minerals

[danthehuntinman]

I just got some lucky buck minerals to try out. I was wondering if anyone on here used them and how good they worked. I've been doing trace minerals salt and phosphate the past 4 years and have worked really well for me I just wanted to try something new.

[wtnhunt]

minerals

Never tried that one. Tried plenty of others, most work about the same.

[Rhino]

Never tried that one. Tried plenty of others, most work about the same.

Same here...won't hurt to try it out first. It won't take too long to know for yourself. Only used 1 before that deer didn't hardly hit at all. Can't remember the name of it.

[danthehuntinman]

I checked my cameras after a week on both mineral sights and the deer aren't really hitting them. So I'm not sure how long it should take the deer to start using them. We just got a 30 acre clover field put in so maybe that's affecting the way the deer are using minerals.

[wtnhunt]

Usually not long after they find them.

Mineral use will depend on what the deer lack in what they are getting naturally in your area.

[danthehuntinman]

We don't have much minerals in the ground around my farm. I put a mineral site out on the opposite side of my farm like I've used for three years I'm going to see how that works.

[hoosierhunter]

I used lucky buck last season on my established mineral sites and the deer my as well been doing lines of coke with it. I always has it out with either a trophy rock or salt block. The only other attractant I've seen work better was BB2.

I've found its key to put the mineral sites in the proper position. My are always on the edge of my clover plots since that's what greens up first.

[wtnhunt]

I've found its key to put the mineral sites in the proper position. My are always on the edge of my clover plots since that's what greens up first.

Yep placement is key, the main site on our property is also just off the edge of a clover plot in a corner. Needs to also be water nearby.

[Rhino]

Last year we used Mineral Mine on our licks for the 1st time in MO. We had the same results with it as hoosierhunter had with his lucky buck mineral. Some of the mineral licks were new lick sites last year too. The prior year we used something different that the deer didn't hardly touch. Like I said before, I can't remember what it was called because I won't ever use it again. With the results we had last year with Mineral Mine, that's what we're using again this year. We freshened up our 13 mineral lick sites and made a new one back in late March and we'll add more mineral to each of those licks around the end of June or beginning of July. That's also the time we'll start running trail cams on them. Those 14 licks are spread around ~1,350 acres. JMO but 1 lick for every 100 acres or so is how I like to do it.

Placement is important but if you have a larger piece of property, spreading them out is just as important. Also the licks will get hit harder when they are moist & less when they are dry. Most of our mineral licks are fairly close (if not right next to) the edge of crop fields or food plots. 5 of them are back in the timber though. Near the end of the MO turkey season I checked most of them while loosening up more treestands and they were all getting hammered.

One more thing...JMHO on mineral licks...we do them mainly because they are beneficial for the overall health of the deer herd. They are not the magic formula to grow bigger rack bucks. Nutrition, age, and genetics are far more important than mineral licks IMO for bucks to maximize their potential in antler growth. An added benefit is they are great places for trail cam sets during the antler growing period.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Rhino

[Ravin R10 man]

I hit the deer all winter with loose mineral on top of corn in a trough feeder, imo that's when you can get the most into them, so by spring the doe & fawns and bucks are already up to the levels they need for optimal growth & development. If you start in the spring, you are playing catch up.

I did put out Trophy Rocks ,but like Rhino said mostly to get them on a cam

deer found them quickly, they seem to work well

Edited June 8, 2014 by Mathews XT Man

[wtnhunt]

Keep our site replenished as needed all year long. We see continued use on into the winter.

Only have 60 acres here, but our property is odd shaped. Have run a couple other sites in the past, but our main site has been going for probably 14 years. Going to probably get a second site going in the bottom again this year.

[danthehuntinman]

I have 2 sights on the edge of the clover field one is up high on the ridge by a spring and the other is on the bottom by a pond. We put some type of minerals out year around on our farm. The one where the lucky buck is a is the first year I've had minerals in that spot beside just a mineral block out here and there. We have 58.5 acres and run 3 cameras on it and have different deer on all of them and usually the same deer don't show u on all the cams. The sight by the pond I've had in there for years now so the deer hit it pretty regular.