A solid habitat/nutrition plan should involve manipulating preferred plants to keep them within what we call the deer zone (within four feet of the ground), on a sustained basis. 2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loose kind without the medications. Mineral licks also provide a great place to survey deer with game cameras. Whitetail Institute Winter-Greens Deer Food Buying Guide Easy to use Effectiveness Affordability Portability Frequently Asked Questions 2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loos kind without the medications. This mineral will be for sale in the next 2 weeks!! Salt becomes less of an attractant, which means that in order to get continued mineral consumption, a different type of attractant must be used. Photo at mineral lick start in 2001 and end in 2003. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. At the same time, I reviewed the cameras located at each spot to identify how many deer were using the site each day. Deer. This past summer, I was developing a new deer mineral product and was constantly frustrated by the fact that I really didnt know what expected intake would be. The best places for minerals are around a water source ponds, creeks, lakes, etc. Make sure the lick is near a water source. While I could identify many of the deer that used the sight daily, some did not use the site each day, and some could not be definitely identified as a daily user. I replicated the test on three different farms to help alleviate variables, at least to a certain degree. Maybe I'm overly paranoid but I don't like adding persimmon-scented products in an area where persimmons don't grow. Maybe, or maybe not. In formulating a plan of attack regarding mineral nutrition, I went to the same folks wed consulted about planting forages: dairymen. For one, as long as you have an idea of how many deer are on your property, knowing expected intake can help you figure out how much mineral you can expect to use each year. The best way to provide supplemental minerals is by using a granular mineral that contains less than 30 percent salt and has Ca and P at the rate of 12 percent each. Dump no more than 25 lbs per deer lick per application, Lightly kick a little dirt on top of the mineral to make it apear as natural as possible. The product you choose needs to have calcium and phosphorus, in as large of quantity as possible. Theyre classified as either macro- or micro-nutrients. Too much salt and you will limit total intake of mineral. If you dont have established mineral sites, then youll need to make some. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. Sodium helps to regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body. Granular - these minerals are added to the soil, and deer get them by consuming the minerals and/or soil/minerals mixture. However, be mindful of your impact to the area and don't risk spooking your buck by delving too deep into his core area. Here's a new mineral lick being established with trace mineral salt and dicalcium phosphate. Look at the post in Whitetail deer hunting. B.Y.O Deer Base also contains, magnesium, sulfur, potassium as well as all the essential trace minerals and vitamins needed by deer. For example, for many years, it was commonly accepted that adult bucks did all or most of the breeding. In todays video we are going to show you guys how to make your own deer mineral and save some money. I have found that mineral sites located in sandy areas are utilized less than mineral sites in heavier soils. Farm B had a total of eight adult deer using the deer mineral site, five of which used the site on a daily basis. Weve learned that a multi-pronged approach to providing deer minerals is best. Deer prefer mineral sites that are in cover as opposed to out in the open. In a large bowl, mix together the plain salt, white sugar, trace mineral salt, ground limestone, dolomite lime, and Epsom salt. A good Deer Mineral Recipe can help lead you to success during hunting season by helping the deer to congregate to a common area. Over the years, Ive written on a number of occasions about mineral supplementation for whitetails. Heavy deer rub activity along this interior path Any one of a hundred things can influence how often a deer will use a supplemental mineral and how much it will consume. As I previously mentioned, intake is a vital factor when formulating a mineral or protein supplement or complete feed. Pull up a seat and join us. While the advantages of mineral supplementation have not been clearly documented, neither have any disadvantages. The author dispenses granular mineral into a covered trough. Interestingly, the immense prehistoric deer called the Irish elk (Megaloceros giganteus) went extinct during the last global warmup shortly after the Ice Age, apparently due to the loss of tundra plants high in Ca and P. Fossil evidence supports these deer were victims of spontaneous cervical fractures caused by osteoporosis. Pour in the mineral and the rice bran at a ratio of 2:1. Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. Calcium and phosphorous are the two biggest components of antler growth after protein. Yes, whitetails will eat dirt, but the vast majority of minerals they consume enter the system through the plants they eat. Using the right ingredients and amounts, hunters can create a mineral recipe that will help to keep deer healthy and help to promote a healthy hunting season. This should be followed by developing a food-plot or native-plant fertilization program to ameliorate any deficiencies. Nutrient levels mean virtually nothing if you do not at least have an approximate idea of how much of a product the deer are consuming. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton talk about being realistic when it comes to managing a smaller deer property in this edition of Dr. Back in the early 1970s, two men came to visit me at the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management & Research in Texas. These make up about 60 percent of the total weight of the antler. Over a four year period the researchers were unable to detect any differences between the two deer herds. Whitetail Institute Mineral for Deer 5. Granular minerals seem to work better than blocks, as most of the usage of blocks occurs in the surrounding dirt as the minerals leach into the soil. Minerals are important to all living things, serving a host of physiological functions. Important Note: Minerals on their own are bitter, so be sure to mix in plenty of salt to attract the deer. So why not just pour salt out for the deer if thats what they're after? As you can see, getting the right salt level in a mineral can be tricky. Most professionals relied on information generated primarily for small ruminants, including sheep and goats. Its a bountiful area that produces wheat, corn and beef cattle that feed thousands of people around the world. Again, this isnt a magic trick that will ensure you have trophy bucks running around your property, but youll at least have peace of mind that your deer have access to all the minerals they will need to stay healthy and to develop antlers and healthy fawns. Choose a location that is away from human activity, like your house or outbuildings. Have fun with it. Place the lick in an area that has good soil drainage. This time of year, deer are actively searching for salt. Making deer mineral licks is not a hassle and you can do it on your own in a few simple steps. The placement of a homemade deer mineral lick on your property is an important factor in encouraging deer to visit and use the lick. Deer arent cows; they dont like to lick blocks the way their bovine cousins do. The most common intake claim by deer products on the market is 1 to 2 ounces per head per day or 1/16 to 1/8 of a pound. Deer's antlers are made up of over 22% calcium and 11% phosphorous. But if you want to spice it up, you can add a dash of any general-purpose mineral. This should be followed by developing a food-plot or native-plant fertilization program to ameliorate any deficiencies. The test was conducted in July. Research has shown that after a site is used, it will often become a part of the feeding and movement pattern. The lick should be located in a spot that is easy for the deer to access from all directions. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. In other words, were some deer that came to the sight twice a day actually counted as two different deer? You can do more or less depending on the amount of use you get at a site. Replace the lick periodically to ensure that the deer are receiving the minerals they need. Site by Gray Loon. This sheds light on why quality forage high in protein is needed during the spring and summer for deer to reach their antler potential. Ohio Hunter Balances Hunting and Family to Bag 190-inch Typical, Dr. Once youve tagged that big whitetail deer, take a look at some of our most popular venison recipes like our Old School Deer Jerky Recipe or the Delicious Deer Backstrap Crockpot Recipe, What Is A Piebald Deer? Choose an area that is open with plenty of sunlight exposure. Strongly consider buying a bag of rice bran or other attractant like apple extract that may entice deer to eat the minerals. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. Increased aggression by certain deer (usually adult does) that guard the site will decrease the number of deer utilizing that particular location. There are three main types of mineral supplements. Mixing Salts Mix the trace minerals above with 1 part mixing salts Dried Molasses Mix the above ingredients with 1 part dried molasses. Homemade deer mineral supplements work best near waterholes and food plots. Its best to get started as soon as spring green-up starts taking place, but keeping minerals out year-round is better. For example, research has shown that a buck needs about an 18 percent protein diet during the antler-growing cycle to maximize antler growth. Mike Clerkin heads to the legendary Buffalo County, Wisconsin, in search of early season whitetail action. Gordon Whittington talks with 13-year-old Troy Metzger about the 2016 hunt that landed the young man a monster non-typical buck on this edition of Big Buck Profile. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. In the old days, we simply dug holes and poured granular mineral into them. They concluded that soil phosphorus levels were the best indicator of body size, probably because phosphorus deficient soils are common throughout the United States. Simply use a bucket with nearby pond or creek water to do this. Subscriber Services. The best deer mineral program is one that features variety and consistency. Part 1, Importance of Soil pH. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities.2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. The best place to put a deer lick is near your closest water holes, ponds or water sources and near your food plots. Deer are hoofed creatures, but that doesn't mean that any mineral that works for a cattle ranch or horses will do the same for whitetails. Place the lick in an area that has plenty of natural browse available. July 1, 2022 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, February 27, 2023 |The Realblog with Stephanie Mallory, February 28, 2023 |Brow Tines and Backstrap. Additionally, a homemade deer mineral lick can also include minerals like iron, manganese, and cobalt to provide additional health benefits. If you stand in the middle of Highway 400 just west of Dodge City and look out at the horizon, you can get a good understanding of why people once thought the Earth was flat. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. In terms of trying to identify the total number of different deer using each sight, how much did human error play into the results? If one mineral supplement has 5 percent calcium and another has 7 percent calcium, but the deer consumes twice the amount of the 5 percent product, then the deer is actually getting more calcium than it would be getting from the 7 percent product. This is especially true of dried molasses, which deer love. But I think the aroma of the added products -- the general purpose mineral in the blend above -- helps deer find the location faster and may add some level of taste value as well. The results of these studies suggest that mineral supplementation especially calcium, phosphorus, and sodium may provide some benefit, especially in situations where deer are nutritionally deprived or areas with minerally deficient soils. While there are a number of commercial products available to create mineral licks, a more affordable and perhaps better option is to drive down to your local feed and seed or farmers co-op and buy a 50-pound bag of dicalcium phosphate and one or two 50-pound bag of trace-mineral salt. Deer will be less likely to visit the lick if there is too much human presence. Michigan Hunter Shoots 200-class Non-typical After Oversleeping That Morning, How to Find Big Buck Sanctuaries in the Spring, Potential Kentucky State Record Crossbow Typical Shot in Hemp Field, Iowa Bowhunter Goes Stealth Mode with a Tree Saddle to Bag 194-inch Non-typical, Saskatchewan Hunter Finds Target Sheds After Looking for Multiple Days, Nebraska Shed Hunter's Wife and Dog Find 6x9 Set One Year After Learning About the Buck, Oklahoma Hunter Sticks Heavy-antlered Non-typical After Gaining Permission on Property. Believe it or not, in those early days little of the whitetail information we now commonly take for granted was known. While all these minerals are important, we quickly learned that Ca and P in particular had a lot to do with the size of deer and their antlers. They have just about every option available to them. Therefore, mineral supplementation prior to and during antler growth may be beneficial. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE. In its own way, western Kansas is quite beautiful, that is, of course, unless you like a lot of trees. Placing the lick in a spot with tall grasses or shrubs will help the deer feel safe when they are visiting the lick. All of these minerals are necessary for deer to maintain their health and help to keep their coats shiny and strong. A classic study on the mineral needs of deer was conducted at Penn State University in the 1950s. The Best Way to Cook Chanterelle Mushrooms, 12 Reasons Why Your Venison Tastes Like Hell, Watch Pennsylvania Black Bears on Live Den Cam, Midwesterner Discovers Very Rare Melanistic Deer, Why an Old-School .30-06 Hunter is Switching to the 6.5 PRC, Southerners Shoot the Oldest Bucks, Texans Bag the Most Does, and More Highlights from the 2023 NDA Deer Report, Lost and Found: Neighbor Finds Hunters Huge Buck More Than a Year Later, Alabama Rut Kicking, Police Dog Saves Deer Hunter from Icy River, and More Deer Hunting News. That's why mineral licks make excellent trail camera spots in the summer. This is why knowing your intake is so important for your mineral program. Plain Stock Salt - #50 - $4.30. Pour your mineral contents all over the turned-up ground and mix it in with the shovel or pitchfork. I cannot definitely answer why this is, but I would theorize that it has to do with excessive leaching in sandy soils or possibly even the gritty nature of sand. They know that deer typically begin using supplemental minerals around spring green-up and continue until early fall. The first and most beneficial is to pour the GYT90 crude soybean oil and mineral mixture over supplemental feed. There are many other examples of popular beliefs being dramatically changed through scientific discovery. I buried them partially in the ground in an attempt to minimize the negative effect of using a container versus the normal method of direct ground application. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. During the summer, finding locations that deer frequent often can be tough. All Rights Reserved. 2023 National Deer Association, All Rights Reserved. Even though we used protein in this example, the same is true for nutrients in a mineral supplement. Staying undetected by deer while hunting in a ground blind takes a few easy steps. 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. Mineral rocks are often called a deer mineral lick, since deer have to actually lick it to get the mineral content. For instance, did the cameras trigger each time a deer was using the site? Inside the trough, place a metal or plastic pan to hold the mineral. It may not display this or other websites correctly. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. The feeding pan had a total of 4.27 pounds, or 68.24 ounces, of mineral remaining. In the above video, I share a simple recipe for making about 100 pounds of the mix for less than $40. Be sure its in close proximity to a good tree for a trail camera, too. TINK'S Doe-in-Rut Buck Lure 2. In a similar study conducted at Auburn University, researchers tried to detect differences in body and antler size between an unsupplemented and supplemented group. Over the years, with the use of thousands of trail camera photos and a lot of trial and error, I have figured out a few factors that influence mineral consumption both positively and negatively. The other ingredients for homemade deer minerals are a little bit of a variation on the classic white earth minerals found in the Indian spice-infused spices. If you plan to use a mineral mix for deer, you may need to increase the concentration of salt over time. Arguably, the test might only be representative for the particular deer mineral I was using, and a different mineral with different salt levels or other attractants might have shown a different result. This makes deer actively seek out concentrated sources of sodium such as natural or manmade licks. That means their expected consumption should be 0.21 to 0.42 ounces per head, per day. If you notice no deer sign after a few weeks, then mix in more salt to the site. Clovers and Perennials- Are you planting for now or the future? In so doing, we get fantastic response from the deer herd. 2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loos kind without the medications. Also, the use of a foreign object, the plastic feeding pan, could have decreased usage even though I did not start the test until the deer were regularly using the site with the feeding pan in place. Well provide the latest updates on CWD spread, research and policy from across North America. locks tend to be the least effective way for deer to get supplemental minerals. There are commercial and homemade granular mixes available. Dig a whole 2-3" deep by about 3 feet across. But running mineral sites can get a bit pricey. This final and vital piece of the puzzle is daily intake. for about $23.00 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. for about $23.00. And, honestly, the only difference I can tell is in the price. For about $50 or less, you can buy all the ingredients you need to make several productive and quality mineral sites for deer. Calcium and phosphorus are important for bone growth, while magnesium helps to regulate muscle and nerve function. Comes in 50lb Bags, you need one bag. Research shows granular minerals facilitate increased consumption by animals as theyre able to literally eat (vs. lick) the mixture. Interestingly enough, Larry later earned a doctoral degree in Range Management from Texas A&M University, and to this day he remains a recognized authority on range management and animal nutrition. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. Dig a whole 2-3" deep by about 3 feet across. Growing antlers are composed mostly of proteins (80 percent by weight); whereas hardened antlers contain roughly equal amounts of proteins and minerals. Result Getting your food plots back on track. WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. Deer, during this time of year, are actively searching for it. If youre trying to lure deer, place slow-releasing mineral blocks near bedding areas and water sources in the summer. Also, fawns will learn mineral site areas from their mothers and will return to sites even after they are weaned. This particularly is true for sandy soils, as well as highly acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH) soils. Bogart, GA 30622 They can feed darned near anywhere as browse is abundant and crops are plentiful. The higher the numbers the more you are typically getting out of it. Next, choose a central location near cover and dig a shallow, 6-inch deep hole a few feet in diameter. As you can imagine, after a deer paws up and eats a bunch of salty dirt, its going to need a drink. Now add in the oats and mix again. All North American Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. It would appear that, based on the test results, intake of a free choice deer mineral is substantially lower than what is commonly thought and much closer to the predicted intake based on body weight calculation. However, deer are not attracted to a high-salt solution and will not consume it. How to Make the World's Best Homemade Deer Attractant Feed Mineral - YouTube Skip navigation Sign in 0:00 / 18:02 Intro How to Make the World's Best Homemade Deer Attractant Feed. These are the most potent and effective of the three elements. Micro-nutrients such as Cu, Zn and Se are particularly important to whitetails, responsible for many metabolic activities and immune development. Of course, the other macro- and micro-nutrients should be included in lesser amounts. EXPLORE OTHER MEDIA 360 PROPERTIES FOR OUTDOORS ENTHUSIASTS, Hot Gear: Protect Your Phone, Docs with Confidence, Ultralight Tactical Tomahawk The Proven Multipurpose Outdoor Tool. Mar 18, 2010. Find an area located in some cover close to the water source. Email: info@deerassociation.com. If deer were lacking minerals, why wouldnt they use the pure mineral supplement even if salt wasnt present? Over the past five years or so, I've really started to fine-tune the system that I use for running trail cameras in the spring and summer months, and it's a system that revolves entirely around mineral sites.