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

mineral mix

N

norbecker

Guest
After finding a recipe over the weekend I mixed up some mineral mix, the directions suggested working up an area 2 or 3 feet in diameter and then working in the mix, replenishing it every spring. The only question I have is how much mix should I place in the "hole" to start out with and how much should I replenish it with every year?
Thanks for the help.
 
When trying to establish a brand new site I would mix in a couple hundred pounds. The older the site is the less you will have to add as the site becomes well established.

Don't forget to add lots of salt for an initial attractant. How much you have to add each year will be dependant on your deer density and how hard it is utilized.

The deer are really starting to hit the sites hard now. Good luck!
waytogo.gif
 
what has everyones experiance been with salt blocks v.s. mineral mixes? do you feel deer hit the mineral mix stations harder than a salt block?
 
I have had much better luck with a mineral mix than with a block - I think it is because it is just more natural eating "dirt" than eating off a big block
 
I started this with 200 lbs of mineral & salt. Also had 50 lbs of dried molasses. Shallow hole and mixed the dirt back in with the mix. Placed it where it was a little moist and I could put a trail camera over it facing north.
2006_04180005.jpg
 
[ QUOTE ]
I started this with 200 lbs of mineral & salt. Also had 50 lbs of dried molasses. Shallow hole and mixed the dirt back in with the mix. Placed it where it was a little moist and I could put a trail camera over it facing north.


[/ QUOTE ]

Next year by this time...that will be a hole dang near knee deep!
waytogo.gif
 
thanks for the pic. Pharmer I will try to post a picture of mine after this weekend. after that i need to find time to build my trail cam, so i can see what is using it!!!
 
Yes, I agree. The mineral mixes work much better. The deer like the actuall dirt better. We put out a mineral block over bare dirt in the summer of 2005 and the deer didn't touch it until this spring (2006) after it had desoved into the dirt.

HunterMan
157RAtinybuck-thumb[1].gif
 
WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE

Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. for about $23.00

1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores.
Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag.

2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loos kind without the medications.
Comes in 50lb Bags at around $5.00 you need two bags.

1 part Stock salt, ice cream salt.
Comes in 50lb Bags at around $2.00 you need one bag.

Directions:

-Use a 3 pound or similar size coffee can to use as your measure for each part of the mix.

-Mix all together well but not until read to use, keep ingredients separate until ready to put to use.

-Dig or tear up a circle in the soil about 36 inches wide and about 6 inches deep.

-Mix your mineral mixture with the soil.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Here's a pic of one of my "licks", man they sure eat a lot of dirt!
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

They sure can. I started this one in '03. If you look close you can see my trail cam in the upper left corner. 275+ pics in the last 9 days!

997Copy_of_SaltLick1_jpg-med.JPG


By the way, over 100 of those pics were from the same buck in the same day. That salt freak stood there licking for 3 solid hours, then off and on for 3 more, 05:30a-11:50a. He made numerous trips to the creek that is right behind where I am standing. Then he came back for another round at 3pm. I know they like salt, but that was extreme. He looked perfectly healthy in the pics.
confused.gif
 
Holy cats! He must have been a little "bloated"! I would never have dreamed that a deer would spend that much time at a lick!
bigshock.gif
 
If you had a deer on your salt block for three straight hours, I would definitely shoot him when you have the chance...

Because his meat should already be turned to jerky and that would save you quite a bit of expense at the locker.
laugh.gif
 
Here he is, looks healthy enough to me?? Just an addict I guess. All I have used this year is plain-jane trace mineral blocks. I cant say I have seen any difference in usage no matter what I put in there, but if I had known there were going to be so many bucks hitting it and consuming as much as they are, I might have put something a little higher quality in there. All in all though, I'm not convinced minerals are likely to make a real big difference in antler quality if you have decent soils to begin with. Fabulous place for a trail cam though!

997Saltjunkie_jpg-med.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom