Article on home page https://www.bowhunting.com/article/do-minerals-really-impact-antler-growth/ so a family friend of mine owns a livestock custom feed mixing company. He also makes, packages, and ships deer mineral mixes for small companies. I'm not linking to him or any of those products, that isn't the point of this post. I have been able to purchase very cheaply large bags of deer mineral mix, we used it for a couple years and found minimal interest from the deer. Maybe that means our property and surrounding area has adequate forage that they are not stressing for supplemental minerals, or maybe its mostly an advertising thing people buy into. I'll say the rabbits were super interested in the minerals we put out. Our land is in NW Missouri surrounded by by ag and very close to the river and other water sources. We have a clover plot with other stuff mixed in that the neighbor cuts and bails once or twice a year, we have apples trees all over, they are fenced in but that doesn't keep all the apples in so the deer do get some of those too. A plain old salt block pulled way more deer interest than mineral mixes for us. Anyone else have different experience with minerals?
I hunt out of state in Ohio on a private farm where baiting is legal. I use trophy rock year-round over there, mainly to draw them to my camera sites. I've had good success with it over the years. They will even paw the ground to get it after the rock is gone, which usually takes about 3-4 months. I don't know if it makes a difference in the health of the deer or their antler growth but I do know it keeps them in front of my cameras. Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk
I use it to get inventory on deer herd on my props I hunt, also I hear it helps doe with lactation and deer coat health. As far as it helping antler growth I don’t know, but the information is out there and I think it has some merit. The deer hit the mineral sites I have in Pa and in Ohio, I think they are less to hit them in farm county with other minerals available for cattle, but this is only my speculation.
I feel the same. Mostly just use as a supplement that I hope it helps deer health. Mostly like everyone else said, get pics and inventory of deer in the area. Don't think I every had a problem getting deer to use them. When ever I do, I just change what I'm using. Most times I put 2 or 3 brands out to give them a diverse variety to use. My guess is deer don't eat it for the minerals, but for the salt. Salt helps them retain water, which helps in the summer months when it's hot and your covered in hair. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
Started using a self mix this spring/summer. Committing to it for 5 years to see impact on the herd. (Starting with the does lactation). Two batches so far—first one was high salt and it was gone quickly. Next was very low salt, but included garlic and molasses. Deer haven’t hit it quite as hardc but still using it. There is a good thread on Iowa Whitetail that recommended using a mineral base that has at least 8% phosphorus and the rest of the percentages will take care of themselves. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So, we've done something similar here. I've had a private permission spot since I was 8 years old when I killed my first deer and now a days, we have a small piece of family ground. Blessed. Anyway, the 1st spot has always been close to my heart due to the history, but there is a lot of guys that have come and gone out there and the bucks generally don't grow very old...so not very big. The past few years the guys have been investing a lot of $ in minerals, and feed etc. Not seeing much difference. IMO, it's related to the amount of constant activity, ATV riding and (respectfully) not the stealthiest and most modest hunting habits that tend to be common there. Now, drive a few miles down the levee to my family spot, and we've got a great place. No minerals. We drop the basic salt licks out there to attract to the trail cam but that's about it. Plenty of good 3-5 year olds out there. Why? We'll plant a few food plots, check stands and cut a shooting lane in the spring/summer but aside from that, we do not touch it until November. My situation may not correlate at all to yours but we're talking essentially a mirrored environment agriculturally and in regard to habitat, but the difference is that the place with little contact until after a frost holds the bucks. Again, may not add much to your topic but there's the situation. My experience is sometimes less is more.
I think its exactly the point I'm stating, and for the most part the article - if you have an overall healthy environment mineral supplements are a waste of money. It stated the huge growth potential is AFTER the body reaches maturity, so if you're putting out lots of minerals and kill everything at 2..... Healthy environment + patience (where I sometimes fail) = big deer minerals not needed unhealthy environment + minerals = deer still prefer a health environment
Minerals help overall health of the herd more so than increasing antler growth IMO. Healthy deer do the rest themselves based on food, water, cover available and TIME.....
Agree. Healthier deer mean able to fight off more diseases and predators and more odds to get to longer life. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Interesting digression from your original post; last season I saw an uncanny amount of bucks with broken tines and beams. Anywhere from forkies with a broken end or side, all the way up to a 4 year old with an ENTIRE main beam missing. Yes, he was a shooter prior to losing an entire side. I’d say I saw somewhere north of a dozen different bucks with broken antlers on roughly 400 acre farm. So maybe we need to look into minerals to make a positive impact on rack health? Not sure. Our neighbor to the south took out 6 or 7 young bucks (2-3 year olds) so if it was a buck overpopulation issue, maybe it’s resolved. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I’ve been making my low salt mineral for almost 20 years. I’ve hunted the same farm I first starting using it on for 35 years. The antler difference from the first 15 years compared to the last 20 years is UNBELIEVABLE! I’ll post some pictures from just 1 mineral site the last 10 years. There is no doubt I believe a low salt mineral impacts antler growth.
Those are studs! What is your recipe / mix? How long do you leave it out? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
LMFAO! I appreciate you thinking that is in a fence you just proved my point that I believe my mineral makes a difference. Thank you!
cbw it is the mineral blend I’ve been making for almost 20 years and have been selling for over 10 years. I’ve had a coupon code for the members here for a while now to save 20%.
Gotcha. I’m relatively new to the forum. Link to your site? Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
