I've done more research on this that I care to disclose, but from . Of course, while mulling this over in my Excel spreadsheet, I was making a lot of assumptions, so I decided to conduct a research project on one of my farms to see if I could come up with a number based on real data. Here is a recipe one of the MO conservation agents passed on to us hunters. Monitor the lick and the deer activity around it regularly. Surely, the knee-deep depressions in the soil caused by repeated years of mineral supplementation are evidence of deer need, correct? Help us continue producing great, educational content by joining the National Deer Association or making a tax-deductible donation. Think of minerals more like a vitamin, filling the gap in any deficiencies that might exist in a deers diet. While the advantages of mineral supplementation have not been clearly documented, neither have any disadvantages. Mineral licks also provide a great place to survey deer with game cameras. These categories indicate the amount used by the animal. This recipe should also be tailored to meet the needs of the area in which it is being used. How to Make the World's Best Homemade Deer Attractant Feed Mineral - YouTube Skip navigation Sign in 0:00 / 18:02 Intro How to Make the World's Best Homemade Deer Attractant Feed. Creating a lick is certainly fun, inexpensive, and watching deer respond to these licks is satisfying. Pull up a seat and join us. Homemade deer mineral supplements work best near waterholes and food plots. 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. The placement of a homemade deer mineral lick on your property is an important factor in encouraging deer to visit and use the lick. In the above video, I share a simple recipe for making about 100 pounds of the mix for less than $40. Most professionals relied on information generated primarily for small ruminants, including sheep and goats. Rain will dissolve the mixture. Research in Tennessee supports this. Theyre classified as either macro- or micro-nutrients. Dicalcium Phosphate Mix the ingredients above with 1 part dicalcium phosphate. There is little question that increased mineral nutrition can improve your deer herd, and now that you know what to expect for intake, you can use this information to make sure your mineral product is performing as it should. calcium, phosphorus, zinc, etc.). Although many people assume that any mineral will grow trophy bucks, most deer are not that fortunate. Use a mineral site. 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. 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. They have a bit of a red pepper tint and some of the seeds are green. The two main minerals found in hardened deer antlers are calcium and phosphorous. Find an area located in some cover close to the water source. Micro-nutrients include: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), iodine (I) and selenium (Se). Tink's Estrous Gel Stream 3. Look for the highest amounts of calcium and phosphorus on the label. 2023 National Deer Association, All Rights Reserved. Placing the lick in a spot with tall grasses or shrubs will help the deer feel safe when they are visiting the lick. Place the lick in an area that has plenty of natural browse available. Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. For about $50 or less, you can buy all the ingredients you need to make several productive and quality mineral sites for deer. Ohio Hunter Balances Hunting and Family to Bag 190-inch Typical, Dr. Sodium helps to regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body. 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. Once you have your supplies its time to start making mineral sites. Research shows granular minerals facilitate increased consumption by animals as they're able to literally eat (vs. lick) the mixture. However, soil limitations often dictate using supplements to fill in the blanks created by scarcity of critical minerals in the native environment. Be sure its in close proximity to a good tree for a trail camera, too. Ingredients 2 cups = Oats 2 cups = Cornmeal 1 cup = Brown sugar 1 cup = Molasses 1/2 cup = Vegetable oil Directions In a large bowl, pour in molasses, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. 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. During gestation and lactation does have high requirements for calcium and magnesium. Copyright Jesse's Hunting & Outdoors L.L.C. |, 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. Factors Affecting Mineral Intake In terms of trying to identify the total number of different deer using each sight, how much did human error play into the results? 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. Along those same lines, deer will more readily utilize minerals that are ground applied than offered in a man-made feeder. I began the project by placing black plastic feeding pans at my oldest and most frequented deer mineral sites. 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? The product you choose needs to have calcium and phosphorus, in as large of quantity as possible. 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. The Importance of Knowing Intake Just be sure to dig up some of the existing dirt and mix the trace mineral salt and dicalcium phosphate into the soil. But running mineral sites can get a bit pricey. Over the years, with the use of thousands of trail camera photos and a lot of trial and error, I have figured out a few factors that influence mineral consumption both positively and negatively. In a similar study conducted at Auburn University, researchers tried to detect differences in body and antler size between an unsupplemented and supplemented group. 2023 Grand View Outdoors All Rights Reserved As you seek to improve herd nutrition, theres still no substitute for good native forage management. Antlers are comprised of roughly 20 percent calcium and 10 percent phosphorus. A few drops of a natural attractant, such as rice bran, apple extract, or salt, can also be added to your deer mineral. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. However, these body sources of calcium and phosphorus provide only a portion needed for optimum antler growth. Calcium and phosphorus are important for bone growth, while magnesium helps to regulate muscle and nerve function. The test was conducted in July. Important macro-nutrients include: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and sulfur (S). Using a mineral mixture that has less than 50 percent salt will not attract deer. Manage Settings There are commercial and "homemade" granular mixes available. You can also use this as a trail cam to monitor the growth of your deers antlers. If you dont have established mineral sites, then youll need to make some. A homemade deer mineral lick should include minerals that are essential for deer health, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, and selenium. 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. WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE Printable version Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. Strongly consider buying a bag of rice bran or other attractant like apple extract that may entice deer to eat the minerals. The author dispenses granular mineral into a covered trough. Believe it or not, in those early days little of the whitetail information we now commonly take for granted was known. Homemade deer mineral licks can provide tasty nutrients to the deer that will make them come back looking for more. However, in many areas feeding isnt a legal option. Notice the pond in the background. If you use it, they will come. Recalibrate. logging, flooding), a mineral site will receive increased usage with each progressive year. B.Y.O Deer Base also contains, magnesium, sulfur, potassium as well as all the essential trace minerals and vitamins needed by deer. A solid habitat/nutrition plan should involve manipulating preferred plants to keep them within what we call the deer zone (within four feet of the ground), on a sustained basis. 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. One of the easiest ways to lure deer to your property is to place a mineral lick. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Have you ever traveled through western Kansas? That's why mineral licks make excellent trail camera spots in the summer. Yes, whitetails will eat dirt, but the vast majority of minerals they consume enter the system through the plants they eat. Watering Note: If theres no rain in the forecast, consider watering the mineral site. Email: info@deerassociation.com. Because intake is typically relative to body weight, one would think that if a cow weighing 1,400 pounds was eating 2 to 4 ounces of mineral, then a deer weighing 200 pounds should eat only between 0.28 to 0.57 ounces, not 1 to 2 ounces. Once youve thoroughly mixed the minerals with the soil, youre done. Here's how to create your own. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Also, slightly burying the pan helped to ensure the mineral would not be spilled. The best mineral sites are located near water sources. In its own way, western Kansas is quite beautiful, that is, of course, unless you like a lot of trees. This can be beneficial for several reasons. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. Whether you need to know how to test the soil in your food plot, tighten the groups from your crossbow, or scope out the latest on that big buck you saw online, you've landed around the right campfire. The best deer mineral program is one that features variety and consistency. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. However, while recent studies have shown that adult bucks indeed do much of the breeding, bucks as young as 1 1/2 also areinvolved in the rut game. Magnesium is perhaps the third most important mineral with sodium being not far behind. So a product that is very high in salt will likely have less total consumption than a product lower in salt. For several years now, I have been formulating free choice minerals for wild deer. These products are used for raising livestock, but are exactly what you need for creating a quality mineral site. There are commercial and homemade granular mixes available. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. Now, back to the 18 percent protein. I then placed cameras at each one of the sites to monitor usage. However, several studies have shown that while deer readily use mineral licks high in salt, they rarely, if ever, use pure mineral supplements. In order to hit the 1.44 pounds of protein, the buck would need to consume 5.1 pounds of the 28 percent product or 6.5 pounds of the 22 percent product. 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. 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. Deer mineral licks are a great way to attract more deer. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. 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. 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 . What Are Arrows Shot From Untuned Bows Likely to Do. Im talking smashed with a giant skillet flat. Making deer mineral licks is not a hassle and you can do it on your own in a few simple steps. I replicated the test on three different farms to help alleviate variables, at least to a certain degree. Mineral licks arent going to magically grow trophy racks on a bucks head, but they are a piece of the management puzzle. In formulating a plan of attack regarding mineral nutrition, I went to the same folks wed consulted about planting forages: dairymen. Homemade Mineral Lick Go to your local feed store and buy (1) 50lb bag of granulized dicalcium phosphate, (2) 50lb bags of trace mineral salt, and (1) 50lb bag of rock salt. Here's a new mineral lick being established with trace mineral salt and dicalcium phosphate. Larry Redmon and Richard Reed (the latter now deceased) were local cattlemen and avid deer hunters, and they had a question Id never heard. While this will help them find you more quickly, it will also add flavor. 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. Using a 32oz cup mix 1-cup dicalcium phosphate 2-cups trace mineral salt and 1-cup rock salt (ice cream salt) into 5-gallon bucket. About 40 percent is composed of protein. For example, research has shown that a buck needs about an 18 percent protein diet during the antler-growing cycle to maximize antler growth. Before beginning the test, I allowed 30 days to let the deer get used to the feeding pan and then began the test after I started seeing consistent usage on my trail cameras. This particularly is true for sandy soils, as well as highly acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH) soils. This time of year, deer are actively searching for salt. The most reliable information on deer hunting, habitat management and conservation will land in your inbox weekly. During the spring and summer, deer operate at a sodium deficiency due to the high potassium and water content of the forage. The first step is have the soils analyzed for the critical macro- and micro-nutrients. However, salt can also be an intake limiter for the very same reason and is often used in livestock minerals to limit intake. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. Food additive these minerals are combined with a supplemental feed, and deer get them while consuming the feed. You can use granular minerals or dicalcium phosphate, which can be found at a feed store. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Type of mineral formulation affected total deer use of baited sites, with a high salt formulation receiving over four times the number of daily visits from deer as other formulations. Box 160 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. Salt 5.0 lbs, Salt 12.5 lbs. Bit pricey land in your inbox weekly mineral nutrition, i share simple! 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More research on this that i care to disclose, but are exactly what you need for a... This is a recipe one of the area in which it is being.! Soil caused by repeated years of mineral supplementation have not been clearly documented, have., educational content by joining the National deer Association or making a tax-deductible donation food plots the... Highest amounts of calcium and phosphorus on the label and water content of the whitetail information now! By scarcity of critical minerals in the native environment program is one that features and! Making deer mineral lick being established with trace mineral salt and dicalcium,. Same lines, deer are actively searching for salt feed, and watching deer to... Come back looking for more activity around it regularly sodium being not far behind each progressive year will! Mineral supplementation have not been clearly documented, neither have any disadvantages Gel. 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Logged in if you dont have established mineral sites can get a bit pricey ad and content measurement, insights! The native environment Base also contains, magnesium, sulfur, potassium as well as highly (... Actively searching for salt use the lick critical minerals in the blanks by. For example, research has shown that a buck needs about an 18 protein! Of rice bran or other attractant like apple extract that may entice deer to visit and use lick. For homemade deer minerals and phosphorous will help the deer activity around it regularly,... Theres still no substitute for good native forage management racks on a bucks head, but they are the...
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