How do you make a mock scrape?

[ApexerER]

I have tried making mock scrapes for the last 3 or 4 seasons. Basically since I have had a trail cam. Nothing that I do seems to attract deer. Doesn't seem to scare them either. I find what I think is the right height branch and make a scrape with a stick. With no luck doing that I have, added evercalm to the branch, pissed in the scrape. Purchased at least 5 different brands of "mock scrape lure" or whatever it says on the package. I also purchased one of those scrape dripper things last year. I have pics of deer on my camera but not one of the deer are checking out the scrapes I have made. What am I doing wrong?

[Buckstopshere]

It is tough to make deer hit a scrape sometimes. Certain conditions really stack the odds, and others no matter how popular they seem, don't do much, at least in my experience. First of all, try making a set up at a dynamite trail juncture. You know, where there is obviously two main trails crossing. Second, nail, wire, or zip-tie a two inch diameter green hardwood branch so that the tip extends out over the center of the trail crossing. Take the last leaves off the branch so that the bare tips are over the center of the trail. And make sure the attachment is strong enough so that the deer activity won't break it. Forget about the ground part of the scrape. Deer rarely even scent-check the ground. The overhanging branch is the all important part of the scrape. I never pee in the scrape. After hundreds, if not thousands of photos and vids of bucks and does at scrapes, they almost never even  smell the ground. Make sure the location is flat. Bucks don's scrape on a steep slope. Now find a hot scrape. They should be starting to pop up now. Go to a park, a neighbors property, etc. Find a scrape and snip the overhanging branch. Put it in a plastic bag. Transport it to your scrape set up and zip-tie the real branch in the bag to your trail crossing scrape. Set your camera up and give it a few days. They'll start hitting it. Don't fool with it. Leave as little scent as possible. Stay away except to check the camera. Remember the all important thing is the overhanging branch to the deer. We see the scrape on the ground and think it is big so it is important because we are visually based humans.

[wooly]

Not disagreeing with anything Buckstopshere has to say, but I DO think that scratching up the ground under the licking branch can and does help announce your new scrapes location. Something about scratched up fresh earth scent that makes every deer that passes by stop to check it out. While I don't always piss in them, I ALWAYS loosen up the soil quite a bit and don't just sweep the leaves away for that initial extra attraction to the new mocks. I try to go deep enough to cut some roots below the surface, or grind up some decaying leaf or moss matter for additional bonus natural scents associated with fresh pawed ground. IMO- I don't think it hurts none and actually helps distract them by grabbing their attention and puts them where you want them when they unknowingly approach a new mock from downwind without ever visiting it before.

 

[nybuckboy]

I made one last Monday evening. I used a big stick to scratch a garbage can size area up and as mentioned by others I used some tree snips to clean the leaves and tiny branches off the main branch(s). I then used some orbital gland lure by dipping a small stick in the bottle and brushing it on the couple of cleaned off branch ends. Check the camera last night and the scrape and noticed the scrape looked wet. On film I had a doe backing up to it and squatting to urinate in the scape at 9:45 am Thursday.

http://smokeysdeerlure.com/product/pre-orbital-gland-lure/

[Buckstopshere]

Kicking up a little dirt under the branch won't hurt a thing. But in my opinion, it won't do much either. Thing about mock scrapes, there are almost as many ways to go about making a mock scrape as there are scrapes in the woods. But that is what makes it interesting. Just that down through time all the emphasis has been on the ground part of the scrape and by far the branch is the most important part in my opinion. There is so much more to learn. We are just beginning to figure it out.