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You really hit me with this. We own a 400 acre woodlot that has been selectively harvested with 20-30 acres pieces taken out. While walking deep inside my hardwood area last fall there was a 6 foot high growth of dying back wild raspberries and grasses right dead centre that was about an acre. I never went into it because you would come out looking like a tore up dog. And the ticks are ferocious in the spring. Anyway, I stopped and looked and thought jeez there had to be deer in this thing. As I got closer to going there was track and dropping everywhere and an almost invisible trail into it. I went in 40 feet and sure as hell there was a 50 foot by 50 foot bedding area completely beat down. Looked like a footbal field. And right under the only hardwood in the middle of was a deep scrape about 2 feet wide. I couldn't believe the size of this bed. As it turned out the back end was nothign but trails going into another hardwood area. I had been on the less used side. Long story short - I put a camera up right there in October. Every week 20-30 does would go in there and 5 huge bucks go in every couple weeks. I didn't hunt it at all last fall. It was just a test. I've left this camera up all year, it is shocking how many deer go in there every week. I plan to hunt it with a ground stand about 90 yds away in a thicket. as there isn't a hardwood big enough to hold a stand. I'm telling ya these deer are friggin smart. I have a tree stand 200yds away on the deer movement side of this primary scrape and we've never seen a deer come out of the there. They use the raspberries as cover and travel route.
I've lived and hunted in northern minnesota for 40+ years in the Chippawa National Forest. Never sat over crop fields or food plots, never wanted to. I have 23 racks on my wall, 8 point or bigger, 4 are 165"-172" B&C, all taken in "the big woods" on the deers terms. I've done it by burning boot bottoms out and putting in my time, walking, looking, scouting, it pays off. Excellent video, all you need to do is narrow down "the big woods" to likely looking spots and lace up your boots...
@@jasonmeyer4587 great to hear from you guys who have hunted the Chip. Beautiful big woods country there. Interesting to see how some of those young pine plantations get a lot of buck sign while others don’t. Thanks for sharing.
@@northernforestwhitetail ...l love hunting the big cedar, spruce, and tamarack swamps, and the tag alder, buck brush filled low areas...l've been hunting 197 since i started hunting 40+ years ago...
@@rickwarner4102 very cool. There is just something about a northern big woods buck that is so special. Something about them is just different than farm country bucks. Take care friend and good luck this fall!
With all the scouting I've done for a few decades now, primary/community scrapes have been very rarely found in the areas I hunt, but by creating a big C.M.S. in the right locations, I've seen deer take it over quite quick, which is really interesting. Good stuff thanks.
Great video man. This is EXACTLY what I do all over the Adirondacks where I hunt. (And we don't have clear cuts). You're exactly right about the location of these community/primary scrapes, being around doe bedding. The best ones are where two doe groups overlap in some sort of a pinch point/funnel, and in between thicker spots. I have found that deer really like it when I wire a dangler little beech branch to the hemlock branch. The leaves die and hang on for around a year, and provide a great visual cue. It quite often gets the big boys on their hind legs dancing! I've found that the mature bucks especially know when the doe group using the scrape go into Estrus each year! Watch the dates THEY show up, and write them down for the following year!
Great video but not sure I agree with the start hot-stay hot statement. The best example of a primary scrape I know of started out hot this Sept but then totally shut down about Oct 10. I did not hunt it and I really doubt any one else did. Maybe this is just the one weird example. I have only check the camera twice since Aug.
Interesting- I wonder why it went cold… maybe food source changed? Exceptions to every rule for sure. Just what I see in northern MN. Hope you have some good spots lined up- rut is here! Thanks for sharing.
Been scouting a new state land spot in Northern Lower Michigan. Will be putting in some boot time trying to locate a few primary scrapes as you talk about in your video. Thanks for the content.
Scrapes, I'm finding, are fascinating. This year I've really started watching them with cameras. One scrape is enormous. The size of a full sized pickup truck bed with several licking branches. There's no rubs around it but it is at the intersection of two heavily used trails and the trail leading away goes right towards another very heavily used trail that goes around a terrain funnel. Does will hang around this scrape for 20 to 30 minutes sometimes in their group. Some even bed in it. 99% of the activity on this one, even with low pressure, is at night. Another nearby scrape, maybe 150 yards away, is maybe about the size of a couch cushion. I put a camera on it. There is also a large rub on the laurel bush it is under. Bucks visit it often, but not every single day and night like the other giant one. Does come out of their way passing by to also check the licking branch. I have a video of a mature buck visiting the scrape right after dark. He made a direct line of travel right to it but he had never visited the giant scrape anywhere near daylight even though it is only 150 yards away. This scrape, however, is closer to cover. There are also other scrapes that are in a line. I saw a really really wide mature 8pt on this one. It's on a ridge flat. He had a long scrape line across that flat in mid September. I think this is a boundary scrape where his territory buts up against the territory of the other mature buck I'm getting pictures of. He only visited one time in the week I had my camera there before I had to move it because a bear found it and reached up to try to rip it down. Didn't want him coming back and trying again, he's a big boy and might be successful the next time. The buck was very authoritative in his demeanor. He tore up the ground, urinated in it, rubbed the licking branch, and moved on with swagger almost seeming to try to be intimidating in his actions. Sorry for the long winded comment but here's what I'm getting. There are, so far, 3 different types of scrapes I've found. One is a community scrape visited year round by does and bucks to communicate with one another. They are near major intersections in routes of travel and the deer hang out near them almost as a social gathering point. Another type is a boundary scrape. Bucks seem to aggressively make these to let other bucks know that they are not going to tolerate other bucks stepping over the line. You stay on your side and I'll stay on mine. I have a feeling that you need more than one mature buck or mature for that area at least for these to really be present. I think they are more intimidating than anything. Then I think there are scrapes meant for breeding communication. They are close to cover and bedding. Bucks visit them, but not every day. Kind of how a teenager keeps the back seat of their car clean on date night but not any other time. 😂.... They, I think, visit them almost like we visit trail cameras, to get information but we don't go and look every day. But they do make a point to go right for them. It seems they usually have a rub with them or maybe a few rubs. You'll see does check and rub licking branches but not hanging around them like they do the more community style scrapes. I'm still learning about scrapes but this is what I think I've learned so far. May be right, may be wrong. Thank you for the very informative video. I enjoy all your videos!
Your hunting area sounds like ours in zone 169 in MN. Low deer numbers but also low hunter numbers. Nice bucks are there but takes work to dig them out.
We aren’t far from you. We always say if you can get a buck in that country, that’s a real achievement. I’m hoping we get a good easy spring there and have better numbers up there this fall. So far this winter hasn’t been terrible for the deer but now we have a hard crust on the snow which doesn’t help. Thanks for sharing-
Do you have any videos on bow hunting big woods deer in the month of October with a bow? I have pretty good success now hunting deer off of ag fields and oak ridges. But, we have a camp in northern vt. Same thing you’re calling “big woods” scattered forage and no big food sources like an oka ridge. Any advise?
The tough thing in these big woods conditions is that the deer are so scattered. If there aren’t any oak ridges in this area you describe, then I would look for clearcuts as a next option. Your best bet is going to be doing a couple days of hard in-season scouting in October until you find a primary scrape. This could take awhile as they don’t exist frequently in low deer density situations. Try to find that primary scrape and that would be your best bet. As another idea, look for any areas on an aerial photo that indicate a private land food plot or hay field or something like that adjacent to the public. That will hold deer in the public if so. Best case would be if there is some physical barrier to hunter access I.e. a wet swamp or distance from the nearest atv trail to prevent other hunters from getting in that area.
I found a natural community scape in my hunting area. Consistent bucks, only different bucks almost everyday. Think I should hunt it now or wait until more of a prerut or rut situation
I've been getting daylight videos of some really good deer, even working the scape. It appears like their getting aggressive already, it's really strange.
Big woods with zero agriculture and the only edge is power lines. Try finding a mature buck, killing it and then getting it out of the woods here in Harlan Ky!!!
🌲Greetings!🌲 If you need low cost tree protection, you can order Browse Blockers here: www.browseblocker.com/ Get 10 free when you state you saw this on UA-cam when you order.
You really hit me with this. We own a 400 acre woodlot that has been selectively harvested with 20-30 acres pieces taken out. While walking deep inside my hardwood area last fall there was a 6 foot high growth of dying back wild raspberries and grasses right dead centre that was about an acre.
I never went into it because you would come out looking like a tore up dog. And the ticks are ferocious in the spring.
Anyway, I stopped and looked and thought jeez there had to be deer in this thing.
As I got closer to going there was track and dropping everywhere and an almost invisible trail into it. I went in 40 feet and sure as hell there was a 50 foot by 50 foot bedding area completely beat down. Looked like a footbal field. And right under the only hardwood in the middle of was a deep scrape about 2 feet wide.
I couldn't believe the size of this bed. As it turned out the back end was nothign but trails going into another hardwood area. I had been on the less used side.
Long story short - I put a camera up right there in October. Every week 20-30 does would go in there and 5 huge bucks go in every couple weeks. I didn't hunt it at all last fall. It was just a test.
I've left this camera up all year, it is shocking how many deer go in there every week.
I plan to hunt it with a ground stand about 90 yds away in a thicket. as there isn't a hardwood big enough to hold a stand.
I'm telling ya these deer are friggin smart. I have a tree stand 200yds away on the deer movement side of this primary scrape and we've never seen a deer come out of the there. They use the raspberries as cover and travel route.
Sounds like you hit the jackpot there- get a big one this fall!
I've lived and hunted in northern minnesota for 40+ years in the Chippawa National Forest. Never sat over crop fields or food plots, never wanted to. I have 23 racks on my wall, 8 point or bigger, 4 are 165"-172" B&C, all taken in "the big woods" on the deers terms. I've done it by burning boot bottoms out and putting in my time, walking, looking, scouting, it pays off. Excellent video, all you need to do is narrow down "the big woods" to likely looking spots and lace up your boots...
I love the advice. And congrats on your years of success. I have a lot of history with the Chippewa Nat. Forest. Beautiful country. Thanks for sharing
The northern Chip is where I hang my stands also. Since the mid 1980's.
@@jasonmeyer4587 great to hear from you guys who have hunted the Chip. Beautiful big woods country there. Interesting to see how some of those young pine plantations get a lot of buck sign while others don’t. Thanks for sharing.
@@northernforestwhitetail ...l love hunting the big cedar, spruce, and tamarack swamps, and the tag alder, buck brush filled low areas...l've been hunting 197 since i started hunting 40+ years ago...
@@rickwarner4102 very cool. There is just something about a northern big woods buck that is so special. Something about them is just different than farm country bucks. Take care friend and good luck this fall!
With all the scouting I've done for a few decades now, primary/community scrapes have been very rarely found in the areas I hunt, but by creating a big C.M.S. in the right locations, I've seen deer take it over quite quick, which is really interesting. Good stuff thanks.
It’s exciting when they adopt it. Nice work and good luck!
Great video man. This is EXACTLY what I do all over the Adirondacks where I hunt. (And we don't have clear cuts). You're exactly right about the location of these community/primary scrapes, being around doe bedding. The best ones are where two doe groups overlap in some sort of a pinch point/funnel, and in between thicker spots. I have found that deer really like it when I wire a dangler little beech branch to the hemlock branch. The leaves die and hang on for around a year, and provide a great visual cue. It quite often gets the big boys on their hind legs dancing! I've found that the mature bucks especially know when the doe group using the scrape go into Estrus each year! Watch the dates THEY show up, and write them down for the following year!
I love it. Pretty cool when you see a big mature buck hit your scrape with a camera. You know it’s game on then! Thanks for sharing
Great video but not sure I agree with the start hot-stay hot statement. The best example of a primary scrape I know of started out hot this Sept but then totally shut down about Oct 10. I did not hunt it and I really doubt any one else did. Maybe this is just the one weird example. I have only check the camera twice since Aug.
Interesting- I wonder why it went cold… maybe food source changed? Exceptions to every rule for sure. Just what I see in northern MN. Hope you have some good spots lined up- rut is here! Thanks for sharing.
Great video and explanation of land saddles 👍
Thanks- good luck out there. Season is almost here….
Been scouting a new state land spot in Northern Lower Michigan. Will be putting in some boot time trying to locate a few primary scrapes as you talk about in your video. Thanks for the content.
You bet- good luck and I hope you are able to locate one or two.
Thanks, Always giving good ( experience & earned ) information!
You bet
Scrapes, I'm finding, are fascinating. This year I've really started watching them with cameras. One scrape is enormous. The size of a full sized pickup truck bed with several licking branches. There's no rubs around it but it is at the intersection of two heavily used trails and the trail leading away goes right towards another very heavily used trail that goes around a terrain funnel. Does will hang around this scrape for 20 to 30 minutes sometimes in their group. Some even bed in it. 99% of the activity on this one, even with low pressure, is at night.
Another nearby scrape, maybe 150 yards away, is maybe about the size of a couch cushion. I put a camera on it. There is also a large rub on the laurel bush it is under. Bucks visit it often, but not every single day and night like the other giant one. Does come out of their way passing by to also check the licking branch. I have a video of a mature buck visiting the scrape right after dark. He made a direct line of travel right to it but he had never visited the giant scrape anywhere near daylight even though it is only 150 yards away. This scrape, however, is closer to cover.
There are also other scrapes that are in a line. I saw a really really wide mature 8pt on this one. It's on a ridge flat. He had a long scrape line across that flat in mid September. I think this is a boundary scrape where his territory buts up against the territory of the other mature buck I'm getting pictures of. He only visited one time in the week I had my camera there before I had to move it because a bear found it and reached up to try to rip it down. Didn't want him coming back and trying again, he's a big boy and might be successful the next time. The buck was very authoritative in his demeanor. He tore up the ground, urinated in it, rubbed the licking branch, and moved on with swagger almost seeming to try to be intimidating in his actions.
Sorry for the long winded comment but here's what I'm getting. There are, so far, 3 different types of scrapes I've found. One is a community scrape visited year round by does and bucks to communicate with one another. They are near major intersections in routes of travel and the deer hang out near them almost as a social gathering point.
Another type is a boundary scrape. Bucks seem to aggressively make these to let other bucks know that they are not going to tolerate other bucks stepping over the line. You stay on your side and I'll stay on mine. I have a feeling that you need more than one mature buck or mature for that area at least for these to really be present. I think they are more intimidating than anything.
Then I think there are scrapes meant for breeding communication. They are close to cover and bedding. Bucks visit them, but not every day. Kind of how a teenager keeps the back seat of their car clean on date night but not any other time. 😂.... They, I think, visit them almost like we visit trail cameras, to get information but we don't go and look every day. But they do make a point to go right for them. It seems they usually have a rub with them or maybe a few rubs. You'll see does check and rub licking branches but not hanging around them like they do the more community style scrapes. I'm still learning about scrapes but this is what I think I've learned so far. May be right, may be wrong. Thank you for the very informative video. I enjoy all your videos!
You bet- Thanks for sharing
Your hunting area sounds like ours in zone 169 in MN. Low deer numbers but also low hunter numbers. Nice bucks are there but takes work to dig them out.
We aren’t far from you. We always say if you can get a buck in that country, that’s a real achievement. I’m hoping we get a good easy spring there and have better numbers up there this fall. So far this winter hasn’t been terrible for the deer but now we have a hard crust on the snow which doesn’t help. Thanks for sharing-
I've seen pretty good deer runs on edges of clear cuts, northern WI. Public Land
Same. Some cuttings have more sign than others in my area. Good luck
Do you have any videos on bow hunting big woods deer in the month of October with a bow? I have pretty good success now hunting deer off of ag fields and oak ridges. But, we have a camp in northern vt. Same thing you’re calling “big woods” scattered forage and no big food sources like an oka ridge. Any advise?
The tough thing in these big woods conditions is that the deer are so scattered. If there aren’t any oak ridges in this area you describe, then I would look for clearcuts as a next option. Your best bet is going to be doing a couple days of hard in-season scouting in October until you find a primary scrape. This could take awhile as they don’t exist frequently in low deer density situations. Try to find that primary scrape and that would be your best bet. As another idea, look for any areas on an aerial photo that indicate a private land food plot or hay field or something like that adjacent to the public. That will hold deer in the public if so. Best case would be if there is some physical barrier to hunter access I.e. a wet swamp or distance from the nearest atv trail to prevent other hunters from getting in that area.
Great video
Great video and info!
Thanks!
Good video!
Thanks!
Does and community scrapes are like gold in northern Wisconsin
Yeah same here in Northern MN. Not easy to find these spots but once you do, what a difference it makes. Thanks for sharing-
J Eberhart is one of the best nonbaiting, Real Hunters out there.
I respect him- I think some of his approaches match well with mine.
I found a natural community scape in my hunting area. Consistent bucks, only different bucks almost everyday. Think I should hunt it now or wait until more of a prerut or rut situation
I typically tend to wait on it so it’s not nocturnal activity. This big boys don’t seem to come out in daylight until later
I've been getting daylight videos of some really good deer, even working the scape. It appears like their getting aggressive already, it's really strange.
@@markeppinger6275 If there hitting the scrape now .. I would give it a try.
Big woods with zero agriculture and the only edge is power lines. Try finding a mature buck, killing it and then getting it out of the woods here in Harlan Ky!!!
Sounds like an adventure- good luck!
P r o m o s m
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