The higher the numbers the more you are typically getting out of it. Pour your mineral contents all over the turned-up ground and mix it in with the shovel or pitchfork. Im talking smashed with a giant skillet flat. Join us as we mix up the mineral and take it out and put. ! Maybe, or maybe not. If youre looking for a natural way to increase your deers antler growth, homemade deer minerals may be the answer. Granular - these minerals are added to the soil, and deer get them by consuming the minerals and/or soil/minerals mixture. Gordon Whittington heads north to his personal Missouri farm for some crossbow action. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Home Recipes The #1 Best Deer Mineral Recipe. Salt 5.0 lbs, Salt 12.5 lbs. Dicalcium Phosphate - #50 - $20.10. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities.2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. Deer: Balancing Expectations for Small Properties, Get to Know Your Neighbors for Better Deer Herd Management, Big Buck Profile: Reid Crawford Kansas Buck, Choosing Correct Magnification for Rifle Scope, Big Buck Profile: Troy Metzger's East Illinois Giant. Attraction to salt is caused by the balance of potassium and sodium in the deers body. This will help you determine if the lick is being used, and if it needs to be moved or replenished. However, soil limitations often dictate using supplements to fill in the blanks created by scarcity of critical minerals in the native environment. Increased aggression by certain deer (usually adult does) that guard the site will decrease the number of deer utilizing that particular location. WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE Ingredients: Makes 250 lbs 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. Along those same lines, deer will more readily utilize minerals that are ground applied than offered in a man-made feeder. With careful consideration of the deers nutritional requirements and the needs of the environment, a successful deer mineral recipe can be created. But adding a mineral site to the mix has been the ticket for me. Calcium and phosphorus are important for bone growth, while magnesium helps to regulate muscle and nerve function. Weve learned that a multi-pronged approach to providing deer minerals is best. Email: info@deerassociation.com. Studies show that there are about 11 minerals in deer antlers. Maybe I'm overly paranoid but I don't like adding persimmon-scented products in an area where persimmons don't grow. Research on domestic livestock has documented numerous benefits of mineral supplementation including increased forage intake, improved forage digestion, and increased reproductive success. The amount of mineral soil used for antler growth will depend on how many deer will visit the site. Result You could also create your own homemade mineral licks for deer, by combining various bulk minerals (e.g., stock salt, trace minerals, dicalcium phosphate for deer) from your local coop. Salt becomes less of an attractant, which means that in order to get continued mineral consumption, a different type of attractant must be used. Therefore, I took the total number of deer that used the site over a seven-day period and divided it by seven days to reach an approximate number of deer using the site each day. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. | It won't take long to sink a few hundred bucks into the ground. A 1:1 or 2:1 Ca:P ratio is optimum. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. One final deer mineral site consideration for non-nutritional factors is soil type. Next, clear the ground to bare dirt, about 3 feet in diameter. Making your own deer mineral lick can be a simple and cost-effective way to help increase the odds that your hunt will be successful. 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. Over the years, Ive written on a number of occasions about mineral supplementation for whitetails. However, in many areas feeding isnt a legal option. However, the formula I used for this mineral is a fairly standard formula used in many deer mineral products. 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. Help us continue producing great, educational content by joining the National Deer Association or making a tax-deductible donation. However, these herds were fed a nutritionally deficient diet below what most whitetails would have access to in the wild. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. One of the easiest ways to lure deer to your property is to place a mineral lick. Despite the number of products now on the market and the amount of information published, many user questions continue. As I detailed in the Spring issue, its safe to say that soils determine more about whitetail growth and productivity than any other factor. Once you begin your mineral-lick program, keep in mind that youll want to refreshen them throughout the year to keep them attracting deer and providing the minerals they need. Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. One method for making your own mineral blocks is to mix them with soil. You should place a mineral site close to a source of water, as deer will need water after ingesting the minerals. So a product that is very high in salt will likely have less total consumption than a product lower in salt. "I take a 5-gallon bucket and use 1/4 Di-calcium phosphate and divide the rest 50/50. 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. Researchers at Mississippi State University found a strong correlation between soil mineral content (primarily phosphorus) and body size, although no correlation with adult antler size was found. Also, slightly burying the pan helped to ensure the mineral would not be spilled. If possible, try to position your mineral site near a water source, preferably in cover, as well as close to a good tree for trail cameras. Deer, during this time of year, are actively searching for it. EXPLORE OTHER MEDIA 360 PROPERTIES FOR OUTDOORS ENTHUSIASTS, Hot Gear: Protect Your Phone, Docs with Confidence, Ultralight Tactical Tomahawk The Proven Multipurpose Outdoor Tool. Those actually were wonderful days to do research, as my colleagues and I picked the low-hanging fruit of knowledge. Its best to get started as soon as spring green-up starts taking place, but keeping minerals out year-round is better. Wildgame Innovations, for example, has all manner of attractants that have a powerful aroma that should help deer find your mineral site more quickly and may add a flavor component that the deer love. Although this winter has been warmer than average for much of the country, many, Deer warts are one of the most easily visible diseases of whitetails, and every year deer hunters ask us about this health problem. In the above video, I share a simple recipe for making about 100 pounds of the mix for less than $40. The best place to put a deer lick is near your closest water holes, ponds or water sources and near your food plots. But running mineral sites can get a bit pricey. A homemade deer mineral lick should include minerals that are essential for deer health, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, and selenium. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. B.Y.O Deer Base also contains, magnesium, sulfur, potassium as well as all the essential trace minerals and vitamins needed by deer. In contrast, most studies on whitetails have focused on the impacts on body weight and antler development. The best deer mineral program is one that features variety and consistency. Studies have shown that calcium and phosphorus are by far the two most common minerals in deer antlers, comprising 3035 percent of the mature antler by weight. Therefore, in these areas, salt may be just as necessary as calcium and phosphorus to whitetails during the spring and summer. Anderson, SC, 2023 N1 Outdoors. Also, if youre not getting at least the intake level of .2 to .4 ounce per head per day, then maybe you need to switch products, move the mineral site or make some other changes to make sure deer are consuming the desired amount. Do I believe that? We've learned that a multi-pronged approach to providing deer minerals is best. 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. Whitetail Institute Winter-Greens Deer Food Buying Guide Easy to use Effectiveness Affordability Portability Frequently Asked Questions If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Build your own deer base is designed to make your own deer mineral using individual ingredients or you can add it to either your current mineral to make it more fortified. 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. Mineral sites do exactly that. Now that we have an idea of the role minerals play in your management plan, lets look at the recipe. |, Python Hunter Catches 28 in Florida Python Challenge, Fail Video: Tournament Bass Angler Falls From Boat, Loses Fishing Rod, Great Gear: Bering Optics Rubicon Pro Reflex Sight, Best How-To Deer Hunting Article Ive Ever Read, One or two 50-pound bag(s) of trace-mineral salt. This interferes with efficient sodium conversion in the body and increases the need for sodium. Deer need both protein and minerals to grow their antlers. People have used corn, apples, cherries, and salt in a variety of ways to bring deer into an area near a hunting blind or deer stand. According to research, yes. in Food Plots, A different approach, Research is learning what is wrong about a forage. Many of these minerals only make up a fraction of a percent of the antler. As you can imagine, after a deer paws up and eats a bunch of salty dirt, its going to need a drink. The water is so powerful and so easily drained in your hands that you should definitely be buying water from a natural resource like a stream to get a better picture of what the water is going to be like . 2023 National Deer Association, All Rights Reserved. Strongly consider buying a bag of rice bran or other attractant like apple extract that may entice deer to eat the minerals. Mix it well. No one can say for sure, but its probably because most minerals by themselves are bitter. Thats because its long been a topic of widespread interest not only on the part of landowners and other habitat managers, but hunters, as well. Needed by deer take it out and put take it out and put wonderful. Access to in the native environment been the ticket for me these minerals are to! 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