Mineral

[Ski]

Any recommendations on mineral? I generally use trophy rocks & the deer seem plenty happy with it, but this time of year until hard antler they really eat it up quick. I'd like to try something I don't have to replace so often. Once or twice per year would be ideal.

 

[Jcalder]

Trace mineral block from your local coop or tractor supply should be fine. I like a bag of the loose but may try a block this year since my lick sits full of water most of the year.


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[MUP]

Redmond salt is gaining some attention I've been hearing.

 

[MUP]

In before the cwd warnings, remember feeding of any type is banned in the cwd counties I believe iirc.

 

[Jcalder]

Redmond salt is gaining some attention I've been hearing.

that's what I've went to since I can get it local but I don't see any difference with the amount of pictures, just the extra $5 a bag lol.


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[TheLBLman]

For price & value, really hard to beat 50-lb bags of Red Trace Mineral Salt,
especially on well-established licks.
50-lb bags of Red Trace Mineral Salt (from any County Farmers' Co-Op is my "go to" choice.
Usually somewhere between $5 & $10 for a 50-lb bag.

If you desire more "minerals", simply get a 50-lb bag of All-Purpose Cattle Mineral Supplement,
then mix that roughly 50/50 with your salt.

Keep in mind, the main thing the deer are drawn to seems to be "salt".
On side by side licks, I've had deer totally avoid the licks with more "minerals"
while they regularly would visit the ones with mostly salt.

Standing water in a mineral lick doesn't necessarily hurt anything.
The salt/minerals just keeps getting deeper in the ground, and the deer just keep licking, digging the hole bigger & deeper.

Typically, little difference in usage no matter what commercial "brand" of salt/minerals you're putting out.

Trophy Rocks (single big ones) can be advantageous when starting new licks, when wanting the lick to be less noticeable (can just look like a "rock"), or sometimes the best option for just dropping onto or into an old tree stump (my usual preference).

When buying any type hard "block", be careful to read the ingredients, as "food" items (other than salt & minerals) are considered "bait" if hunting around them.
Some blocks contain bits of corn, molasses, etc.

 

[Headhunter]

Redmond salt is gaining some attention I've been hearing.

Redmond is trophy rock.

 

[Jcalder]

Redmond salt is gaining some attention I've been hearing.

Redmond is trophy rock.

you are correct. But buying it loose in the bag for 50 pounds is much cheaper than buying a 12 pound "rock".


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[Ski]

Thank you all for the info! I'll check out my local co-op and see what they got. Pregnant does are literally taking chunks off of the trophy rock right now so apparently there's something they want. Wana make sure they have everything they need.

 

[TNTreeman]

For a really high mineral content I use cattle mineral #678 from coop. It has really high selenium, calcium, etc content but has no attraction for the deer so it has to be mixed with salt. I usually mix 25 lb of 678 with 50 lb of feed salt. I freshen them up regularly with redmonds in the bag. Been good for me and not expensive.

 

[TheLBLman]

Pregnant does are literally taking chunks off of the trophy rock right now so apparently there's something they want.
Wana make sure they have everything they need.

Apparently, it's more a want than a need,
but deer do want a lot more salt in the spring/summer months.

Many of us humans "want" to add more salt to our food,
but it doesn't necessarily improve our health.

To date, there has been a tremendous amount of scientific research done on supplemental minerals' effects on deer.
To date, I've seen NONE, ZERO, ZILCH showing anything of value to wild, free-roaming deer,
especially in areas of decent habitat and food sources.

It does make logical sense that in areas of extremely poor habitat and over-populated deer
ANYTHING supplemental might provide some TEMPORARY improvements.
But for most our situations, we may just be kidding ourselves into thinking we're doing something of value when we put out "mineral" licks.
Yes, I do it, but just saying.

 

[TheLBLman]

For a really high mineral content I use cattle mineral #678 from coop. It has really high selenium, calcium, etc content but has no attraction for the deer so it has to be mixed with salt. I usually mix 25 lb of 678 with 50 lb of feed salt.

Exactly.
I'm doing very similarly to you.
But have noticed the deer will often use nearby "old" salt licks rather than touch my "fresher" ones with all the "minerals".

There is no telling how many "old" salt licks exist in the average square mile all across Tennessee.
Our deer are not lacking for salt & minerals,
the latter of which is readily available to deer anywhere there are cattle within a couple miles of deer.
If they want it, they can easily find it.

 

[rem270]

The trace mineral works well for me. I used the standard salt block for years and years and it did good. But they seem to like the trace mineral a lot better it seems.

 

[TLRanger]

LBLman said: To date, there has been a tremendous amount of scientific research done on supplemental minerals' effects on deer.
To date, I've seen NONE, ZERO, ZILCH showing anything of value to wild, free-roaming deer,
especially in areas of decent habitat and food sources.

He is 100% correct..........but I've seen NONE, ZERO, ZILCH showing any harm to the free-roaming deer! :mrgreen:

 

[TheLBLman]

.........but I've seen NONE, ZERO, ZILCH showing any harm to the free-roaming deer! :mrgreen:

Totally agree :D
And it helps me inventory the deer during the summer months.

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

Redmond salt is gaining some attention I've been hearing.

Yep, used Redmond's for years. They Ctually make trophy rock I THINK. But I went to just bv the basic trace mineral bag from local seed stores instead

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[saddlecricket]

There is a mineral called made by real world that is great and has an end preventative in it. Their claim is that no deer have died of ehd using the ehd technology in their minerials or feed. Here is the labeling for the maximzer and maxizmer plus with comparisons of other mineral brands. Hope this helps.

 

[TheLBLman]

Their claim is that no deer have died of ehd using the ehd technology in their minerials or feed.

Almost profound enough to bring back the BSK :tu:

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Their claim is that no deer have died of ehd using the ehd technology in their minerials or feed.

What type of ehd technology are they referring to? I don't see anything about it on their website, unless I'm missing it.

 

[BULL MOOSE]

Expect Healthy Deer technology .....EHD

 

[saddlecricket]

They do have a video on their website talking about ehd technology. In the video they said they have done extensive ehd studies and found that ehd restricts a certian type of blood flow in deer causing the deer to basicly cook to death. Their food and mineral open up the blood flow in the deer keeping it cooler so the deer can survive it. One of the side effects to the bucks is it makes bucks antlers even larger do to the open blood flow thru out the body. Not a bad side effect I say. Really is a remarkable discovery. Hoping something for cwd down the road too. I will find the link and post it.

 

[saddlecricket]

Here is the link https://youtu.be/axEZ2AnsFfY

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Thanks for the link. I would really like to see some more studies on this. My concern (and they acknowledged this) is deer consuming enough of the product(s) for overall beneficial health, as it pertains to immunity. From what I recall, there has been zero evidence of a free-ranging deer benefiting from any supplements. Interesting nonetheless

 

[saddlecricket]

Your welcome! One thing I used to do when I was a kid was grow giant pumpkins and still do today. I learn if your dirt or soil does not have "it" then the pumpkin will not be able to grow the the monstrous sizes you see today. Now "it" can be many things like zinc, boron, potassium etc anything that is a trace mineral to the p,n,k fertilizer. My ground is horrible and rocky. My soil has all kinds of short comings. I have been doing soil restoration work now for about 3 years. Although do to my budget I can only do small sections at a time. This is just my opinion but if the ground does not have "it" then the deer don't have "it" either at least on my land. Now granted they maybe able to make that up somewhere esle by traveling around to other people's land. I am more curious about those studies on supplements if they are mostly done in the mid west or not. I would think the results would be different than what my soil is telling me do to the fact they naturally have much better ground. Even in my growing monster whitetail bucks group I let people see my results and they can decide for themselves. I do all kinds of videos to show progress with the food plot and my deer's health and other informative post weather it's me or another member. I figured I would try to help other hunters have a better hunt or at least see a healthier deer to shot at. Who would not want some extra meat for the freezer :)

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

I used general purpose high mag (magnesium) mineral from CO-OP. The deer loved it and really up until then bucks with nice racks just weren't seen/killed.

Don't know for sure if it helped the racks but we started killing/seeing better bucks.

It's was about 15 bucks for a 50 pound bag.

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[infoman jr.]

I put out 200 lbs of Redmond 10 Fine a couple weeks ago. $13 per 50 lb bag.

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

I put out 200 lbs of Redmond 10 Fine a couple weeks ago. $13 per 50 lb bag.

Is now the time to get out the minerals? Thanks!

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[Jcalder]

I put out 200 lbs of Redmond 10 Fine a couple weeks ago. $13 per 50 lb bag.

Is now the time to get out the minerals? Thanks!

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anytime between now and turkey season is when I try to get mine out.


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[saddlecricket]

Yes it is time. The faster your bucks recover what they lost from the rut the bigger the antlers will get. Deer will not start growing antlers until their bodies have recovered first.

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

Thanks, I've always wondered when exactly is the right time

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