[sparta mi dlv]

I am ready to put out some minerals, but everything I see is mostly salt. Is salt the most important ingredient, or what else should I look for?

 

[clemsoneal]

After alot of reading I decided to make my own mineral lick 3 years ago wihen I bought my hunting retreat. I used 50#Dicalcium Phosphate(feed grade), 100# trace minerals, and 50# of stock salt. The salt as I understand it makes them want to eat it, it's only an attractant. Anyways did a hole about 3'x3'x3' and stir all of that into the dirt and put it back in the whole. They didn't use it alot the first year, which I attribute to not finding it yet. Then the last couple of years they have hammered. That along with food plots of clover and trying to let the young bucks walk, I have seen a pretty dramatic increase in atler size already in 3 short years.

 

[Hunting Man]

Farmers have used a product called red trace mineral salt. I used it for awhile for deer. It has minerals in it and molassas to sweeten things up. It was very inexpensive at the time and I also dug a big hole and just poured in it. Seem to draw deer pretty well as they would open the hole to 3 times the origional size.

 

[Southern Man]

A biologist in Texas had a recipe in a book of his and I took that to the local feed mill. They already had it mixed as a dairy mineral. I put it out but had trouble getting them to eat it. I had to add salt to get them coming in and now they do fine with it. Just had to get them use to it. Yes most deer minerals on the market seem to have alot of salt.

 

[D*N*R*]

I am ready to put out some minerals, but everything I see is mostly salt. Is salt the most important ingredient, or what else should I look for?

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SALT BLOCKS? I thought they are illegal in mi.(by the way d n r )--my initialsh34r:

 

[Predator]

you know what Humprey Bogart would say in a situation like this.


BTW.
Welcome D*N*R*

 

[Guest]

"salt" comes in all kinds of chemical make ups. here in nh its illegal to use salt, like table salt (nacl), but others are ok, although it is considered hunting over bait, if you hunt over it for which you would need a permit. so its like the red block versus the white block. too much nacl isn't good for animals just like too much isn't good for humans. the trace minerals and the dical are like taking vitamins. the nacl is just to get them to eat it. i know a guy that had great luck with substituting nacl with green apple jello/gelatin mixed with trace minerals and dicalcium phosphate.