Home made deer minerals

[DCF]

I remember seeing last year some formulas for some home made deer minerals. Does anyone remember what the mixture all had in it and at what quantites. Thanks

[Jameson]

This is it. (link )

[AWarrior]

Here you go--I copied it last year

WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE

Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. for about $23.00

1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores.

Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag.

2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loos kind without the medications.

Comes in 50lb Bags at around $5.00 you need two bags.

1 part Stock salt, ice cream salt.

Comes in 50lb Bags at around $2.00 you need one bag.

Directions:

-Use a 3 pound or similar size coffee can to use as your measure for each part of the mix.

-Mix all together well but not until read to use, keep ingredients separate until ready to put to use.

-Dig or tear up a circle in the soil about 36 inches wide and about 6 inches deep.

-Mix your mineral mixture with the soil.

[Cooter]

I put some of Biglakes mix out in late March - haven't been back to check. Probably needs another dose, will report if the deer in WI like it also.

[Wanderer]

Ooops... What happens if you premix it and store it for awhile?

Last year when I put that out, I mixed as I went. I filled a 5 gallon bucket and snapped the lid on it for transportation. But I had one bucket's worth left at the end of the year and have it stored with the lid on in the garage.

No good anymore?

[PerchJerker]

Your homemade minerals are mainly just salt --- over 80% salt --- nothing is going to happen to them if they're stored or premixed.

BTW, they need such a high concentration of salt because the deer won't eat the dicalcium phosphate any other way ....

[DCF]

So what does the dical do for deer, or if they don't like it would it be better to just put out salt or salt blocks.

[PerchJerker]

First, my apologies to BLB. He and I are friends and have had many discussions about home-made deer minerals.

Salt is an attractant for deer. People put out salt, see the deer eating it like crazy, and think they're "helping" their deer herd. Some companies put a lot of salt in their minerals so people see the deer using them and think they're good minerals. But salt does a lot of attracting and very little helping.

I don't know if the dicalcium phosphate for cattle does anything for the deer or not. Loading the deer up on a few minerals but neglecting the other minerals they need probably doesn't do much for them.

I used to put out a lot of deer minerals, the top-dollar commercial ones made specifically for deer, but after a few years of doing that I cut way back on it. I got tired of paying for it, and I did some reading on the science and biology of deer and decided it wasn't worth it.

Minerals for deer are like vitamins for people. You don't need much (ie. one-a-day) and the extra just passes through your body (doesn't make you "more healthy"). At the most a deer should need only an ounce or so of minerals a day --- that's not very much. A good habitat with good nutrition should provide all the minerals the deer need (how many people don't take vitamins but yet are perfectly healthy and in great shape). If you have deer minerals out and the deer aren't eating them, you should look at that as a sign that the deer are getting their minerals through their habitat (a good thing). It's possible that increasing their intake of minerals would give them a little more benefit, but not much.......and giving them more of something they already have enough of, but neglecting something else, isn't going to do much to help them.

I put my attention (and money) into habitat now, with a lot of focus on food plots with proper fertilization and weed control. I think that by having good food plots and good habitat I'm doing more for the deer than dumping out minerals or salt. I still put out some minerals and salt every year, but way less than I used to.

I don't think there's anything wrong with putting out salt or the home-made deer mineral recipe ---- I just think a lot of people are thinking they're really helping the deer with it, when really they're just attracting the deer.

[rattlem'up]

I also used that his mineral mix and boy i tell you what! I had those deer on a string. I set my cam out the first night i put them out and i had over 300 pics of numerous deer,coon,fox,possum,yotes,cats you name it. I would set it out around the beginning of July and mix it with corn untill mid august. Then back to just the minerals. I would replenish the mix every 2 weeks and it would be down to the dirt. Havn't set my cam out yet this year but when i do i'll post some pics. heres a couple from last year. you should be able to see some more pics toword the bottom.

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Album...50/t_=103591650

[rattlem'up]

maybe not heres a couple more.

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Album...50/t_=103591650

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Album...50/t_=103591650

couple yotes i pulled outa there also

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Album...50/t_=103591650