What Do You Use In Your Mineral Site

[DeerMan66]

It's always interesting to see how hunters do things differently and why. What do you use in your mineral sites and why did you make that choice?

 

[doubledownranch]

Cattle trace mineral from TSC and salt. Works fine for us. I suppose my only goal with the mineral sites is to get some good inventory photos. I'm sure there are better systems but this one is cheap and easy. I've also used trophy rock and it works well but costs more.

 

[backyardtndeer]

When I ran a mineral site, I used everything from trophy rocks to loose trace minerals. Picking up deer cain at Walmart on clearance after the season ended had me also using that a lot.

 

[BSK]

I used to use exclusively Trophy Rock. I was VERY happy with it. Now, west of Nashville, I don't use mineral sites at all. Don't want to increase the spread of CWD.

 

[deerhunter10]

Trophy rock the real rock now used to use the bag where it was broken up. Have also use a white salt block and trace mineral and a few other things. I get more pictures over Trophy rock. Put 2 out a year per site One late winter early spring one around July 4th when I put cameras back out.

 

[Crappieaddict]

Trace Mineral salt from Rural King.

 

[Ski]

Trophy Rock

 

[utbeef]

Trophy Rock in the bag

 

[Snake]

Trophy rock and straight white salt . I used to get rock salt we used at the plant and the loved it but don't work there anymore

 

[knightrider]

Bag trophy rock and white jug deer cain

 

[megalomaniac]

Trace mineral block. The cheaper the better. I have 5 licks, they are the size of a 1500g pool. Gonna have to bring a load of dirt in eventually to fill them back in

 

[TNTreeman]

#678 from Coop for cattle mixed with Redmonds and feed salt .

 

[DCA-DEER]

50lb white salt block

 

[DeerMan66]

Does anyone mix in dicalcium phosphate? I have read several articles that goes into the benefits of dicalcium phosphate for pregnant does as well as to help bucks recover after the rut. It is also supposed to benefit antler growth. It all makes since. Just curious if anyone has tried it and if you saw any benefits.

 

[Wildcat#32]

I used to use exclusively Trophy Rock. I was VERY happy with it. Now, west of Nashville, I don't use mineral sites at all. Don't want to increase the spread of CWD.

do you still do food plots BSK. i talked to a GW on this very subject in a cwd county and he was against the baiting no salt or anything law!!! said those same deer would be slobbering on the same clover as they would the bait station!! no different!!

 

[Omega]

Does anyone mix in dicalcium phosphate? I have read several articles that goes into the benefits of dicalcium phosphate for pregnant does as well as to help bucks recover after the rut. It is also supposed to benefit antler growth. It all makes since. Just curious if anyone has tried it and if you saw any benefits.

When I first began putting salt out I made several batches, this one has that ingredient. It worked ok but I soon started using the large trace mineral blocks from Tractor Supply and used them ever since, without noticing a difference.

Mineral Lick

• 3 parts trace mineral salt
• 1 part Hi phosphorus minerals
• 1 part DiCalcium Phosphate AKA Calcium Monohydrogen
• 1 part - Dried molasses

 

[BSK]

do you still do food plots BSK. i talked to a GW on this very subject in a cwd county and he was against the baiting no salt or anything law!!! said those same deer would be slobbering on the same clover as they would the bait station!! no different!!

We're never going to stop CWD. I question whether we will even slow the spread. But purely for arguments sake, an acre food plot covers 43,560 square feet. A salt lick or pile of corn covers just 2 or 3 square feet. What are the odds a deer is eating off the exact same square foot as another deer in that acre food plot? Maybe 0.01% What are the odds a deer is eating off the same square foot of a salt lick or bait pile? 100%. That's about a 10,000 times higher risk for the deer eating off the bait pile or salt lick. If eating in a food plot is as dangerous as eating off a bait pile, then in comparison, we need to ban all 300-acre soybeans fields, because it's the same risk as a 2-3 square foot bait pile. See where I'm going with this? Honestly, I wouldn't ban anything. Nothing will stop or probably slow CWD. I just personally don't want to do things that absolutely increase the risk.

 

[BSK]

I never used salt/mineral licks to "improve deer performance." There is absolutely no research indicating salt/mineral licks do anything for free-ranging deer (although there is some data from penned deer). I used salt to draw deer to cameras for summer censusing. But to improve health? Nope.

 

[rem270]

When I started my licks between many years ago I started out with just the standard 50lb white salt block. Used them for lots of years then 7-8 years ago started trying the red trace mineral loose and to me they seem to like it better. Nothing fancy but I have several licks that are eaten 2-3' into the ground and a huge radius around.

 

[DoubleRidge]

do you still do food plots BSK. i talked to a GW on this very subject in a cwd county and he was against the baiting no salt or anything law!!! said those same deer would be slobbering on the same clover as they would the bait station!! no different!!

No offense directed at you Wildcat32 but Im really surprised that a GW would say there is no difference between a bait pile, salt block or a food plot when discussing the spread of CWD....he or she may need to go back to school and take some more classes.
The benefits of food plots outweigh the risk.
Cant say that for baiting....especially if one is baiting in our humid climate with corn.
(Oops...didnt mean to go off topic)