In so doing, we get fantastic response from the deer herd. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Help us continue producing great, educational content by joining the National Deer Association or making a tax-deductible donation. 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. 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. Watering Note: If there's no rain in the forecast, consider watering the mineral site. 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. Simply use a bucket with nearby pond or creek water to do this. WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE. Whitetail Institute Winter-Greens Deer Food Buying Guide Easy to use Effectiveness Affordability Portability Frequently Asked Questions Minerals attract deer, and they seek them out when they enter these areas. They know that deer typically begin using supplemental minerals around spring green-up and continue until early fall. During gestation and lactation does have high requirements for calcium and magnesium. Pour in one of the bags of salt and one box of the A & H. Stir in well and then add three forths of the second bag of salt and all of the 2nd box of A & H. Mix in well and smooth over the top. The placement of a homemade deer mineral lick on your property is an important factor in encouraging deer to visit and use the lick. The white earth minerals work well if you want to add . 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We've learned that a multi-pronged approach to providing deer minerals is best. Growing antlers are composed mostly of proteins (80 percent by weight); whereas hardened antlers contain roughly equal amounts of proteins and minerals. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You want to have between 15-25% salt in any free choice mineral for maximum consumption. But we now know that was a really bad idea. We routinely give our cattle minerals, Larry said, and we wondered if it would be possible to make a mineral for deer?. Just be sure to dig up some of the existing dirt and mix the trace mineral salt and dicalcium phosphate into the soil. 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. Most professionals relied on information generated primarily for small ruminants, including sheep and goats. Dump no more than 25 lbs per deer lick per application, Lightly kick a little dirt on top of the mineral to make it apear as natural as possible. But this does not guarantee that deer will use the site. In this study, researchers did detect a difference in yearling buck antler development between supplemented and unsupplemented groups. Many of these minerals only make up a fraction of a percent of the antler. During the spring and summer, deer operate at a sodium deficiency due to the high potassium and water content of the forage. However, the formula I used for this mineral is a fairly standard formula used in many deer mineral products. Regardless of the intensity of mineral supplementation, a yearling buck will still be a yearling buck. A good rule of thumb is about one site per 100 acres of property. A homemade deer mineral lick should include minerals that are essential for deer health, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, and selenium. In contrast, most studies on whitetails have focused on the impacts on body weight and antler development. If the mineral soil is buried in the ground, you may need to add more salt to it. 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. This being said, there are many variables at play and these results certainly do not provide a definite answer. calcium, phosphorus, zinc, etc. Mineral licks arent going to magically grow trophy racks on a bucks head, but they are a piece of the management puzzle. 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. When formulating free choice minerals, or any feed product for that matter, the vital elements include the ingredients used along with the percentage of those ingredients and the resulting percentage of actual nutrients (i.e. However, several studies have shown that while deer readily use mineral licks high in salt, they rarely, if ever, use pure mineral supplements. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. Homemade deer mineral supplements work best near waterholes and food plots. However, these body sources of calcium and phosphorus provide only a portion needed for optimum antler growth. I know of some deer managers in Ohio whose homemade mineral mixes gave the animals heavy metal poisoning! Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. Once posts are published, youll see them here. 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. The sites attract deer and pose them for short periods in the right spot -- which happens to be right in front of the camera. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. I have used the same product literally 100 yards apart from each other, and the deer heavily used one site but not the other. Interestingly enough, Larry later earned a doctoral degree in Range Management from Texas A&M University, and to this day he remains a recognized authority on range management and animal nutrition. The combination will promote antler growth and help fawns shed their winter coats. Once youve thoroughly mixed the minerals with the soil, youre done. WATCH: 3 Things Youre Doing Wrong with Your Mineral Sites. The National Deer Association is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The key is to have realistic expectations. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. The first step is have the soils analyzed for the critical macro- and micro-nutrients. This sheds light on why quality forage high in protein is needed during the spring and summer for deer to reach their antler potential. This particularly is true for sandy soils, as well as highly acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH) soils. Deer are very finicky when it comes to eating, especially when it is supplemental products offered to wild deer. These are the most potent and effective of the three elements. This makes deer actively seek out concentrated sources of sodium such as natural or manmade licks. If you use it, they will come. Recalibrate. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. All Rights Reserved. Watering Note: If theres no rain in the forecast, consider watering the mineral site. Michigan Hunter Shoots 200-class Non-typical After Oversleeping That Morning, How to Find Big Buck Sanctuaries in the Spring, Potential Kentucky State Record Crossbow Typical Shot in Hemp Field, Iowa Bowhunter Goes Stealth Mode with a Tree Saddle to Bag 194-inch Non-typical, Saskatchewan Hunter Finds Target Sheds After Looking for Multiple Days, Nebraska Shed Hunter's Wife and Dog Find 6x9 Set One Year After Learning About the Buck, Oklahoma Hunter Sticks Heavy-antlered Non-typical After Gaining Permission on Property. Using a mineral mixture that has less than 50 percent salt will not attract deer. If one mineral supplement has 5 percent calcium and another has 7 percent calcium, but the deer consumes twice the amount of the 5 percent product, then the deer is actually getting more calcium than it would be getting from the 7 percent product. To my knowledge, there is little to no research on the subject as it pertains to deer. I group these factors into two categories non-nutritional and nutritional factors. Or maybe you have an established mineral site that you need to freshen up. This mineral will be for sale in the next 2 weeks!! However, these herds were fed a nutritionally deficient diet below what most whitetails would have access to in the wild. In a large bowl, mix together the plain salt, white sugar, trace mineral salt, ground limestone, dolomite lime, and Epsom salt. To begin with the non-nutritional category, location is critical. 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. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag. Give a Gift A lot is made over the power of mineral sites to grow antlers and create a healthier deer population. More Info At www.huntingnet.com Visit site All Rights Reserved. Western Kansas is also flat, and when I say flat, I dont mean kind of flat. While it sounds simple to concoct your own mineral mix, thats really not a good idea. 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. Needed during the spring and summer, deer operate at a sodium deficiency due to the potassium! 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