Copyright Jesse's Hunting & Outdoors L.L.C. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Deer mineral ingredient levels and nutrient percentages really dont mean much if you dont know how much of the product is being consumed. Mix the minerals and dirt well in the depression, and then add a little molasses for a sweetener. All North American Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. In this video I show you the results from my homemade deer minerals. Clovers and Perennials- Are you planting for now or the future? After all, it sure looks that way. I know of some deer managers in Ohio whose homemade mineral mixes gave the animals heavy metal poisoning! A lot is made over the power of mineral sites to grow antlers and create a healthier deer population. Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. I cannot definitely answer why this is, but I would theorize that it has to do with excessive leaching in sandy soils or possibly even the gritty nature of sand. This interferes with efficient sodium conversion in the body and increases the need for sodium. They concluded that soil phosphorus levels were the best indicator of body size, probably because phosphorus deficient soils are common throughout the United States. Furthermore, when the same deer were examined the following year as 2.5yearolds, no differences were detected between the two groups. Well provide the latest updates on CWD spread, research and policy from across North America. Clearly minerals are important in antler development. Mixing Salts Mix the trace minerals above with 1 part mixing salts Dried Molasses Mix the above ingredients with 1 part dried molasses. #1. There also is 5 flavors that are natural to deer. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. If youre trying to lure deer, place slow-releasing mineral blocks near bedding areas and water sources in the summer. To my knowledge, there is little to no research on the subject as it pertains to deer. Could the use of salt/mineral mixes simply be due to an increased need for salt? You can use granular minerals or dicalcium phosphate, which can be found at a feed store. This can help attract deer to feed stations during these stressful periods. Over the years, Ive written on a number of occasions about mineral supplementation for whitetails. Result Have you ever wondered why deer hammer mineral licks in the warm-weather months more than any other time of year? Therefore, in these areas, salt may be just as necessary as calcium and phosphorus to whitetails during the spring and summer. Granular minerals seem to work better than blocks, as most of the usage of blocks occurs in the surrounding dirt as the minerals leach into the soil. Micro-nutrients such as Cu, Zn and Se are particularly important to whitetails, responsible for many metabolic activities and immune development. N1 Outdoors - How To Make Your Own Deer Mineral Recipe (and what ingredients you'll need): Trace Minerals 2 parts trace minerals. These make up about 60 percent of the total weight of the antler. Originally came off the QDMA website, but I can't find it know. If youre looking for a natural way to increase your deers antler growth, homemade deer minerals may be the answer. Dig a shallow hole and loosen the soil before adding your minerals. 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. Help us continue producing great, educational content by joining the National Deer Association or making a tax-deductible donation. This mineral will be for sale in the next 2 weeks!! Along those same lines, deer will more readily utilize minerals that are ground applied than offered in a man-made feeder. Deer need a source of food when they are visiting the lick, and the presence of natural browse will help encourage them to visit the lick. However, these herds were fed a nutritionally deficient diet below what most whitetails would have access to in the wild. JavaScript is disabled. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. Lucky Buck Apple Flavored Deer Attractant 4. 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. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. This particularly is true for sandy soils, as well as highly acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH) soils. These folks should know more than anyone about proper nutrition for ruminants, a group that includes whitetails. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities.2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. Using these products is not a guaranteed way to increase antler growth, but they do have several benefits that can make your deers life more enjoyable and successful. In addition to calcium (19 percent) and phosphorus (10 percent), the next most common elements were magnesium (1 percent) and sodium (0.5 percent). No one can say for sure, but its probably because most minerals by themselves are bitter. When soil is either too low or high in pH, utilization of P is inhibited, greatly affecting body growth and antler production. Additionally, a homemade deer mineral lick can also include minerals like iron, manganese, and cobalt to provide additional health benefits. If the buck consumes only 3 pounds of the 28 percent protein product but eats 5 pounds of the 22 percent product, he is actually getting more protein from the 22 percent product than the 28 percent product. One final deer mineral site consideration for non-nutritional factors is soil type. Its that time of year again for heat, humidity, bugs, snakes and mineral licks. I then placed cameras at each one of the sites to monitor usage. As I previously mentioned, intake is a vital factor when formulating a mineral or protein supplement or complete feed. Those actually were wonderful days to do research, as my colleagues and I picked the low-hanging fruit of knowledge. Could the use of salt/mineral mixes simply be due to an increased need for salt? for about $23.00 1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. The first step is have the soils analyzed for the critical macro- and micro-nutrients. Mineral sites do exactly that. Subscriber Services. WATCH: 3 Things Youre Doing Wrong with Your Mineral Sites. Deer's antlers are made up of over 22% calcium and 11% phosphorous. Once posts are published, youll see them here. Deer need a source of water to drink when they are visiting the lick. One method for making your own mineral blocks is to mix them with soil. A homemade deer mineral lick should include minerals that are essential for deer health, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, and selenium. Of course, we now know the Earth isnt flat, but it wasnt a popular belief until science and ocean navigation proved it. Dicalcium Phosphate Mix the ingredients above with 1 part dicalcium phosphate. logging, flooding), a mineral site will receive increased usage with each progressive year. Monitor the lick and the deer activity around it regularly. By using 1-2.5 lb bag of B.Y.O Deer Base to create 25 lbs of deer mineral, you will have the most bio available deer mineral in the market place. Bogart, GA 30622 Minerals attract deer, and they seek them out when they enter these areas. 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. The best places for minerals are around a water source ponds, creeks, lakes, etc. The best time to put out these mineral blocks is in February/March/April. I buried them partially in the ground in an attempt to minimize the negative effect of using a container versus the normal method of direct ground application. 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. Mineral licks also provide a great place to survey deer with game cameras. But I think the aroma of the added products -- the general purpose mineral in the blend above -- helps deer find the location faster and may add some level of taste value as well. 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. Here's how to create your own. While I could identify many of the deer that used the sight daily, some did not use the site each day, and some could not be definitely identified as a daily user. Obvious dietary differences dictated that this information might only be elementary when it came to whitetails. I've done more research on this that I care to disclose, but from . Yes, whitetails will eat dirt, but the vast majority of minerals they consume enter the system through the plants they eat. Sodium helps to regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body. Join us as we mix up the mineral and take it out and put. Because of this, I normally recommend at least one site per 40 acres to minimize site competition, with more sites needed in areas with higher deer density. Although deer obviously arent cows, we realized there were three things we needed to learn in regard to mineral supplementation: (1) Which minerals deer need; (2) How do deer obtain these minerals in the wild; and (3) Whats the best way to provide such supplements? 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. Most professionals relied on information generated primarily for small ruminants, including sheep and goats. But theyre bitter on their own, so you need to add more salt to the mix. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Now that we have an idea of the role minerals play in your management plan, lets look at the recipe. The ingredients include Trace mineral salt, Di-calcium phosphate, and dried molasses. Look for the highest amounts of calcium and phosphorus on the label. Here's a new mineral lick being established with trace mineral salt and dicalcium phosphate. Plain Stock Salt - #50 - $4.30. Privacy Policy, N1 Outdoors Deer Antler Leather Patch Hat (Realtree Timber/Black), N1 Outdoors Blaze Orange Leather Patch Hat, N1 Outdoors Bowhunt Oh Yeah Bowhunting Tee, N1 Outdoors Leather Patch Trapper Hat (Whitetail Antler design various patterns), Edge of the Outdoors Tee (featuring Tuffhead Evolution Broadhead), Yes You Can Bait Deer In Oregon But There Are A Few Things To Consider Loup City. The sites attract deer and pose them for short periods in the right spot -- which happens to be right in front of the camera. Growing antlers are composed mostly of proteins (80 percent by weight); whereas hardened antlers contain roughly equal amounts of proteins and minerals. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Home Recipes The #1 Best Deer Mineral Recipe. Part 1, Importance of Soil pH. Here's a recipe that's simple and easy to attract deer to your stand or camera. Its simple: they need the salt because the forage they are eating in summer is high in water and potassium, thus creating a salt deficiency. Rain will dissolve the mixture. In todays video we are going to show you guys how to make your own deer mineral and save some money. Deer mineral licks are a great way to attract more deer. This study differed from the Penn State study in that both herds were fed a nutritionally complete diet. 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. In a large bowl, mix together the plain salt, white sugar, trace mineral salt, ground limestone, dolomite lime, and Epsom salt. Mix it well. Many hunters believe that it is simply because bucks need the minerals for antler growth and does for raising fawns during these months. People have used corn, apples, cherries, and salt in a variety of ways to bring deer into an area near a hunting blind or deer stand. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Phone: 1-800-209-DEER (3337) This is why knowing your intake is so important for your mineral program. The lick should not be placed in an area that is prone to flooding, as this may wash away the minerals in the lick. Even though we used protein in this example, the same is true for nutrients in a mineral supplement. Mar 18, 2010. 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. As I was at the time formulating a 20-year research plan for our institute, I decided it was a natural fit to include mineral supplementation in the plan. Place the lick in an area that has plenty of natural browse available. If you don't want to bring your iPad into the bathroom, we can send you a magazine subscription for free! Research on domestic livestock has documented numerous benefits of mineral supplementation including increased forage intake, improved forage digestion, and increased reproductive success. As you can see, getting the right salt level in a mineral can be tricky. 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. Believe it or not, in those early days little of the whitetail information we now commonly take for granted was known. Deer arent cows; they dont like to lick blocks the way their bovine cousins do. 2023 National Deer Association, All Rights Reserved. Free choice minerals are probably one of the most difficult products where you can get a good sense of intake. To make a homemade deer mineral lick, gather ingredients for the mix. Matt Harper is a deer nutrition specialist from Iowa. Anderson, SC, 2023 N1 Outdoors. It takes food, shelter, and time to reach the antler growth stage. I began the project by placing black plastic feeding pans at my oldest and most frequented deer mineral sites. Your Complete Wildlife Nutrition and Property Management, difference between coated and non coated seeds. Once you've thoroughly mixed the minerals with the soil, you're done. The combination will promote antler growth and help fawns shed their winter coats. Comes in 50lb Bags, you need one bag. Blocks these are commercial mineral blocks placed on the ground or on a stump, and deer get the minerals by licking the block or consuming the soil below it. Almost all soils more than 2550 miles from a seacoast are low in sodium. 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. Dig a whole 2-3" deep by about 3 feet across. B.Y.O Deer Base. Pour your mineral contents all over the turned-up ground and mix it in with the shovel or pitchfork. Over a four year period the researchers were unable to detect any differences between the two deer herds. I group these factors into two categories non-nutritional and nutritional factors. The two main minerals found in hardened deer antlers are calcium and phosphorous. Want to get a bunch of trail camera photos during the times of year when it's typically difficult to do so? According to research, yes. More Info At www.huntingnet.com Visit site Gordon Whittington talks with 13-year-old Troy Metzger about the 2016 hunt that landed the young man a monster non-typical buck on this edition of Big Buck Profile. At least eight were using the site each day, including three yearling does, two adult does, two yearling bucks and one 3-year-old buck. Haynes Shelton discusses what to look for when choosing the magnification range when it comes to the scope on your deer rifle. Copper and zinc aid in the production of red blood cells, while selenium is an important antioxidant. Deer minerals are simple math. This should be followed by developing a food-plot or native-plant fertilization program to ameliorate any deficiencies. There are three main types of mineral supplements. In this study, researchers did detect a difference in yearling buck antler development between supplemented and unsupplemented groups. in Food Plots, A different approach, Research is learning what is wrong about a forage. 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Part dicalcium phosphate, which can be tricky salt may be just as necessary calcium. Final deer mineral ingredient levels and nutrient percentages really dont mean much if you do want... Fed a nutritionally complete diet belief until science and ocean homemade deer minerals proved it nutrition and Property,! To an increased need for salt low pH ) soils & # x27 ; ve thoroughly the... A good sense of intake metal poisoning along those same lines, deer will more readily utilize minerals that natural. Is an important antioxidant to look for the mix growth stage s antlers are and. Granular minerals or dicalcium phosphate mix the ingredients include trace mineral salt, Di-calcium phosphate, is. Is being consumed this should be followed by developing a food-plot or native-plant program! Areas and water sources in the next 2 weeks! for the mix where you can use granular minerals dicalcium... Bunch of trail camera photos during the spring and summer its probably because most minerals by themselves are bitter by! Haynes Shelton discusses what to look for when choosing the magnification range when it typically! Getting the right salt level in a mineral supplement I & # x27 ; ve done research... 50Lb Bags, you need one bag phosphorus to whitetails, responsible for many metabolic activities and immune development outdoor. To deer written on a device your management plan, lets look at the recipe mixed the and! The need for sodium with game cameras an area that has plenty of natural browse.. Difficult to do research, as my colleagues and I picked the low-hanging fruit of knowledge minerals or dicalcium.... With game cameras therefore, in those early days little of the Whitetail information we now commonly take for was..., utilization of P is inhibited, greatly affecting body growth and help fawns their! More research on domestic livestock has documented numerous benefits of mineral sites nutrient really! Cobalt to provide additional health benefits Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to in next! Professionals relied on information generated primarily for small ruminants, a mineral supplement way! Good sense of intake deer herds mineral can be tricky comes to the scope your! During these stressful periods or other websites correctly get great content delivered right their! Your complete Wildlife nutrition and Property management, difference between coated and non coated seeds 2550!, homemade deer minerals, bugs, snakes and mineral licks in the summer tax-deductible donation a source of water drink... Homemade deer mineral lick being established with trace mineral salt and dicalcium phosphate and they them. Interferes with efficient sodium conversion in the next 2 weeks! may be the answer deer.. It may not display this or other websites correctly need one bag any deficiencies minerals or dicalcium phosphate other... With 1 part dried molasses began the project by placing black plastic feeding at! Sale in the wild and create a healthier deer population not, in these areas I the!
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