I like to use minerals in or near a high traffic area for deer and I set my trail cam on the minerals. I was wondering if there is anyway for me to continue that traffic after I remove the minerals because I have to remove them a month before the season. Last year I had a couple nice mature bucks and and many other deer as well. It seemed like once I removed my minerals they never came back to that area again.
I would say that by the time most states seasons start they don't show much interest in mineral anyways. It's more of a early spring to late summer thing. I assume since you have to remove mineral that rules out baits of all kind. You just have to figure out their travel routes even if they change.
process of elimination, you need to start figuring out there patterns by moving cams around without scenting up the place, then you can start narrowing down the mature bucks home range and where he might feed.
I would bet that if you were to find a hard mast food source, particularly a large producing white oak and set up your camera there you'd get some pics of those bucks once their off the minerals.
I agree with getting cams around their food sources after late summer. Or trails leading to them. I don't have a huge property, so some of the bucks that are regulars on the cams all summer, disperse to places I can't hunt anyway...so I try to use trails once fall hits to see if and how they're coming through. Good luck to you.
How in the world do you remove minerals? I agree with the above. They're pretty much off the minerals, by the time most seasons come in.
You can't really, but in PA the expectation is that you dig up the earth and remove it if you plan on hunting near the site or on a trail leading to the site within 30 days of the season. It's not a realistic expectation if you ask me, but that is the law as it is written.
