Dawg Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Who uses them? Do you use an ordinary block from the feed store or do you purchase one like "The Trophy Rock"? What other products do you use at a mineral site? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 I tried the Trophy Rock once in front of a camera, the deer seemed to like it. I don't think it keeps them coming back for more, but they use it when they are around it. Never saw this deer before, and never again after this chance encounter over a Trophy Rock. You can see him lick it twice before moving on. This was pre-rut time period, so he was probably just moving through.... ohiobucks1157's Channel - YouTube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Been using minerals for a good while here and have done everything from mixing my own to using trophy rocks, to plain trace mineral cattle blocks, and several other commercial "deer attractant" minerals. Most of them are pretty well the same Corey, however best results we had were probably with the trophy rock. That said been using deer cain here the past couple years, bought out a wal mart clearance on them a few years back and finally on my last bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Yep been using them for several years. I just buy the mineral blocks at Tractor Supply, and the deer really use them. We put out a block in a new spot last year, and I went back in there yesterday for the first time in about 7 months, and the deer had an area dug out probably 6 foot wide where the block had been. I went ahead and put another block there and hung a trail cam over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 We've mixed our own for our mineral licks but it's mainly hit during the summer. Cory...with mineral blocks being utilized more during the warmer months, this would be a good alternative to that during open seasons since you are allowed to bait. Delta Whitetail, Delta Whitetail Consultants Hi-Pro Block I know of some hunters that have used them in LA with amazing results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swohiodave Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Been using the red mineral/salt block from tractor supply under my trail cam this year. The big 8 pointer I have pics of in the photo room loves the salt block. I have 30'ish pics of him licking it. Does anyone use them during the winter? I hear they do not use minerals during the winter, is this true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted July 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Does anyone use them during the winter? I hear they do not use minerals during the winter, is this true? That's what I'm told as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 (edited) Been using the red mineral/salt block from tractor supply under my trail cam this year. The big 8 pointer I have pics of in the photo room loves the salt block. I have 30'ish pics of him licking it. Does anyone use them during the winter? I hear they do not use minerals during the winter, is this true? The deer seem to stop using them around September here and dont really start using them again until May or so. The deer on my hunting lands have access to it year round but they choose to use it only during the summer. I have had trail cams over a lick that were getting 700 pics of deer a week during August, that took less than 25 pics in a week in December. Edited July 19, 2011 by Ethan Givan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearClaw Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Been using the trace mineral block from Tractor Supply for years and the deer really like it. Yes, they stop using it around September but get a lot of pics on the trail cam during the Spring and Summer. Let's me know what's out there. Cost around $6.00. I'm sure the Trophy Rock works as well but this is a lot cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Does anyone use them during the winter? I hear they do not use minerals during the winter, is this true? Keep our minerals going year round. Yes activity will drop off some, but we still get plenty of deer coming to our minerals in the time that people say deer don't use minerals. All it takes is one right doe at the right time to come to the minerals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Does anyone use them during the winter? I hear they do not use minerals during the winter, is this true? During the early part of bowseason here I'll see a few deer go to them. Keep in mind, here in MS it's common during the 1st 10 days or so to have temps get into the low to mid 80's...sometimes up to 90. Usage is nothing like it is during June, July, August or early September though. I have a few fall/winter stands that are set on edges or funnels where mineral licks happen to be within sight of those stands. I don't recall ever seeing a deer stop and use them during the fall/winter period. However they still use the trails that pass through them...just don't stop to lick at all. Even though they don't stop to utilize the lick I do believe you can set a pattern for their use of the trails passing through the lick if it's in or on the edge of cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I've found that a pure salt block attracts considerably better than any mineral I've used. I use the minerals to help the herd and the salt to get pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have kept a condensed external hd copy of activity from cameras for the past few years so I can go back and trend things like this. Sept activity drops to around 40-70 pics per week. October and November do appear to be the slowest months with around 40 pics a week. Looks like we have an uptick in activity around our minerals in December with average weeks having over 100 pics a week. Peak summer time activity the camera will usually fill a card in a week with 260-270 pics. I almost killed a really nice mature buck that was coming on a young hot doe during our late bow season, that doe was at our mineral site and that was mid December. Got stuck in that stand til well after dark and watched several deer hit the minerals. Ended up killing that buck 3 days later on our late rifle season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have several mineral spots the I keep replenished year around. I always add more in feb/march then again in June/July and sometimes again during the hunting season. Deer will and do still use the mineral in the fall....NO not as much but they do in the summer and spring but they still will and do. The mineral I use is a powder kind I buy at my local co-op. I simple add more and stir it around into my existing spots. I have read alot lately about the trophy rock.....and out of my own curiosity I am going to try it soon. I wouldn't dump alot of pure salt out.. And I am careful as to what mineral I select to put out....I don't want alot of salt in the mineral....And my reason is salt has little nutritional value to the deer and as deer lick the salt they become thirsty. Now the deer go to water to satisfy their thirst. Now they have their belly full of water. I would much rather the deer go feed on my food plots or consume mineral. Sure they need water and will drink water....but I would prefer they fill their bellies with food/protein and not lots of water. So I try to use mineral with less salt attractant.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I've used both the cattle type blocks and the Trophy Rock, and the deer would hit both. But since I've started feeding free choice protein, which contains a lot of trace minerals, the deer have really backed off on the mineral blocks. I guess their bodies know what they need and if they're getting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 I have kept a condensed external hd copy of activity from cameras for the past few years so I can go back and trend things like this. Sept activity drops to around 40-70 pics per week. October and November do appear to be the slowest months with around 40 pics a week. Looks like we have an uptick in activity around our minerals in December with average weeks having over 100 pics a week. Peak summer time activity the camera will usually fill a card in a week with 260-270 pics. I almost killed a really nice mature buck that was coming on a young hot doe during our late bow season, that doe was at our mineral site and that was mid December. Got stuck in that stand til well after dark and watched several deer hit the minerals. Ended up killing that buck 3 days later on our late rifle season. These MS deer must be weird or different. Granted, I don't run TC's on salt licks after scraping starts because scrapes are too much of a buck magnet but I've never seen a MS deer work a mineral lick during the fall/winter period. I've spent many a day within sight of one too! Hey...you pics don't lie though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 These MS deer must be weird or different. Granted, I don't run TC's on salt licks after scraping starts because scrapes are too much of a buck magnet but I've never seen a MS deer work a mineral lick during the fall/winter period. I've spent many a day within sight of one too! Hey...you pics don't lie though! Nope, pics don't lie, here are just a few. Camera time here is an hour fast, I never bother to reset the clocks for dst. Night I was stuck in the stand, Dec 16, 2009: hot young doe [ATTACH=CONFIG]10409[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]10411[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]10412[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]10413[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]10410[/ATTACH] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 I use only loose mineral..bears will take the blocks off with them In the winter we place mineral on top of corn, that way the deer get mineral when they eat the corn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 That was this deer from this story http://www.realtree.com/forums/deer-hunting/94834-yep-its-him-late-season-success.html. He never used the minerals to my knowledge while I was in the stand, but the does did. I watched them for quite a while. [ATTACH=CONFIG]10414[/ATTACH] Smaller buck. [ATTACH=CONFIG]10416[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]10415[/ATTACH] Few pics of activity on the 18th of December at the minerals, same young doe back. [ATTACH=CONFIG]10417[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]10418[/ATTACH] Killed the buck on the morning of December 19. He was on his way back to bed and slipped up coming through the field on the opposite side to the mineral site. Where he stopped when I shot him he probably could have seen the corner where that mineral site is at, he had to come up a hill and he stopped near where it crested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 (edited) Never doubted your word William. That's pretty cool to bag a niceun right after you got pics of him. I've done that once but didn't know I had pics of him the night before I killed him until after I pulled the cam the next morning after draggin him out. The cam was set on a scrape on the edge of a small 1/4 ac. food plot though, not a salt lick. I killed him on the edge of a thicket in the bottom below that plot. He happened to be hanging with a doe that passed within 20 yards of a mineral lick in that bottom. That was as close as they got to the mineral lick. I do believe that mineral lick helped establish a movement pattern of trails through there. Edited July 20, 2011 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Never doubted your word William. That's pretty cool to bag a niceun right after you got pics of him. I've done that once but didn't know I had pics of him the night before I killed him until after I pulled the cam the next morning after draggin him out. The cam was set on a scrape on the edge of a small 1/4 ac. food plot though, not a salt lick. I killed him on the edge of a thicket in the bottom below that plot. He happened to be hanging with a doe that passed within 20 yards of a mineral lick in that bottom. That was as close as they got to the mineral lick. I do believe that mineral lick helped establish a movement pattern of trails through there. We had quite the history with that buck Al, had tons of pics of him from all over our property and it was never any consistent times, no pattern at all. Was running 4 cams at the time and he disappeared for 3-4 weeks at a time. Only time I know we had pics of him using the minerals were in the summer and that was only about once a week. I still think he was one I had seen during the prior season and was watching pics of in the 2008 season. One doe is all it takes though and from all I have seen here the does do continue using the minerals even though activity does drop off. Had always heard minerals were a waste of time in the fall and winter too, but I know for certain that those does hanging in that corner on that almost opportunity with the bow had everything to do with the minerals. I refreshed the minerals the day after when I pulled that card on I believe the 17th with deer cain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 I've never seen a deer go to a mineral site past the second week or so of bow season..... until last year. Amazingly I saw deer go to a block on three separate occasions during November, and some others at our club saw the same thing. Coincidence? I doubt it. Maybe a strange combination of weather, poor browse, or something along that line. We always throw a block out at each food plot, and keep some troughs in a few spots as well with loose minerals in them, but never have I seen deer use them in winter, until last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbsalt.com Posted January 27, 2023 Report Share Posted January 27, 2023 Be careful that wild animals don't get caught in any of the ropes used for hanging the salt as in some states it is an offense to coax wild animals into areas to feed. But as w all know animals need salt just like humans, https://superbsalt.com/best-himalayan-salt-licks-for-horses-and-cattle/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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