Mineral Licks

[AR RidgeRunner]

Whats your favorite summer time mineral lick material? I've had good luck with Trophy Rock, seems to get better results than the Biologic version. Good way to get an inventory of the bucks in the area. I've also heard good things about the bagged minerals, deercaine,etc. Gives me a good excuse to be out in the woods and on the trails on my mtn bike during the summer checking cameras to see which deer made it through last season and how much bigger they are. Almost as much fun as hunting.

[bolong]

Trophy Rock for me,

[Tree Killer]

I just use the 50# blocks of Trace Mineral Salt, the deer and elk out here really dig it from early spring to early fall.

[lpcjon2]

go to tractor supply and get the trace and some dehydrated molasses,mix it together and scrape the ground and drop half now and half in a month or so.

[John Krause]

I use a trophy rock and water softener salt (the small crystal type.







The girls were fighting over it and the boys liked it too      Hope these pics aren't too big.

[AR RidgeRunner]

Good pics John. First trophy rock I put out, they dug such a hole around it, it filled up with water after a rain and was mostly dissolved after a couple weeks. I've had pics of some really good bucks in velvet, need to figure out where they go once they shed velvet. Gonna put some out in a little tighter cover this summer. If you play it right you can hunt with your cameras through the summer too. Pretty cool walking up on a camera after 2-3 weeks and finding a couple hundred pics. Thats the most enjoyable time i spend on my laptop. Just makes opening day in Oct that much more exciting.

[Onlyaspike]

Trace mineralized salt w/ selenium and Dumor Spring mineral mix mixed 50/50.....I buy each in 50# bags which yields 100# of mineral mix.....The deer tear it up...I put out about 10# per week per location.

[riverrat 2]

Glad to see you guys having luck with these things,I never have had deer touch anything
mineral I put down. Carrots.....now that is a
different story.

[Hummer3T]

I have tried all brands but went back to just stockman's granular or block iodized salt(the blue stuff).  $7.00 for 40 kilos at peavey mart or other farm supply house.  I find a good clay soil area so it will hold water and I put 2 bags in each lick. You want water in the lick or close by, my animals (wt deer, elk, moose and black bears) usually and perfer to drink the water in the lick.

[rolltidehunter]

Trace mineral

[Kamm1004]

I use the same trace mineral blocks I give my cattle. works great out here on the south platte. I also found that deer really like the salt you throw on your driveway to melt the snow as long as its salt and nothing harmful to deer. I haven't tried the specialty salts like trophy rock or any of that stuff but have been tempted to try it. Have any of you seen a big difference either way in regular mineral salts versus the specialty salts???

[AR RidgeRunner]

I 've never tried the regular trace minerals, if salt is the main ingredient it may be just as good as the specialty "deer" minerals/salts. Main reason for my post is that Trophy Rock and the rest are pretty expensive.

[muley40]

I tried trace minerals, water softner small pellets, but for the last 5 years I started useing Trophy Rock and those deer in North Iowa love it,

[Bob Palmer]

I use Deer Cane. Always buy the leftover sale stuff at Walmart! Works great!!!

[jhg]

Originally posted by Kamm1004:
I use the same trace mineral blocks I give my cattle. works great out here on the south platte. ...

In case you missed it:

Mineral/salt licks are illegal in Colorado to attract game animals at any time.  Right there in the hunting rules and regs. You can't have one most of the year and then not supply it or remove the block during hunting season, for obvious reasons.

[Tree Killer]

Originally posted by AR RidgeRunner:
I 've never tried the regular trace minerals, if salt is the main ingredient it may be just as good as the specialty "deer" minerals/salts. Main reason for my post is that Trophy Rock and the rest are pretty expensive.

You can get 50# trace mineral blocks for around $7.50 at the local feed store.  They also sell 50# bags of loose, but the blocks last much longer.

I usually bust the block in half or thirds with an ax for ease in packing into the mountains. Then dig up some dirt and cover the salt, and pour a little water on it.  The deer and elk will eat the dirt, minerals, and come back early in the spring long before the snow melts and I can get into the hills.

[Hummer3T]

Here are some results from salt only.

  http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/Trail%20cam/  

just a sample, the first picture is crappy but that is thirteen elk at once.

[1screagle]

I just made 2 mineral pits using All-Purpose mineral, salt, and Deer Cane. I did top off one pit with Molassis. I read here on Tradgang a post stating the all purpose has 300% more mineral for the health of the deer over trace mineral. I believe I paid about 25.00 for 50#. I'm anxious to go back to the hunting land to check the pits and camera. I will post my findings.

[huskyarcher]

I just take #50 of cattle salt and put it all over a stump preferably where i can shoot to from my stand. The rain soaks it in the stump, and then the deer will completely devour the whole stump. Works great from now till september.

[Fletcher]

Originally posted by jhg:
 

Originally posted by Kamm1004:
I use the same trace mineral blocks I give my cattle. works great out here on the south platte. ...

In case you missed it:

Mineral/salt licks are illegal in Colorado to attract game animals at any time.  Right there in the hunting rules and regs. You can't have one most of the year and then not supply it or remove the block during hunting season, for obvious reasons. [/b]

Same here in Illinois.  Illegal 365 days a year.