Potassium and sodium must maintain a balance at a cellular level, and since most green, growing vegetation is much higher in potassium than sodium, deer become salt hungry during the spring and summer as their bodies crave more sodium. 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. Homemade Fortified Deer Block Bootleg Outdoors 146K views 5 years ago Mineral licks for deer Kosmo's Blackdog Outdoors 36K views 6 years ago You're signed out of YouTube Sign in to like. 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. Compared to sheep and goats, whitetails are copper hogs that need a lot of the mineral. Almost all soils more than 2550 miles from a seacoast are low in sodium. Find an area located in some cover close to the water source. Here is a recipe one of the MO conservation agents passed on to us hunters. But we now know that was a really bad idea. Deer are very finicky when it comes to eating, especially when it is supplemental products offered to wild deer. 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. Micro-nutrients include: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), iodine (I) and selenium (Se). You can use granular minerals or dicalcium phosphate, which can be found at a feed store. Strongly consider buying a bag of rice bran or other attractant like apple extract that may entice deer to eat the minerals. This can help attract deer to feed stations during these stressful periods. According to research, yes. Not enough salt and it won't be as weather proof nor will it be as palatable. These products can be mixed with water or placed in a tree stump. If deer were lacking minerals, why wouldnt they use the pure mineral supplement even if salt wasnt present? Think of minerals more like a vitamin, filling the gap in any deficiencies that might exist in a deers diet. Allow the deer to lick the mineral lick for about two weeks. Updates are provided, P.O. They have a bit of a red pepper tint and some of the seeds are green. I've mentioned this before, but here is the recipe I use with prices. The feeding pan had a total of 4.27 pounds, or 68.24 ounces, of mineral remaining. Staying undetected by deer while hunting in a ground blind takes a few easy steps. During the spring and summer, deer operate at a sodium deficiency due to the high potassium and water content of the forage. The product you choose needs to have calcium and phosphorus, in as large of quantity as possible. Could the use of salt/mineral mixes simply be due to an increased need for salt? One final deer mineral site consideration for non-nutritional factors is soil type. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. All North American Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. #1. Could the use of salt/mineral mixes simply be due to an increased need for salt? If you plan to use a mineral mix for deer, you may need to increase the concentration of salt over time. Homemade deer mineral supplements work best near waterholes and food plots. Place the mixture in a shallow container, such as a baking pan or pie plate, and place it in an area frequented by deer. Once they've found the location, it's the salt that keeps them coming back. Honestly, I'm not sure and it really doesn't matter to me that much. 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. I've done more research on this that I care to disclose, but from . Any one of a hundred things can influence how often a deer will use a supplemental mineral and how much it will consume. WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE Printable version Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. This time of year, deer are actively searching for salt. But theyre bitter on their own, so you need to add more salt to the mix. As you can see, getting the right salt level in a mineral can be tricky. The best place to put a deer lick is near your closest water holes, ponds or water sources and near your food plots. 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. A balanced pelleted ration can deliver all the mineral nutrition needed by the herd. In this edition of "From The Stand," Pat Hogan explains the importance of being aware of proper clearance when using your bow or crossbow out in the field. Even in the deer world, we are continuously finding that what we thought was fact one day is completely disproved the next. Farm A had an average number of 11 adult deer using the site on a daily basis. 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 . In conclusion, the best deer mineral recipe is one that contains trace minerals, salt, vitamins, and minerals that are beneficial to deer. As you can imagine, after a deer paws up and eats a bunch of salty dirt, its going to need a drink. At the same time, I reviewed the cameras located at each spot to identify how many deer were using the site each day. Look for the highest amounts of calcium and phosphorus on the label. Trace mineral salt contains mostly salt, which is what the deer are actually looking for, and various other trace amounts of minerals such as zinc, manganese, iron all of which are found in hardened deer antler. Salt becomes less of an attractant, which means that in order to get continued mineral consumption, a different type of attractant must be used. So a product that is very high in salt will likely have less total consumption than a product lower in salt. You can purchase the ingredients in many stores and mix them together yourself. Deer prefer mineral sites that are in cover as opposed to out in the open. 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. Gordon Whittington talks with Steven Sprout about the trophy buck he took back in 1998 while bowhunting public land in Illinois. Salt regulates intake. However, soil limitations often dictate using supplements to fill in the blanks created by scarcity of critical minerals in the native environment. Tink's Estrous Gel Stream 3. Here's the finished mineral site with dicalcium phosphate and trace mineral salt thoroughly mixed together with the soil. So here, during a time of year when mineral interest and use are high, Id like to recap which minerals deer need and how to address those needs. for about $23.00 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. Besides calcium and phosphorus, little is known about the role of other minerals in antler growth. The best mineral sites are located near water sources. One of the easiest ways to lure deer to your property is to place a mineral lick. ! 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. You can also locate these sites near good trees for trail cameras. Once youve thoroughly mixed the minerals with the soil, youre done. If youre trying to lure deer, place slow-releasing mineral blocks near bedding areas and water sources in the summer. Even taking all of this into consideration, I believe that, at the very least, the results strongly suggest that the intake of free choice minerals is substantially lower than 1 to 2 ounces per head per day. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. Part 1, Importance of Soil pH. 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. This can be beneficial for several reasons. Pour in one of the bags of salt and one box of the A & H. Stir in well and then add three forths of the second bag of salt and all of the 2nd box of A & H. Mix in well and smooth over the top. Have you ever wondered why deer hammer mineral licks in the warm-weather months more than any other time of year? Mineral rocks are often called a deer mineral lick, since deer have to actually lick it to get the mineral content. 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. To my knowledge, there is little to no research on the subject as it pertains to deer. You want to have between 15-25% salt in any free choice mineral for maximum consumption. Top 5 Best Homemade Deer Attractants Reviewed 1. This is especially true of dried molasses, which deer love. Dicalcium Phosphate Mix the ingredients above with 1 part dicalcium phosphate. In addition, one group was provided a commercial mineral supplement. Yes, whitetails will eat dirt, but the vast majority of minerals they consume enter the system through the plants they eat. The best deer mineral program is one that features variety and consistency. In the above video, I share a simple recipe for making about 100 pounds of the mix for less than $40. Then use a shovel or pitchfork to turn up the ground. Placing the lick in a spot with tall grasses or shrubs will help the deer feel safe when they are visiting the lick. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. Im talking smashed with a giant skillet flat. Even though we used protein in this example, the same is true for nutrients in a mineral supplement. Spread evenly the remainder of the bag of salt. In a similar study conducted at Auburn University, researchers tried to detect differences in body and antler size between an unsupplemented and supplemented group. Additionally, a homemade deer mineral lick can also include minerals like iron, manganese, and cobalt to provide additional health benefits. This is in contrast to animals with horns that are made of keratin (like fingernails), that do not shed, and need only protein to increase the growth their horns. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. Research shows granular minerals facilitate increased consumption by animals as they're able to literally eat (vs. lick) the mixture. A classic study on the mineral needs of deer was conducted at Penn State University in the 1950s. For example, research has shown that a buck needs about an 18 percent protein diet during the antler-growing cycle to maximize antler growth. Make sure the lick is near a water source. All soils are made up of minerals, and there are clear deficiencies in many areas. 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