Mineral supplements for deer - whats your 2 cents worth?
- Thread starter j-bird
- Start date
OkieKubota
5 year old buck +
I use trace mineral blocks for cattle. Just roll up on the wheeler and kick it off... Get pictures of every buck in the area through spring, summer and all the does with fawns. Bucks tend to stop using with regularity with only occasional visits after they go into hard horn. Excellent method of survey and if they seek it out it is obviously something they need...
OkieKubota
5 year old buck +
Depends upon what is available to the deer in your area. Trace mineral blocks are utilized heavily during antler growing in spring-Summer and as soon as bucks go into hard horn sites stop being visited by bucks. Same for does during pregnancy,fawning, and nursing of the fawns but almost none at all once the fawns are weaned - That tells me it is something that is lacking from their environment for that time frame... If it was something they just simply crave like you do doughnuts then I am pretty sure it would not matter what time of the year, they would still hit it but they don't...only in the formative stages...
shawnv
5 year old buck +
It's a poor ROI to spend much on minerals in regards to antlers. Do you really care if the buck scores 156 or 156 and 3/8ths? I will place a trophy rock out by my house off season, there the does seem to make good use of it early summer and I'm just looking to help them have healthier fawns.
j-bird
Moderator
I have always been on the fence about minerals. Sciencific evidence isn't very strong that it helps (at least in free range deer), while there is always the confined feeding/disease issue to worry about. I want to provide what I can, but with it being bait in my state and all I always just wondered if it was really worth it. Sounds like it may help to some extent, but not like the adds would lead you to beleive (imagine that) - still nothing better for bigger antlers than age! Just like my plot seed and chemicals and the like (not counting tree planting) - it isn't an investment. I will never make a dime from the money I spend so that to me is not an issue. It would not financially keep me from other habitat projects. I may try one and see how it works. With my course soils and lack of clay I think a solid/block would work best and last the longest vs powder.
D
dipper
Guest
The deer isn't attracted to the minerals because of the minerals. The only reason they are attracted is because of the salt. There isn't a soul on the planet attracted to McDonalds because of the cellulose and "nutrients" in what is called a hamburger. People eat the cellulose burger because of the high salt and fat content. Salt just tastes good. It's the same with any processed food. in this case the human who eats at McDonald's is just as smart as a deer. Haha I love it.
OkieKubota
5 year old buck +
Why do deer quit the mineral block as soon as they go into hard antler? When they wean they quit as well at least on our blocks and hunting season is still more than a month away at that point. There is something there that they need when they are pregnant, fawning, nursing, and growing antler! Salt won't attract squat in the fall/winter from our surveys over many years... I am not saying it makes the racks any larger or anything like that. I think it helps the body when a lot of energy is being transferred to antler growth and nursing and when that energy is no longer being needed they don't need the blocks any longer...
j-bird
Moderator
I thought I read some place that the salt helps the deer metabolize water from the green plants or something to that affect. Once the deer diet shifts to hard foods (less moisture) they may not need the salt as much maybe. Not sure if the weaning and or antler hardening is related or if it simply happens about the same time as food shifts tend to start.
OkieKubota
5 year old buck +
I rest my case...it is something it needs...
Maya
5 year old buck +
Ok, there we have it, they need salt during the summer months, but how 'bout the rest of the minerals? I'm skeptical.