Licking branch

We are trying some of these this year using grape vines. Any of you using them and do you have any tips you have come up with to get them going? We just peed in the one we started and have been getting “some” pics around it. nothing actually working the branch itself.
Also what height have you found works best for you?

I didn’t realize this is something people did. But as far as height most of the ones I’ve seen are I’m guessing 5’10” to maybe 6’5”. But I’ve only ever seen them above scrapes

Break a branch about shoulder to chest high and take your boot to make the scrape the size of a car hood. I have used the mock scrape technique for years. Yes I pee in it as well…key is make a bunch of them as I do them in clusters…they may not take one but take another.

Grape vine, branch, etc shouldn’t matter as long as something is hanging over your mock scrapes…you can use a metal rake to help make the scrape big…

Privet makes the perfect licking branch. It's scrapes galore on my property. You should plant as much of it as you can afford.

Following

I use a grape vine 3/4 to 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Put it dead center of there trail tie it about where it’s shoulder high. Clean out a good size scrape and put a camera on it. They will use it all year

What's the point? Sounds like fairy dust to me.

The point is I’m trying to make areas where we can get the most buck pics in order to take inventory. Not all deer /bucks are going to use a feeder. You’re not going to get every deers pic using a foodplot, etc. however if I can make a good enough community scrape that will work yr over yr then we should be able to get a pic of every buck on the property at some point. Or in theory 😉

Mock scrapes a definite “Yes”. I pee in all of mine. They’ll take them over in a minute. Licking branches???🤷‍♂️

Yeah, lemme know how that works out. Personally I think it’s a waste of time but it’s your time, use it how you want to. LOL

Something new every year. Might can buy a locking branch at Marks if ur in a suit.

Make sure they'll be able to get the subpineal-vomeronasal digitalis glands on it, too. Licking is just part of it.

Don’t worry fur, I won’t bother you with it. Do me a favor and don’t waist your time commenting

We have made mock scrapes for years in the woods and they have worked well for us. This “experiment” is putting one out in open areas, not in the wood line. We have 1000 yds + of powerline. We range up to 600yds on shots. If we can put a mock scrape in areas we’re we know bucks will be crossing that would also give us more time or stop a deer long enough to get an ethical shot off. So they would serve a dual purpose of getting pics for us and also hopefully allow for better shots on deer that don’t want to stop while crossing at those distances.
I’m just seeing if anybody had an idea how high the vine/branch should be for the deer to still reach it with those forehead glands

Can't tell if serious or not. Lol

I am not serious. I have been thinking about posting again to make sure nobody plants privet on their land lol. I get mad when I see it at nurseries.

It does make the perfect licking branch. Overhangs the trails at the perfect height, every scrape on my property is under some privet. It also provides year round food and bedding for deer. None of this is anywhere near worth the hell of having privet though.

Privet is also high in protein so not only food but a good food source but……… it is very invasive.

I have a tree they use for that, they lick on it, and scape under/around it. Problem is I need a south wind to hunt it. I had another one that they used but loggers cut it this year.........

I use vines and smokeys "wicked Wicks" or code blue "rack rub" both work great been doing this a couple years now.

That’s an awful lot of effort for little reward. I put cameras on existing scrapes to get inventory. Not try to make my own. You can certainly rack up on buck pics on community scrapes.

Matt what percentage of those pics are in Daylight if you had to Guess

About 5-10%.

I have done this for years....have gotten good pics of bucks I had no idea were in the area, harvested a couple that I had pics of from the community scrapes.....

Make a community scrape if none are in the area. I've always broke a limb about shoulder height for a licking branch. I had a giant one in Baldwin County and it was crazy the deer we saw. I'm gearing up for a spring idaho run to find/make community scrape/licking branches.
I'll be using Tinks power scrape, Pollicks Buck preorbital gland, and Pollicks Doe preorbital gland.

Thank you for making the point I was trying to make, much more eloquently than I did.

Why not measure a few and get an average?

Works better when paired with Cogon grass.

Sometimes it's easier to make a mock community scrape/licking branch than it is to find one. It doesn't take long for the locals to find it using the right scents. Start them in the spring, they use them year 'round