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Alternative mineral or bait sites for running cameras

Hawk32

Hawk32

PMA Member
I am looking for some input on using some alternate mineral sites for running cameras. I have a couple locations I want to be able to remove the site before bow season. These areas are still a ways from the stand locations but I would prefer if they were gone completely during season.

I was thinking about putting the mineral in a rubber tub. Any thoughts on this? I typically use a block but would loose be better?

Any other suggestions.
 
Corn is a good one to use if you plan on hunting there during season. Just don't put anymore out around the end of August, and by October, it will all be gone.

I tried mineral in a tub once, anytime a rain comes, and fills the tub out, it leaks, and you still have mineral in the soil, which deer will go after and dig for.
 
Reason for not having it out all year. Its a fairly small area and I don't want to ruin potential stand areas with mineral in the soil in case a stand needs to be moved.

I was wondering about corn but didn't know how long it would last or if it would spoil. I am not able to get to these areas that often.
 
Corn, by the bucket full will not last long and will likely be gone quick enough that it won't spoil.
 
I only use mineral for camera pics, after bucks lose their velvet they don't visit the mineral as often, usually when I hunt around my mineral and a buck comes through he doesn't even mess with the mineral.
 
Cover it all with a big piece of sheet metal- barn metal. Set bricks on top. Cheap, easy and works great.
 
tyhambone said:
I only use mineral for camera pics, after bucks lose their velvet they don't visit the mineral as often, usually when I hunt around my mineral and a buck comes through he doesn't even mess with the mineral.
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I have observed the same thing. After about mid-September the mineral sites are essentially ignored in our timber, until about this time of the year when they start hitting them again. We actually just refreshed our sites this past weekend.

Although it so happens that I don't have any stands right next to our mineral sites, after several years of observing them be basically abandoned by mid-to-late September each year I also gave up worrying about digging up the soil, etc, so as to not be baiting.
 
I am going to go with trophy rocks this year and I am going to do it like others do and put them on top of tree stumps or 5 gallon bucks.
 
Even on a stump the Trophy Rock will still act by leaching into the surrounding soil which is what the deer eat. They don't often actually chew the rock or even lick it like cattle will. I agree that it's not a very good "bait" during hunting season, but if you had a CO who was being anal or already looking for a reason to pinch you (not that any of them ever would), I would think they could sample the soil and still find salt etc. for a long time after the block/rock was gone. I too cover the site up with old plywood & a couple inches of dirt & leaves so it no longer looks like a salt lick. That way anyone who is trespassing doesn't see a bare spot anywhere within 200 yards of one of my blinds or stands... Technically the salt is still there but I'll take my chances in front of the judge if I'm ever prosecuted for it. And yes, I'm guilty of driving 60 in a 55 every so often too... :rolleyes:
 
HorseDoctor said:
Even on a stump the Trophy Rock will still act by leaching into the surrounding soil which is what the deer eat. They don't often actually chew the rock or even lick it like cattle will. I agree that it's not a very good "bait" during hunting season, but if you had a CO who was being anal or already looking for a reason to pinch you (not that any of them ever would), I would think they could sample the soil and still find salt etc. for a long time after the block/rock was gone. I too cover the site up with old plywood & a couple inches of dirt & leaves so it no longer looks like a salt lick. That way anyone who is trespassing doesn't see a bare spot anywhere within 200 yards of one of my blinds or stands... Technically the salt is still there but I'll take my chances in front of the judge if I'm ever prosecuted for it. And yes, I'm guilty of driving 60 in a 55 every so often too... :rolleyes:
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They will lick the rock.
 
HorseDoctor said:
Even on a stump the Trophy Rock will still act by leaching into the surrounding soil which is what the deer eat. They don't often actually chew the rock or even lick it like cattle will. I agree that it's not a very good "bait" during hunting season, but if you had a CO who was being anal or already looking for a reason to pinch you (not that any of them ever would), I would think they could sample the soil and still find salt etc. for a long time after the block/rock was gone. I too cover the site up with old plywood & a couple inches of dirt & leaves so it no longer looks like a salt lick. That way anyone who is trespassing doesn't see a bare spot anywhere within 200 yards of one of my blinds or stands... Technically the salt is still there but I'll take my chances in front of the judge if I'm ever prosecuted for it. And yes, I'm guilty of driving 60 in a 55 every so often too... :rolleyes:
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Your right, but there is no perfect method unfortunately. This at least will allow you to get better value (less moisture directly on/around the mineral). Also, there is nothing to stop it, and often times, you have to put the mineral back up because they knock it off. There will always be some "trace" remaining regardless of how you put it out. I think anyone though who wants to take an ethical approach would agree that doing your best to rid the area of the mineral is all you can do. Also, it is one thing to have it out during the summer and early fall, it is another to just leave it and know it is there . I always remove mine, and if anyone ever somehow knows where the mineral was I guess I will have one less friend or acquaintance as I would know you are trespassing. In the end, we are not looking for strategies to hunt over it, we all just want to improve the health of our herd. Hopefully common sense from a CO would prevail.
 
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