Mineral Sites

[eyehead]

Too early to get them started??

Bought a couple 25 lb bags of mineral from Fleet Farm the other day. Ive never established a mineral site before so Im wondering if you fellas had any do's and dont's to getting the site started. Just dump the whole bag in a pile and wait for the rain to come an dillute it into the soil or what works best for you?? Any tips would be great!!

Hopefully the mineral sites will help me getting a majority of the resident bucks im hunting on camera. Every summer I have a tuff time getting them to walk in front of cameras even though I know they are out there (usually just run them on trails). Always get a ton of bucks on camera when I put them over commuity scrapes in late October, but now that im bowhunting it would be nice to get pictures earlier in the year so I know how picky I can be.

[slimngrizzly]

Its never too early! Now is the time they need it most.

Its fine to dump it... However, I would recommend digging a hole 2-3' in diameter and 6-12" deep, simply to contain it. Im pretty picky on how I set up my mineral sites because I want to get the best pictures possible and I want to be able to get to them with minimal disturbance. Its fun and easy and beneficial and you should certainly get a good inventory of whats out there!

Ill try to post some pics to explain.

[hockeybc69]

I just use 50# trace mineral blocks from Fleet for about $6 a piece.

Deer love em. and they last a couple years.

[Musky hunter 82]

I use the trace mineral blocks also but I break them in half, I usually put the first half out around this time of year and it usually lasts until the end of July, then I toss out the other half and that is usually gone by late September or so.

[slimngrizzly]

A couple basic camera friendly sites...

Another...

Another spot with the cheap blocks (which work as good or better than the rest)

Have Fun! Good luck!

[Archerysniper]

Right now or sooner is the time. It will greatly help with the does that are pregnant and the fawns. After a sever winter like we are having we need to help out those fawns as much as possible we need everyone we can get.

[eyehead]

Lookin good Slim, I bet you get some really good pictures over those sites!!

In the pictures it looks like you have your mineral in a stump....

So are you bringing a stump into your mineral hole or are you creating a hole around an exsisting stump in the ground??

I think next time I go for minerals im just gonna get a few of the blocks instead of buying the bagged stuff...sounds like it works just as good and its cheaper! Thanks fellas

[slimngrizzly]

Correct, I do that so they a) LAST longer and dont get eaten by the rain, and It forces to keep their heads up for the camera instead of having their antlers down in the hole.

I prefer to use an existing stump... but much like finding the right tree for a stand, its often not in the cards. I have a bunch of softwood stumps at home that Ive cut just for this. Ill dig the pit, bury the stump in the "camera side" of the pit (so the deer are looking towards it) and then place mineral block on top. I chainsaw the stumptop and make a drain into the pit. Eventually the deer will eat the whole stump because it will have absorbed so much mineral.

Also, by using your own stumps you can set things up wherever and however you want, like close to a tree you intend to put your camera in. I usually have them where I can drive up close with ATV or truck to maintain them and if possible I set them up so the camera is facing north. This way you can avoid daylight images that are "washed out". Lots of simple little tricks to get more photos and better photos of more deer!

Id be more than happy to help sometime if you need as well! I enjoy the heck out of this stuff!!!

[totally_addicted]

I know this has been covered a million times on here.... What should a guy use? We have mixed our own in the past.

[slimngrizzly]

I don't think theres a wrong answer. Basically its all the same. As long as its salt and trace minerals you pretty much have it covered. Usually you are paying for a fancy name and bag that generally contains the same thing.

Add Di-Calcium Phosphate if you think its necessary, I don't think anyone can prove one way or the other. I like using Lucky Buck to top it off simply for the "draw power" of the smell!

Bottom line, at bare minimum if you get a $5 bag of trace mineral at a Farm & Fleet store and dump it and walk away, the deer will find it and will somehow benefit from it. its all personal and theres no wrong way or wrong "kind". It just really depends what you want to get out of it!

[Lunker]

It's worth looking at the ingredients of the product you use however. Some are 90+ percent salt with trace minerals, some are majority other minerals with salt around 20-30%

[walleyecheeks]

Is it legal to establish a mineral site on state land?

[92python]

The 50 Lb brown colored salt with trace minerals are what I use and they work well. About 5 to 8 bucks and I only use 1 or 2 per year per site. I put them in a small depression in the ground and not too far from a water source.

[laker1]

Is it legal to establish a mineral site on state land?

Not sure,but I don't think so?

[slimngrizzly]

Is it legal to establish a mineral site on state land?

I would. Not like your hurting anything. It would be a "public" mineral site though...

[vister]

I've had the best luck with white salt blocks, buried up to its "shoulders". Deer will eat the soil leaving pretty good craters behind. Once they start to eat the soil, I apply a few other minerals.

[harvey lee]

Stopped by the landowner where I bow and gun hunt to make sure it is ok again this fall in Mn. Also stopped by the landowner where I take my granddaughter for the youth season, all system's a go.

Now, time to get things ready. Heard of those who have had very good luck with Lucky buck so my order will be here on Monday. May be a bit more money wise but, oh well, if it works, that really all that matters.

Then I am going to get out and put it down and set the cameras up.

This year, with the new camera, it can send those pic's right to my phone or home computor and I will not have to go out and get the card to see who has been there.

[harvey lee]

Is it legal to establish a mineral site on state land?

Not sure what the legality of this is and I went on the DNR HSOforum and could not find what I was looking for, maybe a call to the DNR would be the best.

I would assume one could as others bait for bear on state land so mineral would really not be much different. But, still not sure.

[vister]

I've always understood what u brought into state land, you brought out with you

[eyehead]

Didnt take long for the deer to find it. Even got pictures of 5 or 6 bucks already, cant wait to watch em grow this summer!

[walleyecheeks]

I got a call back from the local CO. He even said it's a grey area on this issue. After a 20min conversation he did give me the ok to go ahead. So I'll be heading out today and setting one up!

[jerkbait]

I thought it said it right in the regs that minerals were legal.

[harvey lee]

I have some deer this year that don't seem to want my mineral. Dug a small depresion in the ground and dumped a pail of Lucky Buck in the depression.

I put it out 2 weeks ago, Have pic's of deer within 4ft of the mineral and it looks like 2 deer actually steped right in the loose mineral pile but noone ate a thing. One photo had 5 deer within 6ft and not one ate anything.

Guess the deer in the woods I have the mineral have no need at this time.

1st time I have ever put mineral out and the deer left it alone for 2 weeks when I know they were so close. Most years I do not put it out until early June and then it gets pounded and they create a deep hole in the area of the mineral.

[Scoot]

harvey, that's interesting-- I've tried several different mineral blocks and none of them have ever been hit by deer to any amount at all. I'm not sure what the deal is, but they never seem to be interested in it up here. Sounds like you're seeing a similar deal this year. There must not be a need for the mineral or I'm sure they'd be hitting it.

[harvey lee]

Typically when we put it out at the ranch on our hunting land, up in your neck of the woods, we get quite a few deer who hit it very fast and use it regular. But, we never put it out until late summer to early fall. Not sure why they have not used it so far here at home in south central MN. I have to believe they will use some sooner or later.