Mineral Reminder & tips & discussion

[Sligh1]

Sligh - I see you are from Des Moines area. Where do you get the mineral around Des Moines?

Heartland Co-Op....
http://www.heartlandcoop.com/pages/custom.php?id=167

Call the various locations, see what they have.
My 1st & 2nd choice would be GRANULAR PRO-PHOS 8 then PRO-PHOS-12
THEN, I'd go with PRO-PHOS 8 BLOCKS & PRO-PHOS 12 blocks.
Make sure you get some granular and some blocks. If they don't have that above granular- try Rangeland 8 - they claim it's the "new and improved" Pro-phos 8 (more weather resistent)- made by same folks. I'm trying some. No guarantees they'll like it like Pro-Phos 8 but we'll see!?!??! All of this could be between $15-24 per 40 lbs block or 50 lbs bag. For some reason Heartland doesn't take debit cards- set up account or cash. Good luck, do it right, put out soon, refill as needed and put in a good location that's not too invasive= recipe for success, inventory pictures and deer health. If all is the same on your farm from year to year and now you add this, I guarantee you'll see more stickers, mass, more NT points, more inches, better health, (more triplets - ok some don't want that!) on average if you compared your prior age class deer to these new deer with same age class, on average- you'll see a difference- ususally takes a couple seasons to really be able to tell. If you don't, I will refund the price you're paying me for this advice!!! THEY WORK THOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

Yup, got an email back from Ted! He said they sell it in Nevada and LeGrande area. Typically when we go through those areas it is late late at night. I'll give those places a call and maybe we can arrange something. I'm thinking this mineral should work on, we've got some other stuff to sweeten it up ; ) I'll keep ya posted though, thanks for the offer!

 

[Sligh1]

Just get that phosphorus level up 7-12%, nice levels of calcium, vitamin d & trace minerals (of course lots of others). If there's ANY question to deer preference- I would add 20 pounds of molasses or some other apple attractant to see if you can get the flavor they crave. You sound like you're on top of it, good luck! Heck, if you ever drive by Des moines, I could pick some up for you and set it at my house so you could get it at any time of day. Good luck!

 

[IQDM]

Also know you will never have 200" deer shooting 140-160” deer no matter the mineral of food.

True that

 

[Shoot Booners]

Guys<O</O
<O</O
I am a 35 year vet of Whitetail Deer Hunting and I don’t care what you do........
but nothing will help like age<O</O
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

Iowa</st1:State> deer don’t need food plots, <st1:State w:st="on">Iowa</st1:State> deer don’t need TSI, <ST1lowa </ST1deer don’t need mineral licks.
Does it help to kill a buck…sure!<O</O
Iowa deer only need age, heck guys we had bigger deer before the Food Plot/Minerals/TSI Rage.<O</O
While building food plots/creating mineral licks/ creating TSI is hard work, it made the hunt easy and allows immature buck to be harvested,thus not getting the age needed for the 200” everyone wants<O</O
<O</O
Today every “joe blow” has become a deer hunter of sorts (some even authorities) because of the above.The only real factor of the above is……….. makes it easier to kill deer, because of the drawing/sucking them in factor.<O</O
<O</O
What’s happened to the hunt, nobody talks about the hunt, its all about what can I plant/mineral/TSI do to suck in the mighty buck.<O</O
<O</O
Deer Hunting shouldn’t be about who ever has the most Money/Land/Food Plots/TSI/Minerals etc wins.<O</O
<O
I feel like I am watching the movie “ Field of Dreams “ where everyone thinks if they own a piece if ground and “built it” the best will come.
<O</O
Just remember that movie was not real and the actors were ghost.
200” deer will also remain ghost if you shoot 100”-160” deer no matter what you do.
<O</O
<O</O
If you want Walk/Talk Quality deer in Iowa,<ST1</ST1 Let-M-Grow….. this way every land owner/non land owner/public land hunter can be a part.<O></O>
<O</O

 

[Sligh1]

Thanks for your perspective. A few things I'd respond to....
-We have more top end & record book bucks than ever before. We are light years ahead of the way things were 40 years ago. These are the "good old days" as far as huge deer being taken, far more than in the past. Part of this is how many guys are managing for older/bigger/better deer and managing their land. Food plots plays a huge part- few did that 30 years ago. Deer #'s also play a big part. BUT, my point is, the last 15-20 years have been, and continue to be the glory days of hunting. The food plots, minerals, allowing deer to get OLDER will all make more of those deer on many folk's places.

Here's the BIG ONE WHERE YOU ARE WRONG....
"The only real factor of the above is……….. makes it easier to kill deer, because of the drawing/sucking them in factor" - Deer rarely consume minerals past around September 1st. Folks are trying to improve the deer that are already on their place, minerals are not sucking them in from miles and that's not the intention. Intention is to improve the nutrition of deer on your land already. My whole post has NOTHING, ZERO, NADA, to do with hunting over them or near them (which is illegal) or sucking them in, PLUS- even if I did- it wouldn't work. It's not like putting a dump truck of apples in front of you Nov 1st- (which I'd argue still won't get you giant bucks, look at states with baiting and see how many giants are killed over bait- exception rather than the rule). I know NO ONE who hunts over minerals. Every single person I KNOW puts minerals out for nutrition and trail cam observation areas. The absolute opposite of what you claimed above. And again, I'll say it again, it is ILLEGAL to hunt over any type of bait or mineral in IOWA.

No one will EVER argue the best way to grow giant whitetails is with AGE. BUT, I'll argue in ANY situation the best way to have giant whitetails is to add AGE to: nutrition, proper herd ratios, babying the great genetic younger deer (not killing them too early), balanced age structure, low pressure, shooting proper levels of does, habitat enhancement, etc, etc, etc, etc.

"Iowa deer don’t need food plots, Iowa deer don’t need TSI in Iowa, deer don’t need mineral licks.
Does it help to kill a buck…sure"
In the interest of cyber-space, I'll keep this really short. Yes we do and all those things are not ONLY geared toward "killing a big buck". They all help with nutrition, habitat, ecosystem, OTHER wildlife massively benefits from TSI & plots and all have huge benefits I could write about for 20 paragraphs. I know you can go kill a giant on a 500 acre tract that's been trashed by cows for 100 years- horrible habitat BUT I'm sure you COULD get a giant outta there- no disagreement BUT I'll give you 1,000 reasons why the other folk's place's are better who do it "right", why you can kill far more on their pieces vs the ground that's had nothing done to it or ruined by cows.

I think this is a classic example of OLD SCHOOL vs NEW SCHOOL. We'll agree to disagree on many points and perspectives. I appreciate you voicing them though.

 

[Shoot Booners]

I am not pointing fingers saying anyone is hunting over mineral, all I am saying is Iowa deer don't need the New School, They Need Age!
One of the main reason for more top end deer in Iowa last 15 years is more hunters

 

[m_kat]

More deer = more top end bucks.

Less hunters = more top end bucks

Better habitat = more top end bucks


Mineral licks = more trail cam pics of top end bucks

 

[IQDM]

IMO the main reason most managers, myself included, are doing TSI, hinging, food plots, etc. is to get the deer to an OLDER AGE CLASS! In an area with trigger happy "meat" hunters, going "new school" is a must or every buck that wanders off of your property will get smoked! It is because of hard working "new schoolers" that most of these bucks are surviving given the current day army of hunters. I do not believe for a second that having more hunters is the reason more big bucks are being taken! Someone had to pass on that deer many years to get that big and it most likely had been hanging out for those years on a "new school" farm.
Doing habitat work for better herd heath and deer/antler size certainly is a reason we do it, but I feel that my habitat improvements work hand in hand with bucks getting to an older age class. My question for Shoot Booners is how do you propose a hunter gets a buck to an older age class when there is neighbors close by that will shoot anything? If habitat improvement is not the answer then please inform me of how you recommend I get older deer?

 

[S. Whitetail]

Have you all tried adding a milk calcium supplement to your feed? It works wonders on antler growth. Milk calcium is less common (and more expensive) than calcium phosphate, but trust me, the price is worth it.

I found it in bulk at www.whitetailcalcium.com.

Good luck!