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?
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:)