homemade deer minerals

Anderson, SC, 2023 N1 Outdoors. Dicalcium phosphate contains around 19 percent phosphorous and 20 to 25 percent calcium. If possible, try to position your mineral site near a water source, preferably in cover, as well as close to a good tree for trail cameras. A 1:1 or 2:1 Ca:P ratio is optimum. Choose a location that is away from human activity, like your house or outbuildings. To begin with the non-nutritional category, location is critical. You can also use this as a trail cam to monitor the growth of your deers antlers. In areas where it is legal to use deer mineral, here is an economic option for you. While the advantages of mineral supplementation have not been clearly documented, neither have any disadvantages. So a product that is very high in salt will likely have less total consumption than a product lower in salt. Even taking all of this into consideration, I believe that, at the very least, the results strongly suggest that the intake of free choice minerals is substantially lower than 1 to 2 ounces per head per day. A classic study on the mineral needs of deer was conducted at Penn State University in the 1950s. ! Once you begin your mineral-lick program, keep in mind that youll want to refreshen them throughout the year to keep them attracting deer and providing the minerals they need. So why not just use straight salt? 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. Get tips from Steve Bartylla in this Hunt em Big. TINK'S Doe-in-Rut Buck Lure 2. 2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loos kind without the medications. Homemade deer mineral supplements work best near waterholes and food plots. The higher the numbers the more you are typically getting out of it. Surely, the knee-deep depressions in the soil caused by repeated years of mineral supplementation are evidence of deer need, correct? The Importance of Knowing Intake The first step is have the soils analyzed for the critical macro- and micro-nutrients. Whitetail Institute Winter-Greens Deer Food Buying Guide Easy to use Effectiveness Affordability Portability Frequently Asked Questions You could also create your own homemade mineral licks for deer, by combining various bulk minerals (e.g., stock salt, trace minerals, dicalcium phosphate for deer) from your local coop. These make up about 60 percent of the total weight of the antler. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. During the summer, finding locations that deer frequent often can be tough. That would certainly work. Well provide the latest updates on CWD spread, research and policy from across North America. Making your own deer mineral isn't hard, nor is it expensive. I've used all manner of commercial mineral products over the years, and I've also epxerimented with my own blends. Its best to get started as soon as spring green-up starts taking place, but keeping minerals out year-round is better. Whether the addition of supplemental minerals is truly benefitting the deer, or if the deer are simply using the site because of the salt, isn't really a primary concern of mine. 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. However, age and nutrition are the two most important ingredients for producing large antlered bucks. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. What Are Arrows Shot From Untuned Bows Likely to Do. Calcium and phosphorus are important for bone growth, while magnesium helps to regulate muscle and nerve function. Result A lot is made over the power of mineral sites to grow antlers and create a healthier deer population. 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. Once they've found the location, it's the salt that keeps them coming back. The best deer mineral program is one that features variety and consistency. Believe it or not, in those early days little of the whitetail information we now commonly take for granted was known. A lot is made over the power of mineral sites to grow antlers and create a healthier deer population. Minerals attract deer, and they seek them out when they enter these areas. A good wrinkle to add here is to mix up the recipe used in the video -- that'll give you about 100 pounds of mix -- and then blend in some sort of dry attractant to help the deer find the location quickly and to add some additional flavor value that might keep them coming back for more. And, honestly, the only difference I can tell is in the price. You are using an out of date browser. Give a Gift You must log in or register to reply here. Research shows granular minerals facilitate increased consumption by animals as they're able to literally eat (vs. lick) the mixture. However, the formula I used for this mineral is a fairly standard formula used in many deer mineral products. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. Bucks must live long enough to reach physical maturity while having access to high quality nutrition to achieve maximum antler growth. Choose an area that is open with plenty of sunlight exposure. The two main minerals found in hardened deer antlers are calcium and phosphorous. Studies show that there are about 11 minerals in deer antlers. Also, if youre not getting at least the intake level of .2 to .4 ounce per head per day, then maybe you need to switch products, move the mineral site or make some other changes to make sure deer are consuming the desired amount. Regardless of the intensity of mineral supplementation, a yearling buck will still be a yearling buck. Although many people assume that any mineral will grow trophy bucks, most deer are not that fortunate. 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. Salt regulates intake. I've mentioned this before, but here is the recipe I use with prices. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. However, several studies have shown that while deer readily use mineral licks high in salt, they rarely, if ever, use pure mineral supplements. Strongly consider buying a bag of rice bran or other attractant like apple extract that may entice deer to eat the minerals. Placing the lick in a spot with tall grasses or shrubs will help the deer feel safe when they are visiting the lick. And make sure you locate your mineral site near a water source, because deer will need to drink after theyve eaten minerals. Honestly, I'm not sure and it really doesn't matter to me that much. Salt is the most common attractant used in mineral supplements. B.Y.O Deer Base also contains, magnesium, sulfur, potassium as well as all the essential trace minerals and vitamins needed by deer. Deer need both protein and minerals to grow their antlers. However, soil limitations often dictate using supplements to fill in the blanks created by scarcity of critical minerals in the native environment. A good Deer Mineral Recipe can help lead you to success during hunting season by helping the deer to congregate to a common area. For about $50 or less, you can buy all the ingredients you need to make several productive and quality mineral sites for deer. 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. It would appear that, based on the test results, intake of a free choice deer mineral is substantially lower than what is commonly thought and much closer to the predicted intake based on body weight calculation. There are several different ways to supplement a deers diet with vitamins, minerals, and chelated trace elements. All soils are made up of minerals, and there are clear deficiencies in many areas. If a buck consumes 8 pounds of total food per day, then in order to hit an 18 percent protein level in his diet, he would need to consume 1.44 pounds of protein. The best place to put a deer lick is near your closest water holes, ponds or water sources and near your food plots. Here are some best practices for placing a homemade mineral lick on your property: By following these best practices for placing a homemade deer mineral lick, you can ensure that your deer will have access to important minerals in a safe and comfortable area. A balanced pelleted ration can deliver all the mineral nutrition needed by the herd. For example, in much of South Texas (which is broadly deficient in P), low rainfall makes trying to grow traditional food plots a fools errand. Instead, we apply 50 pounds per acre of triple-superphosphate (0-45-0) fertilizer to native brush. In so doing, we get fantastic response from the deer herd. Magnesium is perhaps the third most important mineral with sodium being not far behind. This should be followed by developing a food-plot or native-plant fertilization program to ameliorate any deficiencies. All of these minerals are necessary for deer to maintain their health and help to keep their coats shiny and strong. In reviewing the scientific literature, I quickly discovered there was very little known about critical minerals for deer. The minerals are not as attractive to deer, but they are a necessity for their body. Maybe, or maybe not. These products can be mixed with water or placed in a tree stump. The feeding pan had a total of 4.27 pounds, or 68.24 ounces, of mineral remaining. JavaScript is disabled. Attraction to salt is caused by the balance of potassium and sodium in the deers body. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. This being said, there are many variables at play and these results certainly do not provide a definite answer. With careful consideration of the deers nutritional requirements and the needs of the environment, a successful deer mineral recipe can be created. Rice bran is around $10 for a 40-pound bag. When soil is either too low or high in pH, utilization of P is inhibited, greatly affecting body growth and antler production. In a large bowl, mix together the plain salt, white sugar, trace mineral salt, ground limestone, dolomite lime, and Epsom salt. More Info At www.huntingnet.com Find an area located in some cover close to the water source. Yes, whitetails will eat dirt, but the vast majority of minerals they consume enter the system through the plants they eat. A good rule of thumb is about one site per 100 acres of property. Our deer blog is one of the longest-running and most popular ones out there. Most commercially-made products are going to run about $20 a bag and each bag will service one site for a couple of months. Free choice minerals are probably one of the most difficult products where you can get a good sense of intake. This is why knowing your intake is so important for your mineral program. Too much salt and you will limit total intake of mineral. In addition to calcium (19 percent) and phosphorus (10 percent), the next most common elements were magnesium (1 percent) and sodium (0.5 percent). Now add in the oats and mix again. Thats all there is to it. Sodium helps to regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body. 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. There also is 5 flavors that are natural to deer. However, if you are using mineral supplements or considering using them to improve the nutritional plan of the deer herd on your property, I think having at least an idea of what expected intake is is important. 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. All North American Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Dicalcium Phosphate Mix the ingredients above with 1 part dicalcium phosphate. Can deer freeze to death when severe cold weather, such as dangerously low temperatures, deep snow and crushing winds, set in? WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE Printable version Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. Making deer mineral licks is not a hassle and you can do it on your own in a few simple steps. If you dont see any deer activity near the mineral sight, try placing it near water sources and a good tree for trail cameras. Ohio Hunter Balances Hunting and Family to Bag 190-inch Typical, Dr. Since deer tend to like salt, placing a mineral lick in a location where there is water is the best way to attract them. If you notice no deer sign after a few weeks, then mix in more salt to the site. You can do more or less depending on the amount of use you get at a site. Any one of a hundred things can influence how often a deer will use a supplemental mineral and how much it will consume. You can also locate these sites near good trees for trail cameras. 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. After all, it sure looks that way. 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. WATCH: 3 Things Youre Doing Wrong with Your Mineral Sites. Pour your mineral contents all over the turned-up ground and mix it in with the shovel or pitchfork. For several years now, I have been formulating free choice minerals for wild deer. While there are a number of commercial products available to create mineral licks, a more affordable and perhaps better option is to drive down to your local feed and seed or farmers co-op and buy a 50-pound bag of dicalcium phosphate and one or two 50-pound bag of trace-mineral salt. They have just about every option available to them. 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. The most common intake claim by deer products on the market is 1 to 2 ounces per head per day or 1/16 to 1/8 of a pound. 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