I have been experimenting with mineral plots since the middle to end of September and have had mixed results. I like to see what others use for this as it seems to be less popular than corn piles and food plots. If you do use mineral licks or plots, what do you use??
Deer minerals are hit mostly late spring to early fall. Nows a great time to get them out. I have been using a home made mix for years, but this year I'm giving Monster Raxx a try. I've heard great reviews on this stuff.
Trophy rock for me. I got 4 bucks in velvet licking away on camera already. The season is heating up!!!
check out my little video...hope it works. since this video i has 590 10 second vids the next week..and 1286 pics this last week. this stuff is unreal http://youtu.be/KwSuzSn-2FE
I have had great results since I started Monster Raxx Trophy Minerals for all of my mineral sites. There is less salt, with more minerals, vitamins, and a better ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus which is important.
I'm of the crowd that I won't see results from mineral licks in a natural setting (antler wise), so I mainly use them for attraction for inventory purposes over the summer. I do use that 2:1:1 mix but I don't know why anymore. I only use mineral licks to get pics of the bucks that are in the area.
I started my latest experiment with a mineral plot (or station as called to on the monster raxx site) using Deer coCane concentrate powder a week and a half ago. I spread it out dry onto exposed dirt about 15 feet off of what I thought was a lightly traveled trail. Keep in mind I am a full time student now due to a lay off the Monday after Christmas. So I can't affoed to go out and buy a ton of moneys worth of anything right now. I had half of a bag left from last year. I did this on a Saturday morning. We were expecting rain that next Thursday and I did not expect anything to come of it before it rained. I went out and checked it Thursday before the rain hit and there was nothing left of it and a whole lot of deer tracks everywhere. I heard about using salt and grape KoolAid mix and since I have to use my money extremely sparingly these days decided to try it. I know this is an attractant only application and thats my goal here and to also see how much activity this trail gets. I am planning on hanging a stand in this area for bow season. Unfortunately I don't have a trail cam and was planning on buying one by now it I hadn't got laid off my job. I can't say how many deer are coming to it for sure but, there is a trail that is quickly turning into a rut in the ground in just a week and a half. I have also found a lot of other tracks around the area I did not notice before. I have some tools I don't use anymore and I am going to try to trade them off for a camera or two in the near future. From what I have experienced so far, as long as it is a salty mineral, I believe it will attract deer. As for antler growth, I am still not sold that a mineral plot can make much if any difference at all.
I was turned on to Monster Raxx last summer and haven't looked back since.Not only is a GREAT attractant but it is also good for the deer so it's a win win in my book Heres a video from my Monster Raxx site last fall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD2XrtVUtjk
When I can afford to buy it on a regular basis I will pick some up and start using it. I know $12.99 a bag every couple months isn't much but, I just can't afford it right now. Full time unemployed student says it all. lol Maybe I could talk them into sending me some for free if I keep a long and pics and write up some experimental findings. Thats what I'll do. I'll send them an email. Hahahaha!! I'm sure that will work. lol
I did some research and will be making my own mineral stations. Go to a local feed store and get a 50# bag of Salt, DiCal, and Trace Mineral Salt with the 1:1:2 ratio. Mix in a 5 gallon bucket and work it in the ground. 150# of minerals for about $35. Might mix in some Koolaid too
I also use the 1:1:2 ratio and alot of Trophy Rocks..... Love my trophy rocks because they last a LONG time!
They have done a great job of marketing the Trophy Rocks, if you look at what is actually in a "Trophy Rock" it is between 91-96% Salt with Trace Minerals. Less than 1% of most. The 2 to 1 to 1 ratios are mostly all salt as well. On 50 pound Salt, 50 pounds Trace Minerals(High 90% Salt) and 50 pounds Di Cal, you are looking at about 100 pounds Salt not 150 pounds Minerals.
I don't have sandy soil at all. I am in NC ans we have that good old Carolina red clay here. It is black on top from decay of the many years of leaves but it is packed down to the point of not being able to just use a garden rake to break it up. I thought about using a tiller to break up the soil really well and then maybe even mixing a little bit of sand while tilling it. -Would this work?? -How often do you have to put out the Monster Raxx?? -I may just break down and buy some.
I would just clear an area of leaves and vegetation and pour out the mineral in this case. I have never brought any dirt or sand in for any of our sites, we have different soil types all through the property. The amount I use also depends on the amount of deer hitting the site. I use a bag a month where there is alot of deer hitting the mineral site and a bag every 2 months for most sites.
When I used the left over Deer coCane, I had way more activity than when I started using just salt and grape KoolAid. I have got to go back to using some sort of minerals. This salt and grape crap isn't cutting it. I still have activity, every time I check the plot there are more hoof prints than there were before. I am just not happy with the results right now. I swear they were killing it before and thats the results I am looking for. I guess I am going to have to go back to Deer coCane or get some Monster Raxx. Thanks for the help guys.
I go to L&M fleet and pick up the brown mineral block for 5.99. It works great. I also had 2 trophy rocks that i bought last fall. One of the Rocks is 100% gone. I walked out in my woods this winter and we had alot of snow, but all the snow aroung the Trophy Rock was gone and 3 pretty good trails going to it all winter long. I'm convinced that the mineral block at Fleet is just as good for about half the price, but the Rock was hit harder this winter. I picked up a plain salt block also this spring to put in a new sight. I like the variety. Good luck
good point, but I also had 3 good deer trails going to the rock. I do have to take back my comments about the mineral block from L&M being just as good. I went out to check my camera today and I have a trophy rock on a stump next to a mineral sight that I have established over the last 3 years. On the mineral sight I have a salt block and a bag of Rack up dumped on the ground. I have 36 pics and all of them the deer are chooseing the trophy rock. They are litteraly eating the stump away. The salt block is newer so it hasn't had a very long chance to dissolve in the ground, but there has been alot of rain. But the rock is the way to go in my oppinion.
