Alternatives to mineral for camera sites??

[Hoffman]

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.

As I understand it, that also is baiting. It's not normal ag practice to scatter corn on the ground. I have supplemental mineral in the same spot all year round. I agree if you are ethical you know the difference.

 

[Sligh1]

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.

This does make pretty dang good sense right here!

 

[StickersNKickers]

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.

I may be wrong, but I believe deer will use a mineral/salt lick after September. Maybe not to the extent they do in the summer, but I wouldn't bet against it.

As I understand it, that also is baiting. It's not normal ag practice to scatter corn on the ground. I have supplemental mineral in the same spot all year round. I agree if you are ethical you know the difference.

I believe they outlawed mowing corn in Illinois or Indiana, maybe it was Ohio, one of those I believe. Said exactly as Hoffman says, it's not normal ag practice to mow down your corn. Not sure how Iowa sees it, but I would think you'd be more in line with normal ag practice if you combined a strip each week with a not-so-efficient combine. I suppose if you mowed it for shooting lanes before season with enough time for them to clean up the corn, that might be different.

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs and think of too many "what ifs" but where does the mineral go when it rains?

Onto the post, platform, or down the side and into the ground. As stated above, the transfer would be reduced, but technically some may end up in the soil.

Get one of those plastic kiddie pools. Throw a few inches of dirt in the bottom and the mineral on top.

I had a similar idea, only using a bucket or something with a metal grate near the top to hold a mineral block out of the water that would collect when it rains. Your idea would probably work better if using loose mineral.

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.

Just get Sligh to come in with his tree spade, I'm sure it would get most of it. There you go Sligh, just got you some more work for that thing! I just expect a commission on every mineral site dig you do now.

 

[Trappertim]

They may use it every now and then but my pics at sites drop dramatically after september. And they certainly don't have the draw of corn or beans anyway you want to look at it. Throw it, mow it, crappy combine it, run it over with ur truck. Either way I see it year after year done by iowa "celebrities."

 

[Tim Hull]

I used to see "normal agricultural practice" when regarding bait. I am pretty sure it isn't normal to mow acres of corn and let it lay for the deer to eat. What is the difference between that and just pouring a bag on the ground? I plant food plots but I don't knock anything down. It gets to be pretty gray. Deer don't give a damn about a mineral lick during hunting season anyway.

 

[StickersNKickers]

They may use it every now and then but my pics at sites drop dramatically after september. And they certainly don't have the draw of corn or beans anyway you want to look at it. Throw it, mow it, crappy combine it, run it over with ur truck. Either way I see it year after year done by iowa "celebrities."

I don't doubt that activity goes down, at least for bucks. And I agree that come October and on, corn would have more of a draw. Also don't doubt it's done by "celebrities" and average joe's.

Anyone know Iowa DNR's stance on mowing/knocking down corn without attempting to pick it?

 

[StickersNKickers]

I used to see "normal agricultural practice" when regarding bait. I am pretty sure it isn't normal to mow acres of corn and let it lay for the deer to eat. What is the difference between that and just pouring a bag on the ground? I plant food plots but I don't knock anything down. It gets to be pretty gray. Deer don't give a damn about a mineral lick during hunting season anyway.

I'm sure all they wanted was to bale the stalks and didn't really need the corn.

 

[HorseDoctor]

I don't doubt that activity goes down, at least for bucks. And I agree that come October and on, corn would have more of a draw. Also don't doubt it's done by "celebrities" and average joe's.

Anyone know Iowa DNR's stance on mowing/knocking down corn without attempting to pick it?

Since the law regarding "normal agricultural practices" reads the same for dove fields and the DNR recommends mowing sunflowers to attract doves, I suspect they would play hell prosecuting anyone for doing the same thing in a deer plot. Technically, is it still baiting? Perhaps, but it's a form that is just legal enough that you won't get prosecuted.

 

[StickersNKickers]

Since the law regarding "normal agricultural practices" reads the same for dove fields and the DNR recommends mowing sunflowers to attract doves, I suspect they would play hell prosecuting anyone for doing the same thing in a deer plot. Technically, is it still baiting? Perhaps, but it's a form that is just legal enough that you won't get prosecuted.

I suppose the deer are probably going to be there anyway, they just would have easier access to the corn if it's mowed. And you can't control when they will be on the field (unless you fence it off and open the gate for them at certain times). Also, regarding "normal agricultural practices", I don't know too many turnip farmers that leave their turnips in the ground until they are eaten. But I suppose the normal practice could be to plant it as a cover crop and to help with soil. The deer eating it is just a side effect.

 

[SaskGuy]

I agree with stickers. I can't see intentionally leaving any crop stand as "normal agricultural" practice.

Not that I care but seems like a grey area and or a loophole to crawl through.

 

[maher2215]

Apples work best

 

[bluedog69]

I used to see "normal agricultural practice" when regarding bait. I am pretty sure it isn't normal to mow acres of corn and let it lay for the deer to eat. What is the difference between that and just pouring a bag on the ground? I plant food plots but I don't knock anything down. It gets to be pretty gray. Deer don't give a damn about a mineral lick during hunting season anyway.

Actually this would be one of the best things you could do. This would scatter the feed and deer would probably be picking up individual kernals, or at least small cobs.

Why would this be better than a lick? There is a lot of "worries" that come into play with diseases of all sorts.... CWD...TB... etc that can be spread by nose to nose or mouth to mouth contact. Now in all reality I doubt that not using a block will keep deer from mouth to mouth contact anyway.

Now to answer the OP.....from Escanaba in Da Moonilght, and MI, the baiting capital of the world,...""Best bait pile, not corn, not carrots... spoiled brussel sprouts. Ya see, deer ain't just color blind, dey're all blind and dey gotta rely on the oldfactory. Give 'em a little whif of the spoiled sprouts and......."