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I’ve established several mineral licks using the brown trace mineral blocks and they attract a lot of deer. Bucks and does have been hitting them all summer long. At a couple of sites, there’s often a lineup waiting to get on them.
It’s not really my intention to hunt over them, but I set up trail cameras at the sites to monitor the local deer populations. Pretty cool seeing a bunch of deer pictures every morning on my phone.
I have similar results with those blocks. I find they work better than the plain (white) blocks or the cobalt (blue) blocks.
I’m hoping that the deer get some benefit from the trace mineral content. There are blocks made specifically for deer but they are smaller and much more expensive.Quote:
Originally Posted by rf2
Saves salt later when it's time to eat that delicious chop? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Menard
100% my finding too. The deer were on my brown trace mineral block in 57 within a day and have been coming every day all summer.
I left cameras out for the entire year for the first time. I found that the deer hit the minerals hard all year( especially as the snow melts) except for the fall.
So this year I will be sure to stock up the sites before I leave the hunt camp for winter.
I started using mineral powder a few years back at my cousins property in 49. The deer made a hole in the ground, I spread it over, that would break an ankle if you walked over it without paying attention
I also had good success with brown trace minerals blocks.
Another thing that worked great was Deer Cane. You just have to make sure to mix it properly.
I've been using rackstacker blaze in my mineral fountains for 8-10 years. Get varying results depending on the year. 2 years ago the bucks would visit it well into bow season and last year by the end of August there wasn't a deer to be seen on the camera over the mineral. Crops came off so was able to get back there today to check on it for the first time since June and they are still using it regularly.
https://i.postimg.cc/13qKqGnN/IMG_0455.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/CKpsHRkr/PICT0452.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/QMgk6jq8/PICT0436.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/851d9xyh/PICT0413.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/B6M50NyR/PICT0389.jpg
Unfortunately the fella in the last photo seems to have misplaced something.
Thanks for sharing. What is a mineral fountains?
Just a bucket full of mineral with small drain holes that leak the mineral down the tree as it rains. Here is a better picture of one from a few years ago that I had to replace because the loggers dropped a tree on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Menard
https://i.postimg.cc/C1Hd4gcb/PICT0823.jpg
Doh ! Why didn't I think of that ? For years I've just used plain old rock salt on top of a stump but a little bucket may cut down on how much gets washed into the surrounding soil ? I was told by an Old Timer that method as the deer will lick the dirt to get their salt and they have exposed the roots due to pawing and licking. I put out salt year round because the Old Timer told me the Does need it for when they are lactating and Bucks need it for antler growth. We have always done well in filling our tags and believe it has a lot to do with the salt licks.
I have mineral lick(hole in the ground) at one area i am hunting.
A bit away from my stand...but that is just the way i made it .
Just about every year ,end of Feb-early March i bring a salt block-or lately bagged stock salt, mostly the white one.
Ocassionally i switch to blue or brown ones.
In 20 years or so the deer(and other animals)dug a 10x 10 x 1 hole in the ground.
I believe they eat the soil with salt.
When i started it,i poured the salt at a base of a tree.
In about 3 years the tree died,and in about 10 years,the dead tree fell over.I still think the salt killed it.
By bad,did not know any better.
I had camera off an on on it-and my experience is similar to many-from snow melt till about mid Sept the deer visits it,then the site looses much of its appeal.
Bucks are more frequent from snow melt til Mid end of August.
I believe by that time antlers harden-and not much need for salt anymore for them bucks.
I just retrieved pictures from a camera I have had out over a trace mineral block since the end of April. The deer are just hammering it. Multiple deer a day. Strangely though, once the hot weather hit, most photos were at night, and it is not due to human pressure, because the property owner has not been back there at all.
Mostly does and fawns unfortunately. There is one buck that is shaping up to be decent, and another one or two spikes. They don't show up too regularly though.