Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Alternatives to mineral for camera sites??

Hawk32

Hawk32

PMA Member
Looking for ideas for summer camera sites other than using mineral. Something that can be used near stand sites and removed before hunting season and not leave any remnants. Is there anything that is going to be as productive as mineral for getting pictures? Feeders with corn, stick and lick, cabelas blocks, etc.

curious about how these stick and lick things would work.

https://www.extremehuntingsolutions.com/productdetail.php?Stick-N-Lick-Deer-Pop-5lbs-4
 
Last edited:
You can't beat a feed mix to attract over the summer. Mineral is tricky for sure. There is quite a bit of dirt that needs to be removed, if it's in an area that is hunted. I have never used the trophy rocks. Not sure how much leaches into the ground around them, but some must.
 
I just put a board over it or barn panel (corrugated steel) with a brick. No digging it out and they can't access it during hunting season (not that deer really hit it during season anyways).
 
A couple thoughts...I was on a very nice property last year where the hunter(s) had "disabled" mineral sites by placing styrene insulation sheets over them for the hunting season, effectively blocking the site from the deer, should they try to get to the minerals/dirt below.

As I recall, this practice had been cleared by the local Iowa DNR agent. But you should double check that if you think you might try that approach. I can say that there was no sign that the deer had been trying to use the mineral site. I personally would not consider that site "baited", as no deer could get anything or were apparently trying to get anything there.

Beyond that, we stop putting out minerals in August and by the middle of September there are very few deer using these sites and by October and into November...these sites fill up with leaves and the deer just don't use them. I really don't even worry about it. My nearest stand site to a mineral site is about 75 yards and I have never seen a deer use that mineral site from that stand.
 
Covering should be good, but the one buck I am after, would sure as hell take one look at the board/tin and never come back thru again. I am hunting one paranoid SOB.

I would not want to risk the CO taking a soil sample out from below the leaves, in a food plot. Even though nothing is using it at the time, I'm pretty sure it would still be a ticket. Most of my mineral sites are in sanctuaries that are never hunted, so they can dig as big of a salt/mineral/water hole as they want.
 
6x6 said:
Covering should be good, but the one buck I am after, would sure as hell take one look at the board/tin and never come back thru again. I am hunting one paranoid SOB.
Click to expand...

Maybe if you spray paint " you are the lucky winner" on it he'll stay longer.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming.

I have talked to a CO about the whole covering sites and his response was yeah thats probably ok BUT...... He would prefer the soil around the mineral to be dug out and refilled with non contaminated soil.

Looking for an easier route i guess.
 
6x6 said:
Covering should be good, but the one buck I am after, would sure as hell take one look at the board/tin and never come back thru again. I am hunting one paranoid SOB.

I would not want to risk the CO taking a soil sample out from below the leaves, in a food plot. Even though nothing is using it at the time, I'm pretty sure it would still be a ticket. Most of my mineral sites are in sanctuaries that are never hunted, so they can dig as big of a salt/mineral/water hole as they want.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I don't have my minerals anywhere near my stands usually so I don't worry as much but that does make sense. Maybe a piece of plywood & some logs. Look pretty natural. Ya- I hear u- I am as paranoid about alarming deer as u can get too!
 
Wonder how fencing the mineral site off would be viewed. Same as covering? Or still baited because they could still smell the mineral in the dirt?
 
Jordan
I saw that stuff when I was looking at cabelas website. Might have to give it a try.

I did order one of these stick and pick blocks to try as well.
 
If a CO has reason to investigate possible baiting and finds someone in a tree stand hunting over a mineral dump covered with plywood I'd give odds that she isn't going to believe the hunter has had the mineral covered for the required amount of time. If there is a minimum amount of time.

Just set the cameras on trails or food plots. Nothing wrong with being surprised when in the stand.
 
If you want to put down mineral than just do it. I have never understood all of this CO business. If you aren't being ethical and hunting over bait, etc. that is one thing. I think common sense is all that really needs to be considered and applied from all parties involved. There is no perfect way to do it. At the same time, who cares? If you are applying good judgement and the mineral is removed before season you are doing all you can. Case closed, if a CO is on my land than we/I must be doing something REALLY wrong. I have never understood all of the hoopla that goes into mineral site discussions.
 
I don't even really understand the purpose of the law. You can have some fancy plot mix, beans, or corn. Which are things deer actually seek out that time of year but you can't put mineral or a salt lick out that the deer come off of in September anyway. A guy plants an acre of corn and mows a strip off every week for the deer to feed off the ground and have open shots but don't you dare have the big bad mineral site within so many yards of your tree stand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom