Importance of Mineral Blocks

Last fall before the ground froze I buried a RackStacker (TSC) mineral lick in the bush. It went all winter with only a few small tracked animals digging into to it. Probably Porc or Coons.

Come spring, it started to be hit hard. Lots of deer traffic, many young bucks hitting it.

You can see by this pic how they dig down and around the block :

https://i.imgur.com/qr0a4Ssl.jpg

Something they never talk about when the sell these blocks is how important they are for pregnant Does. Now that they are closer to term , it's easier to see the Does that are carrying and see how many are really hitting the mineral blocks hard.

The second pic the does is hitting a loose powder mineral attractant I got at TSC called Big&J. The deer hit this stuff within 24hrs of putting it out...highly recommend.


https://i.imgur.com/kPUwh4tl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YIqcqQgl.jpg

They have been hitting a blue block that I have in the backyard as well.

Yes just checked mine a lot of tracks. And the piece of wood I put block on is being eaten.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e13daa4c14.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e1940a4c43.jpg
Going to move it to this stump
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0bab80b2f8.jpg

Got you guys beat!
A Boston Terrier....lol

https://i.imgur.com/23AVoNU.jpg

The beauty about mineral blocks is that the residue will remain in the ground after the block dissolves.

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

The beauty about mineral blocks is that the residue will remain in the ground after the block dissolves.

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That is what you see in the first pic. The ground around the block has absorbed the mineral as the ground thawed, the the deer are actually licking up the dirt around it..

That's why they recommend you bury the blocks with about an 1" over them...when you see them digging up the stump, they're after the minerals that have washed of the block. They rarely lick the block itself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikePal

That is what you see in the first pic. The ground around the block has absorbed the mineral as the ground thawed, the the deer are actually licking up the dirt around it..

That's why they recommend you bury the blocks with about an 1" over them...when you see them digging up the stump, they're after the minerals that have washed of the block. They rarely lick the block itself.

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It's the complete opposite at my place where we put out year round blue salt blocks. They only lick the block as long as there is a block to lick. If I've been tardy and am late in putting out a new one, then yes, they'll paw and lick the dirt. Does are about to start lactating and are craving sodium, as are all prego females. The trail cams show pine pigs and snowshoe hare hotting the blocks hard right now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

It's the complete opposite at my place where we put out year round blue salt blocks. They only lick the block as long as there is a block to lick. If I've been tardy and am late in putting out a new one, then yes, they'll paw and lick the dirt. Does are about to start lactating and are craving sodium, as are all prego females. The trail cams show pine pigs and snowshoe hare hotting the blocks hard right now.

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Funny you mention the rabbits. I've only seen them come out at night on my trail cameras now. I haven't seen a rabbit in years. They must be really cautious now because of all the cyotes perhaps.

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