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New licking branch

Rackseeker

Rackseeker

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Has anyone ever put up a licking branch over a scrape? This scrape has been used on one of the properties I hunt for as long as I remember. I was doing after season scouting last season and noticed the over hanging licking branch got broken off by a fallen bigger limb. I went in this weekend and put up a new licking branch. I hope the limb stays flexible enough thru season. I will probably put a camera on it in early October and leave it all season. Curious to see if they bucks still use it not being the original licking branch.
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I do it all the time. I usually look for another limb I can pull down into place and use a ratchet or cam buckle strap to hold in place, but if no branch is near enough I'll just go cut a red oak branch and screw it or zip tie it up where it needs to be. They continue using the scrape as long as there's a licking branch.
 
The maple branch would get very little action at places I hunt. Deer just don't use them. I get most action with oak branches on my mock scrapes.
 
@fulldraw said:
The maple branch would get very little action at places I hunt. Deer just don't use them. I get most action with oak branches on my mock scrapes.
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In my area, most scrapes are under Beech limbs. However, one of my biggest, oldest scrapes is under an Oak branch.
 
For mock scrapes in living trees I like beech. For cutting a branch to use in a scrape I like red oak because the leaves won't fall off for a long time.
 
All the time. A few of our most productive locations, the limb was used so excessively that it died and rotted and fell many years ago. I replace the limb every early October
 
TNGRIZZLY_ said:
Okay teach me something.
Do any scrape work or does it have to be a community scrape?
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Any scrape will work. But also remember that the scrape forms where it does because of the presence of the licking branch. In essence, the licking branch comes first, the scrape forms because the licking branch exists. Sometime just placing an appropriate licking branch in an area will create a scrape there later.
 
@fulldraw said:
The maple branch would get very little action at places I hunt. Deer just don't use them. I get most action with oak branches on my mock scrapes.
Click to expand...
Thats what the licking branch was that has been there for years so thats what I used. Alot of scrapes on this property are under Beech limbs. This scrape is in an intersection of several travel routes that funnel them by this scrape. I tend not to hunt scrapes but do hunt the nearest steep thick cover below the scrapes. These old mountain bucks like to stay in the ruff and scent check these open flats.
 

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