will be littered with rubs and possibly scrapes. Other indicators will be large tracks, large beds. A lot of times they will be on the end of ridges or an elevated place with visibility in front and thicket behind. Many times a buck bedding area will smell like a barn yard.

Check out Aaron Warbritton on Hunting Public, he has a recent video of finding buck bedding areas.

[Marsh Bandit]

A deer bed can be anywhere. They look like depressions in grass or leaves. A buck bedding area will be littered with rubs and possibly scrapes. Other indicators will be large tracks, large beds. A lot of times they will be on the end of ridges or an elevated place with visibility in front and thicket behind. Many times a buck bedding area will smell like a barn yard.

Check out Aaron Warbritton on Hunting Public, he has a recent video of finding buck bedding areas.

Thank you for that.

[JLivi1224]

Spend about an hour watching videos of Dan Infalt explaining buck bedding. Dude knows more about killing bucks right up in their beds than anyone

Fact. Dan Has been a huge part of the success of The Hunting Public Guys.