homemade deer minerals

You might go to your mineral site and see that it has been pawed at or dug out and little mineral is visible, but it is hard to tell how much was eaten and how much leached into the soil. TINK'S Doe-in-Rut Buck Lure 2. If youre trying to lure deer, place slow-releasing mineral blocks near bedding areas and water sources in the summer. The two main minerals found in hardened deer antlers are calcium and phosphorous. Along those same lines, deer will more readily utilize minerals that are ground applied than offered in a man-made feeder. So when I am creating new sites, I try several locations and replenish the ones that receive continued use while abandoning the sites with little or no use. Its that time of year again for heat, humidity, bugs, snakes and mineral licks. N1 Outdoors - How To Make Your Own Deer Mineral Recipe (and what ingredients you'll need): Trace Minerals 2 parts trace minerals. The Trace Mineral salt has all the different minerals which deer need after a long winter. calcium, phosphorus, zinc, etc. Additionally, a homemade deer mineral lick can also include minerals like iron, manganese, and cobalt to provide additional health benefits. But generally, one per 100 acres will ensure that the majority of the deer will have easy access to a mineral site. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. Well provide the latest updates on CWD spread, research and policy from across North America. 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? Monitor the lick and the deer activity around it regularly. The placement of a homemade deer mineral lick on your property is an important factor in encouraging deer to visit and use the lick. Those actually were wonderful days to do research, as my colleagues and I picked the low-hanging fruit of knowledge. If a buck consumes 8 pounds of total food per day, then in order to hit an 18 percent protein level in his diet, he would need to consume 1.44 pounds of protein. In other words, were some deer that came to the sight twice a day actually counted as two different deer? Originally came off the QDMA website, but I can't find it know. This will help you determine if the lick is being used, and if it needs to be moved or replenished. B.Y.O Deer Base also contains, magnesium, sulfur, potassium as well as all the essential trace minerals and vitamins needed by deer. Therefore, mineral supplementation prior to and during antler growth may be beneficial. Nutritional consumption factors revolve around the attractant agent used in the product. Research has shown that after a site is used, it will often become a part of the feeding and movement pattern. Manage Settings About 40 percent is composed of protein. While the advantages of mineral supplementation have not been clearly documented, neither have any disadvantages. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. If you notice no deer sign after a few weeks, then mix in more salt to the site. A lot is made over the power of mineral sites to grow antlers and create a healthier deer population. In contrast, most studies on whitetails have focused on the impacts on body weight and antler development. Privacy Policy, N1 Outdoors Deer Antler Leather Patch Hat (Realtree Timber/Black), N1 Outdoors Blaze Orange Leather Patch Hat, N1 Outdoors Bowhunt Oh Yeah Bowhunting Tee, N1 Outdoors Leather Patch Trapper Hat (Whitetail Antler design various patterns), Edge of the Outdoors Tee (featuring Tuffhead Evolution Broadhead), Yes You Can Bait Deer In Oregon But There Are A Few Things To Consider Loup City. Many of these minerals only make up a fraction of a percent of the antler. Rain will dissolve the mixture. Honestly, I'm not sure and it really doesn't matter to me that much. Without question deer need minerals, and they will readily use mineral licks. Most folks would simply look at the tag and see that one product is 28 percent and the other 22 percent and just assume that the deer is getting more protein from the 28 percent protein product. The feeding pan had a total of 4.27 pounds, or 68.24 ounces, of mineral remaining. Here is a recipe one of the MO conservation agents passed on to us hunters. While it sounds simple to concoct your own mineral mix, thats really not a good idea. However, if you are using mineral supplements or considering using them to improve the nutritional plan of the deer herd on your property, I think having at least an idea of what expected intake is is important. Of course, we now know the Earth isnt flat, but it wasnt a popular belief until science and ocean navigation proved it. Using a mineral mixture that has less than 50 percent salt will not attract deer. Dont expect to see trophy bucks walking around this fall just because you gave them a mineral boost this spring. For several years now, I have been formulating free choice minerals for wild deer. But we now know that was a really bad idea. After all, it sure looks that way. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. locks tend to be the least effective way for deer to get supplemental minerals. Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. In reviewing the scientific literature, I quickly discovered there was very little known about critical minerals for deer. 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. Make sure the lick is near a water source. There are many other examples of popular beliefs being dramatically changed through scientific discovery. Antlers are comprised of roughly 20 percent calcium and 10 percent phosphorus. Now that we have an idea of the role minerals play in your management plan, lets look at the recipe. 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. One of the easiest ways to lure deer to your property is to place a mineral lick. Deer mineral licks are a great way to attract more deer. The National Deer Association is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Farm A had an average number of 11 adult deer using the site on a daily basis. Granular these minerals are added to the soil, and deer get them by consuming the minerals and/or soil/minerals mixture. As I previously mentioned, intake is a vital factor when formulating a mineral or protein supplement or complete feed. Once youve thoroughly mixed the minerals with the soil, youre done. Subscriber Services. JavaScript is disabled. |, 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. That would certainly work. I began the project by placing black plastic feeding pans at my oldest and most frequented deer mineral sites. In fact, theres significant scientific evidence to suggest Cu deficiencies are linked to spontaneous occurrences of brain diseases such as mad cow and CWD. Or maybe you have an established mineral site that you need to freshen up. Stockpiled Forages, The Key to Growing Big Bucks. Magnesium is perhaps the third most important mineral with sodium being not far behind. You can provide deer these minerals and supplemented nutrition a variety of ways. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. These folks should know more than anyone about proper nutrition for ruminants, a group that includes whitetails. 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. Its a bountiful area that produces wheat, corn and beef cattle that feed thousands of people around the world. What Are Arrows Shot From Untuned Bows Likely to Do. When spring rolls around, hunters everywhere gear up to begin establishing or recharging the mineral sites on their hunting properties. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. The best time to put out these mineral blocks is in February/March/April. A classic study on the mineral needs of deer was conducted at Penn State University in the 1950s. Weve learned that a multi-pronged approach to providing deer minerals is best. All Rights Reserved. I have found that mineral sites located in sandy areas are utilized less than mineral sites in heavier soils. Site by Gray Loon. The rest must come directly from their diet while their antlers are actively growing. Give a Gift Phone: 1-800-209-DEER (3337) We also identified magnesium deficiencies in some Michigan deer when we discovered dozens of them eating mud rich in this mineral. But this does not guarantee that deer will use the site. In so doing, we get fantastic response from the deer herd. Regardless of the intensity of mineral supplementation, a yearling buck will still be a yearling buck. However, these herds were fed a nutritionally deficient diet below what most whitetails would have access to in the wild. If you dont see any deer activity near the mineral sight, try placing it near water sources and a good tree for trail cameras. These categories indicate the amount used by the animal. The diacalcium phosphate costs about $25 to $30 and the trace-mineral salt is about $12 to $15 per bag. Many hunters believe that it is simply because bucks need the minerals for antler growth and does for raising fawns during these months. 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. Once posts are published, youll see them here. Of course, the other macro- and micro-nutrients should be included in lesser amounts. As fall approaches, vegetation begins to mature and drop in potassium. Research on domestic livestock has documented numerous benefits of mineral supplementation including increased forage intake, improved forage digestion, and increased reproductive success. Now, back to the 18 percent protein. #1. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. In a similar study conducted at Auburn University, researchers tried to detect differences in body and antler size between an unsupplemented and supplemented group. A lot is made over the power of mineral sites to grow antlers and create a healthier deer population. You can also use this as a trail cam to monitor the growth of your deers antlers. The best deer mineral program is one that features variety and consistency. A much better approach is to use a covered trough with a roof high enough for a buck to easily get his head inside (and be able to see all around as he does so). In this video I show you the results from my homemade deer minerals. 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. Experiment and see what works best for you. Micro-nutrients include: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), iodine (I) and selenium (Se). Whether the addition of supplemental minerals is truly benefitting the deer, or if the deer are simply using the site because of the salt, isn't really a primary concern of mine. To begin with the non-nutritional category, location is critical. Also, fawns will learn mineral site areas from their mothers and will return to sites even after they are weaned. Its simple: they need the salt because the forage they are eating in summer is high in water and potassium, thus creating a salt deficiency. If youre looking for a natural way to increase your deers antler growth, homemade deer minerals may be the answer. In the old days, we simply dug holes and poured granular mineral into them. Mineral sites do exactly that. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. The best place to put a deer lick is near your closest water holes, ponds or water sources and near your food plots. Dicalcium phosphate contains around 19 percent phosphorous and 20 to 25 percent calcium. Mix it well. Basically, the deer will tell you where they like to eat. A balanced pelleted ration can deliver all the mineral nutrition needed by the herd. 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. Anderson, SC, 2023 N1 Outdoors. So why not just pour salt out for the deer if thats what they're after? Make Your Own Deer Mineral 128,225 views May 5, 2014 485 Dislike Share Save Realtree 279K subscribers Antler Geek Tony Hansen shares his recipe and tips for making your own deer mineral. Includes whitetails need minerals, and they will readily use mineral licks phosphate costs about $ 12 to 15. Would have access to a mineral site areas from their diet while their antlers are comprised roughly. The impacts on body weight and antler development process your data homemade deer minerals a of... One bag are weaned yearling buck will still be a yearling buck still! Fantastic response from the deer herd mix in more salt to the sight twice day... Grow antlers and create a healthier deer population content measurement, audience insights and product development conservation passed. That deer will tell you where they like to eat results from my deer... 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