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Chip’s Tip – ‘It’s Time to MOC it up..’

Category: WhitetailFIRST

 Oct 8th, 2012 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Oct 8th, 2012 at 12:00 AM

It’s time for Phase 1 of your Mock sets

If there was ever a time of the year filled with anticipation it’s now and for very good reason. Those bucks are hard horned now and starting to look for opportunities to display their dominance, sparing and ripping on trees as they expand their travel range from their summer homes.

Once these bachelor groups breakup and territories expand the mature bucks clearly know that the best way to find those neighboring doe families is by using their nose. So they start checking the bedrooms and field edges for community licking branches.

NOW is the time to MOC it up alright, but develop that right location first..!

Mock scrape opportunities should actually start before we think about building the traditional Mock setup. It starts by “developing” the right locations (phase 1) with buck and doe urines so we put those whitetails into a habit of visiting before we open up the ground for those traditional sets that work so well when “developed” right.

Good rules of thumb to work from;
* Find those crossing trail transition zones outside of those bedding and feeding areas.
* Find isolated branches to build from at the right height (varies depending on your whitetail size)
* Key point, keep in mind that as the trees lose their nuts, seeds and leaves those ideal branches can rise 6 to 10 inches and end up too high. So plan on it.
* Start “developing” the location with buck and/or doe scents (phase 1) even before you open up the full Mock set.
* Once you have them checking for a week or so go ahead and build phase 2 by opening up the ground for that fresh scrape set.
* Watch out so that you don’t over visit your sets prior to your stand hunts, no more that you would check your trail cams.

Have some Great Hunts this Fall,

Chip

920-526-3474
www.doetodoor.com