When do you start using minerals?

What kind of areas do you guys put your mineral sites? Near crops? Near water?

 

My main sites are on heavy trails and near cover

 

All year for me also

 

I quit using minerals 30 days before deer season and start after the last day. You can have them in PA (I think) but have would have to hunt so far away which would eliminate half the property. Much easier to just pull everything.

 

Got it, I did not consider state laws regarding minerals. Interesting.

 

The one active site I have right now was one of my most active last year. Like I previously said, it's on, in and around a stump in the middle of one of my kill plots. The plot sits in a bottom, along side an oak ridge with a creek and thick, young pines on the other side. I am already super anxious to check the camera but I told myself that I have to wait at least a week to go back this time.



The picture was taken mid August when my spring plot died off and filled with weeds

 

2 of the red dots Mineral sites in corners off food plots the other 2 are on edge cover where planted pines and hardwood come together.. The white dot with red bullseye is my feed site..

 

Generally the mineral use in my area tapers off around the time the bucks start to shed velvet. They will continue to visit the site, but not nearly as often. Nor do they stick around as long. They will start to hit it again starting in late January and the sites will get more and more activity until they reach a peak in the spring. The most activity I see at my sites are the months of May, June, July and August. I will try and get my sites recharged starting in February. I have my sites on or near travel routes that are also close to a water source. Most of these sites are also locate on the edge of my food plots as well.

 

I'm gunna throw some mineral out here in a few weeks. Takes me a while to shift gears from season to off season haha.

 

Use it year round but focus mainly on increasing sites from late feb-till may

 

usually refresh mine late JAN then again late spring and again in AUG, But I will check in between to make sure that the deer are still hitting them especially during the warm months so it is always available..

 

I freshen my sites the same every year. I put out a bag in January, March, May-August and one in October. If I am starting a new site I like to have it going in March. I started using minerals year round a few years ago and I would not change that. In the winter the deer have less ability to get certain minerals, vitamins and nutrients. Deer are in survival mode in the winter and will take anything they need from their skeletal system. In the spring when most people start up their mineral sites the first thing a deer is going to do is replace anything that was used from their skeletal system.

 

lots of great info...

 

Good info Tom. That makes a lot of sense, I guess I just haven't thought about that

 

I just started a site with deer cane powder minerals and a block. This will be my first year hunting in South Carolina. Hopefully it goes better than last year.

 

Put a bag of Pops Loose Moose out a week ago and its all gone already. Deer are killing minerals right now

 

I started 2 new sites last week. I'm waiting 2 weeks until I check the first one and a month to check the other. I can't wait to see what I get. For me, it usually brings in a lot of different deer I don't get on bait piles or food plots