Bill
Administrator
I've got a good buck that I got on camera all summer and early fall that showed back up. He lost so much weight I'm worried about him. I swore he was 4 but based on body now it would be hard to convince anyone of that.
I've got a good buck that I got on camera all summer and early fall that showed back up. He lost so much weight I'm worried about him. I swore he was 4 but based on body now it would be hard to convince anyone of that.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
If he's taking it tough I'd like to see the one that's roughing him up. Losing weight from chasing ladies is no crime ....... :D
Bill
Administrator
Shedder
5 year old buck +
https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/best-mock-scrape-ingredients
Claims rope doesn't work. I never had much luck with it. Have opinions changed since rope was claimed a good thing, a few years ago?
Claims rope doesn't work. I never had much luck with it. Have opinions changed since rope was claimed a good thing, a few years ago?
Bill
Administrator
Post 79 first video is a buck hitting my rope. They hit it nearly daily in the fall but it sees use all year long.
I think the type of rope has something to do with it. Doubt nylon would hold scent well enough. Mine is a natural fiber rope. I cut it out of the loft of my very old barn.
I will say this. The first year it was barely touched. After that almost daily.
Based on Taps experience I would agree with the author that a vine may work best.
Haven't tried one yet but on the to do list.
Shedder
5 year old buck +
https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/best-mock-scrape-ingredients
Also, claims a vine is best for overhanging in a scrape. We don't have grape vines here but I have access to virigina creeper. I suppose that would work but I would have to cut it and tie over a scrape.
Any downside to that?
I am guessing it would dry out and be useless in days.
Also, he mentions cedar as rub posts. I tried adding rub posts once with no luck. There used to be claims on the forums that basswood was the best rub tree where it was common. Is that still the consensus?
Also, claims a vine is best for overhanging in a scrape. We don't have grape vines here but I have access to virigina creeper. I suppose that would work but I would have to cut it and tie over a scrape.
Any downside to that?
I am guessing it would dry out and be useless in days.
Also, he mentions cedar as rub posts. I tried adding rub posts once with no luck. There used to be claims on the forums that basswood was the best rub tree where it was common. Is that still the consensus?
Tap
5 year old buck +
I don't think Virginia Creeper would hold-up as long as grape vines will. My experience with Creeper is that once the vine is cut, it isn't durable for very long. The particular grape vine that I've had such great luck with as mock scrape has been hanging there for several years. I'm actually pretty surprised that it hasn't rotted yet. I'm starting to wonder if it goes back to the ground someplace and continues to be nourished.
I've considered experimenting with wire-tying short lengths of cut grape vine to other tree branches to create licks that hang right where I want them. I've done that with oak and pine cuttings and it's worked well. I don't see why grapes wouldn't work, too. Are there no grapes anywhere near you that you could scarf some cuttings?
Basswood...I planted a couple dozen several years ago and I removed trunk protection on many of them last summer. Most got rubbed. I don't know if basswood is "the best" rub species or not, but it certainly is a good one.
Lapratt used cedar posts. He said you needed to make posts from live-cut trees, and that cedar posts made from lure didn't seem to work. I never tried it.
BTW, I have a blue spruce (approx 15 foot tall 5" DBH) in the corner of my yard that I decided to convert into a mock scrape late last fall. More or less just to experiment with it. I cut the bottom 5 feet or so of branches off at the trunk, I snapped another branch tip so it hung down over the raked spot, and I slightly scuffed-up the trunk.
It really didn't get much use for a couple months, but I just noticed today that it's getting hit and very recently. Early Feb and I have a mock getting used:)
Bill
Administrator
I'm a no vote on using Willow. My best one is a red cedar I cut down.
If you're planning on planting a living rub tree I think it would be hard to beat hybrid poplar. They rub everyone I leave unprotected. Including road screens and they grow fast.
For scrapes along field edges I tie down any branch that is usable. For rubbing posts I believe the location is important. It has to stick out to them. Put a tree 10'yards out in a field and their going to rub it.
If you're planning on planting a living rub tree I think it would be hard to beat hybrid poplar. They rub everyone I leave unprotected. Including road screens and they grow fast.
For scrapes along field edges I tie down any branch that is usable. For rubbing posts I believe the location is important. It has to stick out to them. Put a tree 10'yards out in a field and their going to rub it.
Tap
5 year old buck +
Well crap! I guess I jinxed myself with that post. I went up there yesterday to pull the camera card and lo and behold, the vine finally came down:(
I'm not going to abandon that mock, it's been too good, so I'm going to have to hang a new lick.
The only problem is that the tree branch to hang from is probably 25 feet up and way out on the limb. No way to climb up there without courting disaster.
I'm thinking about using a throw bag to get a durable rope up there and I'll attach a piece of grape vine, oak or pine branch to it for the actual licking branch.
Tap
5 year old buck +
I'd use the most common, naturally occurring species that bucks use for licking branches in YOUR area. Oak, beech, maybe some specie of pine...Use what they like in your neck of the woods.
Just because grape vines work well here doesn't mean they are a good choice for you.
What specie tree do you find most scrapes up there?
W. Pa.
Shedder
5 year old buck +
Bill
Administrator
I posted about this in my "made it to the farm today" thread. But my Tap vine got its first good visitor this morning and he made sure to get the eye scent on it good. The rope finally fell off and I replaced it with a grape vine "Tap vine"
Thanks for the tip Tap. We'll see how much attention it gets as summer and fall come on.
Thanks for the tip Tap. We'll see how much attention it gets as summer and fall come on.
Tap
5 year old buck +
Sweet!
That reminds me... I need to replace the vine on my best mock. It finally died and got weak after many years of deer use. I'll have no trouble finding a new vine. My property is overrun with the miserable stuff.
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Tap
5 year old buck +
Can't say for sure. I've never used a rope, but my all time best mock was from a vine that was in the way of my tractor path. I cut it about 4 feet off the ground. I got literally thousands of pics off that mock. I think location has as much to do with successful mocks as anything.
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