The Truth About Mock Scapes and Big Bucks

Forget rope, ribbons and commercial scents...the following decades proven information is the actual truth about buck scrapes, mock scrapes and hunting scrapes. Does your buck scrape info lie?Thousands of hours of footage and photos over the course of 2 decades have revealed many mock scrape myths that are common in today's world of deer hunting. If your desire is to be in-the-know when it comes to hunting buck scrapes and creating mock scrapes, then you need to watch this video...
To make sure that you focus purely on original and proven deer habitat and deer management advice for mock scrapes and every other private land improvement, check out my latest land design web class at:
www.whitetailhabitatsolutions...
If you care enough to take the time to practice the best buck and mock scrape advice, then you will appreciate my original weather forecast deer hunting predictions thru HuntCast, at:
huntwise.com/sturgis

[@jimpeterson3806]

It's nice to finally put a face to the name. You and Dillon make a dangerous duo. Keep up the good work!

[@stark_outdoors]

Anyone else watching this in their pole barn hiding from in laws? No? Just me lol

[@RickLarsonPermacultureDesigner]

That's very nice to get that fellow in line for once. Its special to have a great speaker/teacher along with an excellent camera/editor working together. The main reason why this channel is working so well. I do this all myself so I know.

[@bjmgolf3651]

Job well done Dillon! You guys do an excellent job illustrating how to apply different hunting techniques! This video was very beneficial. Thanks and Merry Christmas to everyone at Whitetail Habitat Solutions!

[@jesseulicki]

great job Dillon, you editors are the unsung heroes of these videos. You're hard work doesn't go unnoticed!

[@mxcatkiller]

Hell yea no offense Jeff but iv been waiting on Dillon and your Wife, to do some teaching! Mad respect for the both of em! Respect for the whole team as usual! Thank y’all

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Haha...we definitely need to get them more involved and I appreciate your feedback!

[@jeffluberto5678]

I made a mock scrape this season with this technique and it worked awesome! I got some very cool videos and its pretty amazing what else you see in that 15 sec video vs a snap shot. Thanks so much for everything I've learned this year from you. I've been hunting over 20 years and have learned more this year from your videos then all the other 19 years before. I got a beautiful 9 pointer this season and couldn't be happier. Thanks guys!

[@kurtpearson8597]

Part of watching and learning from WHS is passing along your videos to my family who shares hunting acres with us. Showing what’s been motivating me, (your vids) and your methods (plots, 5 times a day, mock scrape etc, etc, etc) (depth of cover, etc,etc,) This is a great video to pass along and show my cousins, dad, and buddies who own land. “What are you putting on that branch??” Show this vid!!

[@blairfritz3798]

Using these has helped me tremendously. Thanks Jeff and the crew

[@kencarmack4934]

One of my favorite subjects the licking branch, full credit to you Jeff this was my first year using them and I was skeptical until I watched many deer work them over while on stand. Really cool to see Dillon on video as we hear you mention him all the time. Again thank you so much for the quality content I have learned so much from this channel about habitat and deer hunting

[@UncleBucks]

These hanging licking branches are the real deal! It's a total game changer for getting great trail cam pics to inventory your deer and get them to stop for a shot near your stand. A couple of my licking branches raised up out of reach when the leaves dropped off the tree branch it was tied to, so I'll pay a little more attention to tying down the branch they hang on. Such great video and information here!

[@chrisuttech8517]

great vid jeff! stopped using scents years ago. good luck the rest of the season.. Merry Christmas to you and the gang!

[@easyfoodplots522]

Another great video. Loving this channel and learning so much.

[@Coryw27]

"Ill probably never have a scent sponsorship, I just don't believe in it" And thank is why I keep coming back to your videos. Love it man, keep up the good work! I've learned so much this year, and still got a long way to go but you're guiding me on my journey!!

[@jamesstewart4966]

Nice to finally meet Dillon you guys are great... Are the vines that grow wild and take over trees qualify as a good vine for a licking branch.

[@billkerr1704]

Grape vines work so good for me in south WI can not thank you enuff jeff for all the time you take to give out this info be safe and good hunt

[@underdogoutdoors]

Thanks for putting out these videos, all stuff I'd love to do if I had the know how, experience, time & resources. Someone has to do it!- Andy

[@ginogranata6548]

You guy are a great team getting these videos out in a timely manner and full of good info.. hope to get you guys out here in upstate ny

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thank you so much I am extremely fortunate to have the team that I do! Dylan might be there!

[@bradleymartin8499]

Always enjoy watching your videos even if its the woods in pa🙂

[@myronlaidler8034]

Definitely stopped using during the rut but has picked up in last few days.Such important information Jeff, especially for late season bow hunting!!!!!!

[@normyoder2622]

You have a great partner there Jeff.most of the time the success of a business depends on the CEO 's ability to surround himself with good people, with there heart in it.good stuff Jeff. Awesome! This vidio with Dillon added a little spice. You're the bessed!

[@CDogger1]

Great info guys. Love your channel. Going to follow you more closely from now on.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That sounds great...we really appreciate it!

[@jondoe7528]

Another great one keep em coming truly appreciate the content. Question based on all the cameras you run. How long does a buck stay with a doe? Is it really a total of 72 hours roughly or can it be as quick as 48 hours or does it vary on the doe or buck?

[@michaels8881]

Thanks for your videos. They’re awesome. I’ve learn a great deal. Is it to late now June 7th to add a licking branch to my actual stand site. Thank you

[@robbiecallier7280]

Awesome guys. Thanks for the hard work guys.

[@TradgerFarms]

Nice job Dylan!

[@randyh.6019]

great video Jeff and Dillon!! Wondering if you guys are going to participate in Mn. special hunt CWD zone southeast Mn. Its the weekend after Christmas and the weekend after new years?

[@mikehutchins7963]

Good team there & great info. 👍

[@ronstecker1835]

Can't wait to try it thanks !

[@rineenerdad1774]

Thanks for doing this one. I have learned more from your channel than any of the others I follow. Is there a resource to find regionally which species use rubs vs scapes and which wood to use? I ask this way because I see some hunting channels using one or the other but I do not see any consistency. I am guessing it is regional or species specific?

[@justinbrown819]

Merry Christmas WHS. My Christmas request is a deer bloopers video. I saw a yearling run right into a tree after snow fell on its head. If only I had it on video. God bless you all

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Oh boy...crazy stuff with how deer are so extremely athletic but can appear so athletically clueless at times 😬 God bless you and yours this Christmas season 🙏

[@mariusbuciuman307]

Great info as always! Q: how close to a baiting site or mineral lick is too close? Should it be 20-30 yards away? A few feet? Does it matter?

[@kevinfowler6065]

So we get to pay attention to the man behind the curtain. The Wizard of ..... thanks for all you do Dillion.

[@stanleycomstock9479]

hey Jeff is there any particular kind of rope your using to hang your licking branch with ? I have just started watching your video's, they very inspiring and informational to me . thankyou and keep up the good work

[@mikehamm4987]

Great video. I’m in south west New York and the deer here love to make scrapes on apple trees. Is an apple branch something we should use. Or is hemlock better

[@off-gridengineering3377]

Out of all your tips, the mock scrape has definitely been my most successful. Some scrapes get 5-10 deer a day hitting them. Great place to get pictures also.

[@tylerlantz2035]

Love your stuff Jeff. Two questions. 1) why would deer not hit a mock scrape? I set one up just how you show how to in June and have pics of deer walking right by all year and never touching it 2) what's the best way to get ahold of you for a visit? I've tried email and your web form last spring and received no response

[@jeremysilcox9362]

Awesome to have the family work with you! Do you think the soil composition or what not may have an affect on the use of a mock scrape by deer? Or if it it is flat, clean, and with a licking branch it should be fine?

[@hunterdoc1]

On my place in SW Mississippi I’ve found many scrapes under Magnolia tree branches. Maybe they like the scent? They have fragrant wood when snapped.

[@ryanstever6906]

Love the Wiebke hat!

[@icealex0775]

Hey Jeff! I have a red clover plot and want to put winter rye in it next September. Would the rye kill the existing clover? Anything would help thanks!

[@nemideergoon1844]

Shot both my bucks this year on a scrape line, 300 miles from each other. During daylight, BUT, they ran passed the scrapes and never acknowledged them, peak rut. I agree with that.

[@lucasschultz4395]

Hey Jeff what’s the best access screening in the woods? Due to topography and being land locked there is only 1 way to access in our block of timber. Thanks!

[@carminemonaco5712]

Another great video! Would you recommend cutting down other scrapes to encourage the deer to use yours more. Here's the situation, I made a mock scrape and it gets good action but while sitting in the stand I see deer using other scrapes in the general 100 yard area. If I were to cut down other ones would that make them use mine consistently? Thanks

[@robertboston9778]

In another of his videos he recommends exactly that - I did that, cut down other scrapes that popped up within 30 -40 yards of the 'Mock Scrape' on two stand areas this Oct and it worked like a champ. Focused them on the one where I wanted them to travel thru.

[@carminemonaco5712]

@@robertboston9778 thanks

[@barrybell100]

Great & if pee works maybe I can finally throw away pee bottle... lol you guys are great 👍 I will definitely have them set & cameras on this spring!!!!!!

[@Rock-mo3ry]

Any recommendations on how to keep deer out of your food plot (as far as gadgets, including types of fences).

[@TheHobbyShop1]

When putting up a licking branch does it have to be grape vine? I don’t have access to any here in Michigan on my property so I was trying to figure out if other hardwood branches will work.

[@bubcat54]

Good info. The 'doe in heat' urine products have never worked for anybody I know. I've never done a mock scrape, so even though I'm not sure the best place to put it (on my land in Channing Mi.) I'll do my research.

[@Plivelich]

I’ll vouch for grape vines in the north country. I use them extensively in the Keweenaw Peninsula of the UP and I’m pretty sure they don’t occur naturally there. Deer use em like crazy in my area - better than traditional oak, scotch pine, apple, etc type licking branches.

[@mattjohnsen2144]

When your talking mock scrapes and your coming up with new stand locations etc what time of the year are you deploying your vines? June? July? Also one of my hottest spots is a drainage ditch with corn field on both sides so deer naturally always walk on the edge of the field and drainage ditch. Think that would be a good spot to toss a vine? Also, the back side of the little woods my stand is in that location is a CRP field and they run either side of the drainage ditch woods so only put 1 vine up or would one on each side be good? I can shoot both sides easily me in the middle and about 22 yards to each field edge so the vines would be just under 50 yards apart. Hope Dylan got his Turkey put in. I had to remind his buddy Floerke again or he'd have forgot and wouldn't have a tag for 1st or 2nd season haha

[@mikenimmo119]

Hello Jeff, When managing a property what do you consider a shooter buck? Age of the deer, antler score or simply antler size in general?

[@Dirtybird37]

Smokey's pre orb gland lure is a great starter on your mock scrapes. Just use a few drips on each mock scrape. Bottle will last you years.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

We start pursuing with nothing and have the oldest bucks hit them within days...without anything. Obhavent seen anyone's mock scrapes work actually better...and I've seen over 10 thousand of them on client lands around the country. All materials and any kind of scents that you can use. No real need to by anything or expect any better results than using nothing.

[@ronmacdougall9612]

I myself have been doing this for a lot of years.I usually use a hemlock which has excellent branches.I use very very little gland scent to get it started.Six to eight drops in scrape and I use a pair of pliers to break up the small tine branch’s and dip them in gland scent.Set up camera to see if anything is using it yet and if they are you don’t need to refresh.Bucks,does and fawns come to them all the time.I put up about 4 locations on a couple hundred acres.

[@kirkout7366]

Well..i put up a vine nxt to a feed/water/mineral station. Before Last season. No KNOWN activity. This year, early bow season, right under the vine, i tried the pee in it to get it started. To my surprise, a week later it had been freshened with tracks! Checked it yesterday, not touched. But, i did find a 24" scrape that was 20ft away. i set another cam on that....

[@jackbuys3711]

I've also followed many blood trails through a scrape as well. Sometimes they die within a few yards of a scrape. Basically travel points.

[@dinardoworldwide]

This is dope!

[@bradylenius6313]

The first year I hung mock scrapes, I was getting thousands of trail cam pictures of the swinging branch on windy days/nights. Do you have any recommendations on how to avoid that situation? I hunt in fields on wooded edges primarily

[@kevinflaherty7592]

I have an area that has perennial scrapes.would it make sense to add a licking branch to the existing scrape area?

[@robbiegillette6804]

I have 270 acres of wet carder/pine swamp in Gould city UP. is it possible to manage a deer herd on land like that.

[@GoosePubgM]

So I've got a question for you Jeff. So the property that I hunt is completely littered in rubs and has been for the last 6 years but I have not had a defined scrape on that property since the first year I started hunting it (which was under a juniper tree) That being said i dont have a very good idea of what kind of branch to use to make my mock scrape with. I know you list a fair amount of tree branches to use but I am not overly tree savvy yet ( I've been working on studying them ) so I guess my question is.. Should i cut down one of the hundreds of rubs that i have and use that for a licking branch or should i get a branch from a different property to hang? Thank you in advance for any insight, I would really appreciate it!

[@markneumann3087]

I have heard that natural Manila type rope in 3/4” or bigger works well. Thoughts?

[@douglashardy3408]

I hope i am not being a pain lol ok i messaged you before with different questions this one has to do with setting/fixing up property to bring in more deer so when we get snow we gonna scout see where deer are traveling when is best time of year to start doing the work so you don't scare them out? Example 60acres is hard to walk through its so over grown gotta cut a trail from house to swamp its over grown plus cutting out small food plots like mini fields?

[@larrynorris9450]

Could you start a licking branch using the pre orbital glands of a deer you've taken. Not sure if there's a difference between live and dead.

[@ferengiprofiteer9145]

I skin the heads and cook them for skull mounts. Would it be a good idea to freeze that skin and rub it on the lickin stick? Where are the glands located on the face?

[@gavinmcfarland8541]

I’ve been watching your videos a while on food plots and placing them I wanted to know if these strategies work in East Texas Pine woodlands?

[@ferengiprofiteer9145]

My place is on the cusp between the piney woods and post oak Savannah. Mock scraps and licking sticks work. Try it on a game trail and put a camera on it. They'll stop.

[@ferengiprofiteer9145]

If you have hogs like I do, you have to fence food plots or risk losing them overnight. (Experience speaking) Also, on my place there is a abundance of groceries and water so food plots are just an attractant. I've gone to corn and feeders for that. Cheaper and easier. His lectures on not spooking deer are more than valid.

[@louisgiardina8918]

Hey Jeff been watching your videos for years and the best advise you have given hunters is the mock scrape with the vein licking branch. I hunt many properties in New York all being state land one particular spot seems to be a natural funnel with scrapes popping up every year or a least once every two years when there are no scrapes I’ve learned to move to another spot because the area is dead that being said when there is a scrape the area is alive . This year a decided to hang a vein and it exploded 4 different bucks I found an original scrape so I made a mock scrape several feet away and hung the vein installed a camera and left the area and came back to bow hunt in November I don’t want to be long winded so I’ll finish by saying I took a shot at one nov 10 7:55 in the morning unfortunately I shot over his back he was 32 yards I thought he was 35 anyway I’m sold on this set thank you and hopefully I have success next year have a great 2023.

[@ronmacdougall9612]

Good video

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thank you very much Ron!

[@austinbackhaus37]

If you have 90% of ag fields, 2 long narrow creek bottoms as bedding areas on each end with corridors in the middle. Where would you put the mock scraps?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Within bowshot of treestands...no more, no less 👍

[@ricks7432]

One of the very few things I don't agree with Jeff on. I was doing real well using Diamond Willow as a rubbing tree (placed there because no other trees were there). I also used buck fever synthetics full rut in the scrape and gland lure on the licking branch. The end of October was the best. Everybody has their own techniques / specialties. Jeff does very well with his but that is not the only way.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

The really cool thing is after personally looking at over 10,000 mock scrapes on hundreds of client lands in more than 20 states...there is actually no better way than how I create mock scrapes...and we don't have to buy any commercial scents 🙂 very cool thing...for nearly 20 years.

[@ricks7432]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Very cool thing is that I have been killing mature bucks for 25 years consistently. I did not even have to waste money on your books etc. Before KZbin and your videos .....very cool....for nearly 25 years !

[@Fliptheswitch.]

So how do you get a licking vine started and when during the year? Just a raw natural grape vine nothing sprayed on it to start?

[@yourcommentisinvalid4828]

Watch his mock scrape playlist. It will help

[@loyalninecoffee2024]

Just curious, the audio on the past several videos sounds "tinny" and distant. Not like before. Just me or do other hear it too?

[@ricks7432]

I can tell Dylan is not mic'd. He sounds a little distant to me also.

[@wolfpack4128]

He might feel more comfortable behind the camera but he's natural in front of it too. Making KZbin videos is not easy. Talking to a camera like it's an audience is a skill many can't learn.

[@whitetailsup760]

Jeff u got to get the boy in some first flight attire

[@rickt9569]

So i kept the urine from a buck i killed this year...i filled a 16 ounce bottle to the top...so no point in that? Ive never really used scents bc this was my first year bow hunting and i never used them during gun season(public land)...i kept it with thoughts of using it next year

[@jamesmarsee3297]

How often do you have coyote came buy and pee in scrapes? I have several vids of them doing this.

[@joescott906]

I want to see a video of you gutting skinning and eating the deers.

[@mike81399]

👍

[@davidvalentine9392]

I feel that your mock scrape tactics work better than natural scrapes. I use 1 scrape at every stand sight and that's where 95% of all my trail cam pics come from. I swear by your mock scrapes. Anyone that doesn't try this tactic is missing out on some real good opportunities to harvest a mature buck!

[@mattchames6470]

Jeff Sturgis knows deer better than themselves 😂😂

[@nemideergoon1844]

That's good.

[@mattchames6470]

@@nemideergoon1844 yeah

[@shawnmyers9571]

Maybe Dillion has a big reward or gift coming soon 🧐🧐🧐

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, We definitely give above and beyond all season 😉 I'm the type of business owner that looks for reasons and ways to give more...

[@shawnmyers9571]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 That’s awesome

[@myronlaidler8034]

The squirrel at 16:41 Did NOT look like your illustration!!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha Tex amen to that 😁

[@dswish1730]

I have one that has been hit by at least 11 different buck. And every doe and fawn that walk by hit it also.

[@haroldcallahan4887]

I'm like #100

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

🙂

[@kevinflaherty7592]

Well I should have watched the video before I asked about human urine.my bad.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, no big deal Kevin...always appreciate your comments!!

[@kevinflaherty7592]

Jeff do have videos of your Hunt's available on your website?

[@bobmcmorris8797]

Watched ur past vid on making scrapes, so I hung a vine scrape two weeks ago. I shot a 161 in. 10pt over it with my bow 2 days ago. Probably would have never gotten the shot otherwise.

[@williamlasure6301]

Bear rip my vines down!! And smash cameras and eat fawns.

[@ML-ks2lj]

You yourself pees in it?