mineral supplements for deer.
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: timex
06-Dec-21
I'm in va & baiting isn't allowed & honestly not needed with all the small grains production in my area along with the mast the deer have plenty of food. A friend of mine put a mineral salt block a brownish orange one in the woods behind his house & it literally dissolved away without ever being used by the deer. We're on the coast so I'm guessing the deer get all the salt they need naturally. So I'm interested mineral supplements that would possibly benefit the deer in my area. I know nothing about it & would appreciate any info - advice. Thanks
From: DanaC
06-Dec-21
I've found that deer use of mineral blocks (salt blocks) varies with terrain. In low valleys the soil is better and they use it spring into early fall. Rocky ridge areas, year round.
Don't spend a fortune, a 50 lb. red 'cattle' block is about ten bucks at the feed store. Put one on a stump, with a camera to monitor. Could take a while 'til they find it.
From: timex
06-Dec-21
Yea danac back home In nw va the deer will wallow a hole into the ground where a salt block was. But on he coast they don't seem interested at all.
From: Meat Grinder
06-Dec-21
When my buddy still had his property, we would use Purina Antlermax Mineral and a small salt block. We got tons of pictures of deer using it on a regular basis. We'd buy the salt blocks at Rural King. They were packaged for horses, not deer. They cost less than the same size blocks with the buck picture on it, and they contain selenium (supposed to help with antler development), which the "deer blocks" did not have. The deer ate a hole in the ground to get the mineral.
You'll no doubt hear from a bunch of other guys with more experience than me, with a wide variety of ideas ranging from store-bought product to home-made recipes. The biggest differences are some supplements are mostly salt, versus others that are mostly minerals. Good Luck and Good Hunting.
From: JSW
06-Dec-21
For years I used trophy rocks in front of most of my cameras to get the deer to smile for the camera. At $12 each I wanted to find something cheaper. I buy a 50# bag of cattle mineral and 50# bag of fine stock salt. Less than $20 for 100# of supplement. I mix them together in a bucket and pour out 10# or so in front of a camera about every other month. They hit it really hard almost year round. They don't use it much in November. They don't use it in alkali areas at all.
You can always just go with a trophy rock to see if they will use it. Unless you get lots of rain it will last for months.
From: drycreek
06-Dec-21
JSW, where did you find Trophy Rocks for $12. All I’ve ever seen were $25 or so, which is one reason I never buy them. I use the red trace mineral blocks from my local feed store.
From: SIP
06-Dec-21
Grandpa rays outdoors. It is my understanding that his mineral, like all his products, is nutrition based. Have used some of his products and they always did well. Used to be a sponsor here
From: wytex
07-Dec-21
Trace mineral blocks are what you want, deer will learn to use them.
From: JSW
07-Dec-21
You can get trophy rocks or a knock off from Tractor supply, Orschlens or even Walmart. The 12# rock is around $12.95. Orschlens had buy 2 at $12.95 and get one free this fall.
From: Habitat
07-Dec-21
Salt is not a beneficial mineral in most cases,its and attractant. I would imagine that very few deer are going to benefit from what little mineral they can absorb in the spring when they usually will hit them.If you want it to increase antler size then you will have to severely increase their intact and it will have to be minerals in the amounts and types needed for deer not sheep or some other animal that has different goals to receive minerals.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
07-Dec-21
From what I have read, I purchase bagged mineral highest in calcium and phosphorus. I refresh annually and add a bag of deer cocaine. The deer hammer it enough that I am able to get a good idea of herd size and ratios etc. on our small property.
From: JSW
07-Dec-21
Do mineral supplements increase rack size? I can't say that I've noticed much difference. I do know that for livestock, it increases herd health, which leads to more pounds. I use the mineral primarily to get them to smile at the camera. It works fantastic for that. If it adds 5# of body weight per year, that has to be a good thing.
From: Habitat
08-Dec-21
Wrong levels of different minerals can do more harm than good.I'm sure some of them are formulated in labs for what deer use just as cattle mineral is formulated for what cattle need but their needs are different.
From: Lost Arra
08-Dec-21
A dissolved mineral block is still working. The deer here dig the soil and lick it. I've got a big 2' deep hole in a spot I put a mineral block two years ago.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
08-Dec-21
Randy,
I know you are educated in this stuff, so I am asking, not challenging...What do you mean by more harm than good, specifically? I ask because our property is in ag/cattle country and I see deer hit the salt/mineral blocks put out for cattle. I compare the mineral blocks I purchase at farm stores to the ones sold by 'deer brand companies' and there is not much difference in minerals, but a lot of difference in price. Is my "frugality" a threat to the herd?
Thanks!
From: skookumjt
08-Dec-21
I'll second Grandpa Ray's. It's designed with animal health and nutrition in mind, not just attracting deer and hunter's money.
From: BullBuster
08-Dec-21
Grandpa Rays is likely super healthy but my deer won’t touch it unless I add some Lucky Buck into it to make it more palatable.
From: Habitat
08-Dec-21
Deer use and need different minerals than cattle and this also means in different levels.I am far from an expert but it can be no different than why some cattle licks have to be kept away from horses.Products like deer cocaine are an attractant not a benefit.Alot of the salt blocks are put out for cattle because it increases drive for water and food which makes them have a faster gain of weight. That isn't going to benefit the deer.Look at the minerals in a scientifically formulated bag and compare.It is mentioned above that deer are slow to hit one brand,probably because they have low levels of salt.
From: timex
08-Dec-21
I agree with the salt part ..I'm on the eastern shore of va we have the Chesapeake bay on one side & the Atlantic Ocean on the other. I watched a salt block dissolve away over the coarse of 7-8 years & never saw the first indication of deer using it one bit. I believe they get all they need naturally. I just got a small 20 acre price which is small I know but it's land locked in a big industrial park & the best I can tell nobody is hunting around it I've killed a dandy buck seen a bigger one & 4 other decent bucks. I'd really like to try something mineral based to help the deer & possibly help hold them there. Plenty of corn & been fields in the area they've got plenty of food
From: drycreek
08-Dec-21
I just use mine to take inventory. I will say that I’ve seen hogs, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, armadillos, possums, and bobcats around mine in addition to deer. The coyotes come by quite often, looking for a meal I expect. Both coyotes and bobcats have been caught pissing on my block. :-(
From: No Mercy
08-Dec-21
This recipe was posted by Kelly (R.I.P) years ago and I still use it to this day. You can get this at Fleet Farm or any farm store I believe. 1-50# bag of Dicalcium Phosphate, 1-50# bag of Trace Mineral Salt and 1-50# bag of powdered molasses. mix well in a shallow hole in the ground and mix the dirt back with it. My deer go nuts for this!
From: Lost Arra
08-Dec-21
Deer will go nuts on just powdered molasses. Put a few handfuls of sweet feed in front of your trail cam.
From: Ogoki
08-Dec-21
As No Mercy stated above ,Kelly's recipe works. The minerals are hidden by the ferns . Seems to me i get lots of pictures of both does and bucks from Memorial Day to Labor Day and then the number of pictures drop off. A dairy farmer told me ,they use the dicalcium phosphate ,as a supplement to the dairy cows that they are milking . Once bucks shed velvet ,maybe they don't crave the minerals as much . Just my uneducated guess on decrease in number of pictures.
From: Screwball
08-Dec-21
Kelly's recipe Times 3.
From: drycreek
08-Dec-21
I have read that when deer are eating lots of green stuff they need lots of salt, but I don’t know.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
11-Dec-21
Randy,
Just at Orschelan’s… picture shows what’s in trophy king deer mineral. 25lbs for $19. I get almost the exact same ingredients for $12 for 50lbs. Just an FYI.
Thanks guys for the tip with powdered molasses!
From: Habitat for Wildlife
27-Dec-21
Here is what Family Center in Paola sells for $14.95. Has the deer on the front.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
27-Dec-21
Here are the ingredients…
From: Habitat for Wildlife
27-Dec-21
And they have 50 lbs of granular molasses for $19.95.
From: lewis
28-Dec-21
I have been using Maximizing Plus from Real World for the last few years.The deer love it but the reason I started using it was their claim that it helps prevent EHD . I can’t say for sure it’s perfect but since we have been using it we have not found any dead deer on our property yet my neighbors have been hammered. I will continue to use it until I’m proven it doesn’t work. I have no affiliation to the company.Good luck Lewis
From: Habitat for Wildlife
28-Dec-21
Thanks for that information. Do you know why it might help protect against EHD?
I had to chuckle a little about this…we might now get into a debate if it is better to use a product like this or allow the herd to build natural immunity on their own:-)
From: lewis
28-Dec-21
I do not but as far as I know I am the only one around there using it and I don’t have any dead deer at least not yet. I don’t debate on on social media complete waste of time I’m sure you agree lol Good luck Lewis
From: Habitat for Wildlife
28-Dec-21
Lol! Thanks, you too.
From: t-roy
29-Dec-21
I had the same issues as BullBuster, with Grandpa Ray’s mineral. My deer wouldn’t touch it without mixing in, ironically, Lucky Buck as well. I tried Kelly’s mix this year, and the deer really took to it. Mixed it all together with an electric cement mixer, and it worked great. Can’t say if mineral helps at all, with increased antler growth, but I am convinced it is beneficial to overall herd health.
From: pav
29-Dec-21
We've been using that Ragland All-Stock for many years...100lbs mixed with 50lbs of dicalcium phosphate. Only refresh the mineral lick stations once per year (March). Deer swarm to it during the spring and summer months. We typically add a Trophy Rock to each station in mid-July. Tends to keep bucks around the trail cam longer! Powdered molasses is something to consider though...definitely cheaper than Trophy Rocks.
Food for thought...all of our mineral station are located in pretty dense cover. Deer show up on camera all times of the day and night. Used to set the trail cams on burst of three with one minute intervals. Way too many photos! Backed off to burst of three every five minutes...still getting 2k-3k photos / week between four trail cams (April through August). Slows down considerably in September. Always move the trail cams to easy access scrapes in early October.
From: Habitat
29-Dec-21
From what most are saying the way they are claiming it helps prevent EHD is that it will have small amounts of garlic or another substance that helps prevent midges and other insects from biting them.Real World also makes mineral and that is what they say and they also say that chances of increasing antler size in minimal.But if it's something that increases their health go for it.
From: Shiloh
29-Dec-21
I do a similar mix to Kelly’s although I didn’t get it from here. Some stations get hit regularly and some almost never. One thing that helps is to stay with a station long term and eventually you will drive by and see some use. I take a tarp and lay it in the bed of my side by side. Pour 2 sacks of trace, 1 sack of stock salt and 1 sack of dical and mix. Repeat the process until the bed is full. Drive around and use a 5 gallon bucket to fill stations. I will be trying to add molasses to mine in the future if I can find it down here. I also use cut offs from old mineral tubs and drill holes around the bottom so that the mineral will leach out. I feel like I have less waste this way.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
29-Dec-21
Thanks, I am learning new stuff here.
Those of you adding dical phosphate to the Ragland mineral, is that just to boost the phosphorus and calcium?
From: t-roy
29-Dec-21
I know that Grandpa Ray’s had garlic in his mix. I think John really knows his stuff, but the deer in my area just never took to his mix. I tried it for 2 years.
From: Catscratch
29-Dec-21
Cattle men know that a good mineral program will reduce your Vet bill via healthier animals. Just like a young lady who is iron deficient will struggle in a marathon animals will be healthier without deficiencies. To reduce biiing flies it's not uncommon to offer free choice garlic. I don't believe it's as effective as genetics or pour-on, but it does have benefits in the right program. As far as deer are concerned I believe palatable plant nutrients/minerals are the best option, but I make sure mineral sites are available too.
