What places do you put out mineral supplements? just anywhere?
Minerals?
- Thread starter Ridgeline66
- Start date
Cheese
Six Pointer
ive tried old stumps and even digging holes and mixing it with the soil and it rarely generates enough deer traffic to justify the cost....
Best places are within 100 yards or closer to water, and right in the middle of green patches of browse on a main trial.
The green browse is what really makes them need the salt and gives them the urge to use the licks in the spring.
I've had lots of luck up my way, but different soils are lacking different minerals so every place is gonna be different.
The green browse is what really makes them need the salt and gives them the urge to use the licks in the spring.
I've had lots of luck up my way, but different soils are lacking different minerals so every place is gonna be different.
bowhuntingrook
Old Mossy Horns
Like Eric said, close to water. They will hit it hard especially after it dissolves into the soil. I've used stumps but its not necessary. My deer use them all year, less once hard horn, and had bucks using during bow season.
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SM270
Ten Pointer
Water is key. I tried an experiment a few years back with the same trophy rock. I set it up for a month and left it alone about 500 yards away from water where I knew lots of deer traveled. Might would get 125-150 pics in 2 weeks. I moved it the next month about 50 yards off the water and I would get 600-700 every 2 weeks. So it made a believer out of me. Even if its just a creek they visit that will work. And trying different things. I have seen the same property be hammered by trophy rock and not touched with lucky buck. Just depends on the deer preference.
Cannanland
Spike
And if you want some cheap blocks, you can get trace mineral and salt blocks for $7 at tractor supply. It might not be the greatest but for a broke college kid, it's better then nothing.
Wildlifer
Old Mossy Horns
Thats what I use. Long after those blocks are gone they are digging holes in the ground.
Careful, gotta have a deer on the bag/box to be legal in NC...
Just one of those silly laws, but still part of the NC regs and will get you a ticket if caught.
I've used them close to water, far from water, field edges, deep woods....never seen much traffic at one. My roommate puts them on the edges of the fields he hunts and they get torn all to pieces, and have big holes dug. Like others said above, I guess it all depends on what your deer like
Is that the red ones? ever use the plain white ones?
Trophybucks
Guest
Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. IF your goal is to shoot a deer licking in a "mineral site" with a bow then plain white salt is perfectly fine...pour non iodized rock salt on a old stump or hole in the ground and let er go. IF your main purpose is to offer minerals to enhance the quality of your deer herd then white salt or cheap mineral blocks from TSC wont do squat.
Mineral blocks are hard, cows have a rough tongue and will stand there for a long time to get what they want......deer are skittish and don't have a tongue thats as rough as a cows so they don't get as much as quickly as a cow.....deer will chew on them to get some but in reality all they are after is the salt in the block and those blocks are made for cows. Deer have different calcium, phosphorous and other mineral requirements than a cow and if you are trying to enhance your herd then buy deer minerals.
IF your goal is to maximize your nutrition for the deer then pour the loose deer mineral in a pile on top of the ground....time and rain will leach it into the soil......place it right beside of a heavily used trail between the main bedding areas and the closest water source. (try to keep it out of a flood zone but closer to the water than the bedding) Keep it out regularly, the goal is to provide deer all they want not just to get them to come through for pictures. You don't really want the deer having to eat a pound of dirt to get a good dose of minerals, Cattle farmers don't mix their cow minerals into the dirt...it defeats the purpose of providing them all they want. Pour it in a pile.
https://antlerking.com/not-all-minerals-are-created-equal/ Good read to give you some basics.
I like to have 1 mineral site per 50 acres but you can stretch it up to 100 acres if your deer funnel more like say around large field edges where you feel like most of the deer in your area will pass that spot.
Don't forget all the minerals in the world will not do your deer any good without nutritional food. Its like a weight lifter who takes minerals but lacks protein....or vice versa, the deer need a nutrition source of 16% protein + to increase antler development over standard development. IF you don't hunt next to a soybean farm or a alfalfa field you can plant clover plots to enhance the nutrition and put out minerals so the deer can make the most out of the nutrition you give them.
In other words don't waste money on a bunch of minerals if your deer are lacking high protein food sources. NOT high carb like corn, high protein. A lot could be said on this subject but that's the short course LOL.
Mineral blocks are hard, cows have a rough tongue and will stand there for a long time to get what they want......deer are skittish and don't have a tongue thats as rough as a cows so they don't get as much as quickly as a cow.....deer will chew on them to get some but in reality all they are after is the salt in the block and those blocks are made for cows. Deer have different calcium, phosphorous and other mineral requirements than a cow and if you are trying to enhance your herd then buy deer minerals.
IF your goal is to maximize your nutrition for the deer then pour the loose deer mineral in a pile on top of the ground....time and rain will leach it into the soil......place it right beside of a heavily used trail between the main bedding areas and the closest water source. (try to keep it out of a flood zone but closer to the water than the bedding) Keep it out regularly, the goal is to provide deer all they want not just to get them to come through for pictures. You don't really want the deer having to eat a pound of dirt to get a good dose of minerals, Cattle farmers don't mix their cow minerals into the dirt...it defeats the purpose of providing them all they want. Pour it in a pile.
https://antlerking.com/not-all-minerals-are-created-equal/ Good read to give you some basics.
I like to have 1 mineral site per 50 acres but you can stretch it up to 100 acres if your deer funnel more like say around large field edges where you feel like most of the deer in your area will pass that spot.
Don't forget all the minerals in the world will not do your deer any good without nutritional food. Its like a weight lifter who takes minerals but lacks protein....or vice versa, the deer need a nutrition source of 16% protein + to increase antler development over standard development. IF you don't hunt next to a soybean farm or a alfalfa field you can plant clover plots to enhance the nutrition and put out minerals so the deer can make the most out of the nutrition you give them.
In other words don't waste money on a bunch of minerals if your deer are lacking high protein food sources. NOT high carb like corn, high protein. A lot could be said on this subject but that's the short course LOL.
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I mainly hunt Oaks with bedding areas all around and a creek running down the lowend of the Oaks would you make a site close to the creek?
Boojum
Ten Pointer
Red clay soil is the key.
I know for a fact that the Tractor Supply type red mineral blocks attract deer, here's an example, you can see the block in the picture. I have many trail cam pics of deer licking the blocks and eating the dirt. It also comes in bags which melt into the ground quicker...
deerhunter28
Ten Pointer
I just use the ones from tractor supply.
I do bust them up with a hammer.
It seems the hotter the temperature is the better the deer hit these sites.
It's a good way to inventory what's on the property.
I do bust them up with a hammer.
It seems the hotter the temperature is the better the deer hit these sites.
It's a good way to inventory what's on the property.
Trophybucks
Guest
Yes as long as the area where you put it is up out of any potential flood areas. If possible. Don't forget you are talking about two different things with people about salt/ mineral block sites. IS the goal to bring deer in to get pictures or shoot them OR is the goal to enhance your deer herd through offering them minerals to encourage protein utilization for enhanced herd health.
Red mineral blocks from TSC will do the same thing that a big old bag of non iodized rock salt will do...the deer are coming to the block for salt. Biggest advantage is the red block does not stand out like a white block does. BUT if the goal is to encourage herd health it will do little more than regular salt for that purpose. The only reason deer or cattle will lick a mineral block is to get the salt they desire. the minerals tend to be bitter so the mineral companies add salt so the cattle will want to lick it.
Figure out your purpose in putting out the minerals then use the correct product for that application.
willch
Twelve Pointer
I know for a fact that the Tractor Supply type red mineral blocks attract deer, here's an example, you can see the block in the picture. I have many trail cam pics of deer licking the blocks and eating the dirt. It also comes in bags which melt into the ground quicker...
No one said they didn't "attract" deer but as far as helping your deer herd you are doing nothing. Trophybucks is 100% correct, know your application and adjust to your wants. Heck you could save money and just pour out a bag of salt and get the same results. It will probably do the same thing and be cheaper than the "BLOCK".
Go back and take another look at page one and you'll see posters who were unable to attract deer with them. Cheaper than $6.95?
We use some of the Primos Red Spot- it doesn't take much to get them to start on it and we only freshen up the spots with around 2-3 pounds of it every couple of weeks during the spring/ summer. They dig a massive hole in the ground getting to this stuff- if you can't get back to your spots easily you can dump a larger amount and mix it in with the dirt- it will last for quite awhile.
I had been getting the 20lb bags from Gander for 25 bucks - seems like last time I looked they were back ordered
I had been getting the 20lb bags from Gander for 25 bucks - seems like last time I looked they were back ordered
DOEKILLER
Eight Pointer
I have an old stump at one of my property's we have been using for years and years there is nothing really left of it just a big hole they have pawed and eaten so much of the dirt. It's a good ways from the water or nearest stream. But it sees deer every morning and all throught the day. We get mostly does but the occasional decent buck they never seem to stick around. Trophy rock is the way to go. But I like near foodplots and creek bottoms near water. Lots of deer will use them in the spring.
useyourbow
Eight Pointer
Four year old lick. Started as a cheap trace mineral block and have added 10-15 lbs of cheap loose trace mineral every year after. Location and the soil make all the difference. You can keep your throphy Rock, Lucky Buck, etc.... For the price of one those I can have four of these.
willch
Twelve Pointer
I did.. I'm talking about salt blocks. In your picture it appears you have a regular salt block on top of your " Red Mineral block". My guess those deer are after the salt that is leaching onto the "mineral" block. What is the mineral content in those blocks just out of curiosity?
I get it, a mineral site is costly but if you truly want to improve heard health it's worth the investment. Not knocking anyone from using them (salt/mineral block)but understand there is little to no nutritional value in those. Again a regular bag of salt poured on a stump will do the same thing. IMO
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That's incorrect. The block is the $6.95 Tractor Supply trace mineral block, 99+% salt, there have been at least 20 of them melted in that exact spot over the last 12 years. The white you see is a white brick placed there as a visual aid at the end of the shooting lane for dusk and dawn hunting.
The deer mainly eat the dirt downstream from the block. The place you see devoid of leaves in the picture is where they keep them scraped out to eat the dirt.
willch
Twelve Pointer
50 lb bag of salt is like $12 so do the math.. How much does your block weigh? I'm not arguing the cost of your mineral block with you. My point is, its useless for overall deer health. As an attractant yes it's fine, so if that's your end goal great.
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I've done the math, and now you should. The block weighs 50 lbs. so is much cheaper than the plain salt at the price you are recommending. There is a good reason why so many people use the trace mineral blocks, in spite of your distain and lack of knowledge about them.
willch
Twelve Pointer
YEP… They're CHEAP.
creekhobo
Ten Pointer
A gallon of Clorox is cheaper. 
So unlike before, you now realize that $7 is less than $12?
willch
Twelve Pointer
No, I just didn't realize those [emoji90][emoji90][emoji90]blocks weighed 50 lbs. congratulations you proved me wrong. You've found even a better way of giving your deer salt cheaper than straight from the bag.
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Salt and zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, and cobalt. Three of those are highly recommended for deer and found in all deer specific mineral supplements.