Attractant

I see a lot of guys on here using monster raxx and Lucky 7 does no one on here use Trophy Rock they are the best thing I've used but if never tried either of the 2 everyone on here uses what are the benefits to these as opposed to the trophy rock?

 

Lucky 7 isn't widely used. I have a few people testing it right now. Local guys have had GREAT luck with it, spreading our wings a bit on a very new product.

Now, as for Trophy Rock, they work fine. The price is very high for a block of 98% salt, but if you like the natural look, content, use them. While people will tell you salt is BAD, that simply isn't true. Fact is, salt is needed and even if a deer took in too much, they excrete the extra easily (and this isn't a problem). Trophy Rocks work, they look natural so other people won't see your spot as easily and are a good product. They don't grow antlers.

Salt doesn't pull deer in from afar, but holds them once found. Lucky 7 was developed to not only smell good to deer (which is different than smelling good to humans), but to also spread that sent thru the air a long distance for a longer time. This helps deer find the spot. It also tastes good to deer (and actually, I have tasted it, it is pretty good to me too) and holds them there longer. I posted a series of pics where a doe that frequents one spot had her nose in it for nearly an hour without moving location. It is a lower cost way to pull in deer from neighboring areas. This product does NOT grow antlers (stay tuned). It can be used standalone, or with cheap minerals, giving you a big bang for your buck. Put down some cheap dical phosphate minerals (25# lbs for $9.99) and a bag of Lucky 7, you have 30lbs of mineral site for under $20. Compare that to 30lbs of minerals from some other products. That is what Lucky 7 does. It attracts deer well, and if you want, can make it very affordable to get antler minerals into your deer on the cheap.

 

I'm a monsterraxx user myself due to how I've found it works for me in comparison to anything else I used before (mainly 30-06 and trophy rock). *In Indiana it's a pain to do many though as they have to be dug up before each season sadly.

Here's an article by Monsterraxx for you to read yourself HERE

 

I will be one of the testers of lucky 7 in the near future, as soon as this miserable snow is gone. I'm pretty excited to get it out, smells great to me and can see it attracting deer quite well!

 

Don't feel bad. My new spot is under 14 inches again. After being buried once already this spring by 4-6 inches three weeks ago. The deer did use it with the smaller amount of snow, but under 14"? I am betting there will be a lull in the action, LOL!

 

Indiana....

Instead of digging, could you bury something? Like a big Rubbermade full of dirt? After the season, securely cover it so deer have no access? I have put minerals down in fall, tarped them so I could untarp in spring for the deer to use. I used to tarp food plots to kill grass/ weeds and it worked for mineral sites. Just a thought...

 

Q: What should I look for as far as ingredients in a DEER MINERAL?

A: Minerals work together like spokes on the wheel of a bicycle tire. If a spoke gets “out of whack” the tire wobbles. A good example is the way calcium and phosphorus interact. Before any calcium can be transformed into antler growth or bone development, enough phosphorus needs to be present in a deer’s diet AND before these two can interact, enough vitamin D has to be present in the deer’s diet. Today, there are many “deer minerals” on the market that have a high level of salt and perhaps a significant level of calcium but low or virtually no phosphorus. Calcium and salt are very inexpensive whereas PHOSPHORUS is the most expensive element in a bag of mineral. Look for a balanced deer mineral that has been SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for deer. It should contain less than 30% salt and at least 6% PHOSPHORUS along with other major minerals such as sulfur, magnesium, potassium, and all trace minerals including zinc, copper, selenium, and Vitamins A, D, and E.

 

I have used Trophy Rocks before and they, for the most part, do what they are intended. They do have mineral in them so there are benefits, some rocks have more than others I would say though. The reason I stopped using them was the cost, that and a couple of times I got rocks that must have had more (or less) of something to keep them coming back and they basically withered away from the elements. However, those spots did end up with nice holes dug in them after it was all dissolved.

 

Calcium and phosphorous interaction has been way oversimplified and hyped in the deer mineral. It is easy to see why if you think about it.

These requirements/ ratios may be somewhat accurate for many times of the year. If your deer were captive and got 100% of their feed from you, supplying a 2:1 calcium/ phosphorous ratio may be good. Too bad deer are not captive. You have to ask what percentage of these minerals the deer are getting from your mineral site vs their natural forage. If 90% of their mineral intake comes from natural sources, your contribution being 2:1 makes no difference. What if the natural source is a 3:1 ratio? Then your mineral should contain more phosphorous in it to offset the imbalance (assuming the intake of your minerals is meaningful overall). But honestly, how do you know? Did you test your deer?

Many people put out minerals before fawning. Mammals can have an increased risk of hypocalcemia at that time and while providing milk for fawns. At that time, more calcium may be needed. But how do you know if the does need more for sure? And how do you stop does from utilizing 2:1 you put out for bucks?

These are hard to answer questions, but they do affect the ratios that would best be supplemented to your deer. You may know your area lacks phosphorous (as some parts of the country do). Maybe 1:1 would be better. After all, even for cattle, you will see 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 dical phos offered at the feed store.

The good news is, if your provide some extra minerals, the deer's systems do have the ability to adjust to non-ideal ratios. I recommend not getting too worked up over exact ratios and must haves because it isn't controllable or measurable anyway.

As for percentage of salt... it is not bad for deer. Use 99% salt if it works for you. You wont hurt the deer. There are plenty of good mineral and attractants that have very high salt ratios.

 

^ Well put. I agree. Many great products out there.You could mix up something yourself or buy a bag at your local sporting good stores. In the end you are just trying to provide(where legal) the best for your local deer herd.

 

I know alot of guys on here use Monster Raxx and if they're having success with it, that's great. Personally I've never found anything that works as well as Lucky Buck.

Blessings.........Pastor

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

50lb Trace Mineral Block. Cheap. Lasts awhile. Draws deer. More beneficial then salt.

 

Lucky Buck works well... and if I remember is about 2/3 salt. Never saw it harm a deer. You hear it over and over "too much salt is bad". You never hear why.

A trace mineral block is likely 98-99% salt. Works good too.

Trying to bring in more deer from neighboring properties? Pour some Lucky 7 down with your block or minerals. That's what it does.

 

I believe you want a product with a 2 to 1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorous, low salt, a number of different vitamins and minerals. A lot of companies use a high salt product for three reasons...they havent figured out a way to get the deer to eat a low salt mineral, they are using salt as part of their attractant and salt is CHEAP! Dont get me wrong deer do need salt they just dont need a full bag of it. Think of it this way, if you eat something really salty you get thirsty and drink a bunch of water. Deer do the same thing and when they fill up on water because of the salt their brain is giving them a false sense of being full and they are not going eating as much. I want the deer too not only eat more minerals and less salt but I want them to eat as much food plots to get as much protein as they can.

 

Great comments.

 

I am sorry, but I have to clear a few misconceptions:

Again, the 2:1 ratio is an absolute crap shoot for deer unless you control 100% of their diet. Lets demonstrate.

Here are some common food items and their percentage of Ca, Phos and the ratio:

Grain Ca (%) Phos (%) Ratio
Oats 0.10 0.35 1 to 3.5
Corn 0.02 0.31 1 to 15
Barley 0.08 0.42 1 to 5
Wheat Bran 0.14 1.17 1 to 8
Soybean Meal 0.32 0.67 1 to 2
Alfalfa Pellets 1.43 0.29 4.7 to 1
Hay
Bermuda 0.42 0.18 2 to 1
Bahia 0.40 0.20 2 to 1
Ryegrass 0.32 0.24 1.5 to 1
Alfalfa 1.21 0.22 5 to 1
Lespedeza 1.14 0.23 5 to 1


Now, I have read posts where people added corn to try to get more deer to a slow mineral site. Corn has a ratio of 1 to 15, a far cry from 2:1 "ideal". Does that mean your deer will only grow stubby little antlers or be sick? Not at all. You did mess up your mineral sites 2:1 ration, but guess what? Who cares!? You don't control 100% of what your deer eat. So using cattle mentality doesn't work.

As for the amount of salt causing them too drink too much water and not eat... we better send that info to Jenny Craig. Deer won't overconsume salt, animals self regulate their intake within certain limits. May they then drink 50% more water? Sure. Will that stop them from eating? No. I think this myth started from people not understanding how or why cattle farmers use salt to reduce feed intake. If you put salt in feed, cattle will only eat until they want no more salt. However, if feed without salt is available, they will still eat that. The deer will leave your salt lick and go eat some grass, corn, whatever. Most of you have probably noticed deer may lick a salt block a couple times and leave. But on a mineral pour, they will eat awhile. They don't crunch down the block!

There are so many variables over looked. Salt is water soluable. It leeches into the soil fast. Mixing with soil, a 50% salt content quickly drops to smaller and smaller ratios. The dirt becomes a bigger part of the mix. That's why deer eat holes in the ground.

Hope that clears up some info.

 

Brian the OP asked what peoples opinion are and a few people gave their opinion and since it wasnt what you believe you attack them. I believe too much salt will not help getting the deer as healthy as possible and help bucks reach their maximium potential.

 

Brian they say a picture is worth a thousand words so here you go. Here are pics from my lease of some of the bucks since I started to use a low salt mineral with a built in attractant.

Over 200 inch buck



Some of the others









And I didnt even use all of my pics or any customers or the GIANT bucks from outfitters that are customers whose income is based on pictures and animal size.

 

I use Trophy Rocks and the deer tear them up! I placed two out at a established mineral lick and two weeks later one was completely gone and the other about half gone.

 

This is getting interesting, monster raxx vs lucky 7. It's illegal in Illinois, no opinion here.