Soaking scrapes

Gene Wensel · October 12, 2015, 09:34:00 PM

Something interesting happened today that a couple friends said I needed to share. We haven't had any rain here for almost a month. Our buck scrapes are all dried up and some are as hard as concrete. I commented to Mark Mitten that the next rain we had is going to cause an explosion in scrape activity. We talked about it. With no rain in the immediate forecast, I took a couple empty gallon milk jugs, filled them with water and doctored a couple scrapes that were as hard as cement. I poured half a jug into the scrape, let it soak in, then worked up the fresh mud/dirt with a 6" rake. Then I added the second half gallon. That's it. I already had rope wicks and trail cameras in place. This morning within 12 hours after I soaked the scrapes, I happened to drive past one while going in to hang a new stand. It had been torn up during the night! My camera showed that three different bucks had worked it over during the night. One was a decent nontypical I had never seen before. I suspect the water rehydrates dried up urine in the scrape dirt from who knows how many previous bucks. They can probably smell the wet dirt and urine from quite a ways off and come to investigate. If I knew how to post photos, I would be glad to share. I ought to write a book, huh?! Or at least sell gallons of special scrape water. Ha!

October 12, 2015, 09:45:00 PM

I had never thought of that, but it is a great idea!

Esp the selling of the Special Scrape Water!!!

Bisch

Jayrod · October 12, 2015, 09:48:00 PM

Your my hero uncle gene!!!thxs for sharing that!

Jayrod · October 12, 2015, 09:56:00 PM

Here you go uncle gene even shows that as long as you been at this you can still learn new tricks!!...WELL DONE!

Pheonixarcher · October 12, 2015, 10:17:00 PM

That's pretty interesting right there. Who'd a thought? Cool buck too.

Guru · October 12, 2015, 10:22:00 PM

Awesome! Always the "thinker" and willing to share....good luck buddy!!

NIGEL01 · October 12, 2015, 10:30:00 PM

Just get a good looking girl to hold the jug, and have a snazzy name like The Ultimate Scrape Rehydrator and you'll be rich.

Longbowlogan · October 12, 2015, 10:35:00 PM

Great info! Might have to try that trick in the future, thanks!

Charlie Lamb · October 13, 2015, 06:44:00 AM

Perrier or Ice Mountain?

Charlie Lamb · October 13, 2015, 06:44:00 AM

I'll have to check that out. Thanks bud!

JD Page 1965 · October 13, 2015, 08:03:00 AM

Great tip Gene!

ChuckC · October 13, 2015, 08:04:00 AM

great tip Gene, thanks for sharing.
ChuckC

John3 · October 13, 2015, 08:56:00 AM

Great idea. Thank you for sharing.

VA Elite · October 13, 2015, 08:58:00 AM

We had very little rain here in SE Va until the Hurrricane blew through 2 weeks. I went from seeing about 5 scrapes to over 35 in a weeks time. Now it's going to get cooler and with this moisture, I look for the activity to hit the roof!

centaur · October 13, 2015, 09:04:00 AM

As Arte Johnson said, "Hmmm, verrry interesting". I have a couple of dried up scrapes that may need watering. Thanks for the tip.

TradBrewSC · October 13, 2015, 09:13:00 AM

I like it!

although here in SC we have had the opposite in terms of rain unfortunately...

Our scrapes look more like elk wallows at this point!

Kyle Lancaster · October 13, 2015, 09:31:00 AM

Thanks Gene. Your rope wick on this scrape looks different. Is that a branch hanging behind the rope? Are you doing that now or did the deer break it?

Kyle

Warden609 · October 13, 2015, 10:27:00 AM

Great info! Thanks

KyStickbow · October 13, 2015, 10:41:00 AM

Great idea!

olddogrib · October 13, 2015, 02:55:00 PM

I deposit my own special "scrape water" in them, but at our age we'd probably get tired and have to take a nap before we deposited enough to get their interest, lol!