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Trophy rock

ksgobbler

ksgobbler

5 year old buck +
I know this has been likely best to death. However for whatever reason my deer rarely touch trace mineral blocks or any other substances. My somewhat scientific study shows I get roughly 4 times more pics with the trophy rock than others. I hate shelling out $15 but for some dang reason they prefer it. Anybody else see something similar with trophy rock or other things?
 
I set out trophy rocks for two years. Placed two cameras on them for the entire time and got almost no pictures of any deer using them. I had tried mineral licks mixed into the soil for many years and got very little traffic on them also. On our property in PA, mineral licks might work because the local cattle farms put them out for their herds so maybe deer are used to them. Here in SC, baiting is now legal so that would seem to make minerals of any sort less desirable to the deer.
 
I've used TR exclusively for about the last 10 years. Before that, I used the brown salt blocks (brown because I didn't like the white blocks that everyone in the world sees and walks over to check out). I've never done a side by side test of TR vs salt block but my deer really seem to like TR. I will also say that use is not consistent throughout the year. Spring use is better than fall use, so camera action could vary depending on when the cam is set up on the lick.
Another thing that could effect how much a lick is used is...how many other licks are in the area? When I ride down the road in this area, it seems like every other house in the neighborhood has a white (easy to see) salt block in the back yard. BTW, those tend to be the same yards that have either a pop-up blind or ladder stand nearby.
These deer here definitely have no need to go out of their way to find a lick.
 
I found bear like to take off with them.
 
They will lay down with them, play with them, and roll them around. I usually find them about 30 yards away or so.
 
one tip, if you can find a feed mill that handles it you can find 50 lbs bags of the same mineral for between $5-10 a bag. I like the rocks but this works too its just crumbles of the same salt stone. Now they hire guys to pick the rocks off the conveyors and shrink wrap them.

https://www.redmondagriculture.com/products/4-medium-mineral-salt/
 
4wanderingeyes said:
I found bear like to take off with them.
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I have the same experience. I usually find them within 10 or 20 feet of where I put them when they are fresh. As they get smaller they disappear altogether.
 
I just buy the redmonds loose sea salt in a 50 lb bag or Redmonds natural in I think a 44lb block. I think theyre around $10-12. 1/3 the price of trophy rock and the same stuff.
 
I've used both haven't really noticed a difference in deer use with them seems same here. Biggest difference I see is in price, I buy the TR only if it's on sale any more. Have been using the $6 #50 trace mineral blocks for over thirty years set out on stumps and the deer go through them pretty regular. I like that all kinds of wildlife uses them I get a nice diversity of pics throughout the year at mineral sites.
 
I have use'd TR and just plain cattle blocks. The TR easily gets the most attention. The most attention that we have seen on a block is after it has all broken down into the soil. The deer lick the TR so much it looks like a polished agate.
 
I used to use the 3 part powder mix in my mineral sites, then one year the deer stop using it, since then I have used the trophy rocks and they hammer them.
 
ksgobbler said:
I know this has been likely best to death. However for whatever reason my deer rarely touch trace mineral blocks or any other substances. My somewhat scientific study shows I get roughly 4 times more pics with the trophy rock than others. I hate shelling out $15 but for some dang reason they prefer it. Anybody else see something similar with trophy rock or other things?
Click to expand...

Since there are no studies to show that mineral supplements benefit the health of free ranging deer, I no longer use them. I assessed that the risk of disease spread from point source attractants far outweighed any benefit I was getting from close-up pictures. The reason there are no studies to show mineral supplements benefit free ranging deer is that their native diet is so varied. Each plant has different capabilities for mining different trace minerals. It turns out that the best mineral delivery system are plants.

So, I now spread my minerals over my food plots in the from of N-P-K and any trace minerals my soil tests call for. Not only do the deer get the minerals, they get the energy and nutrition from the plants themselves.

Thanks,

Jack
 
I use the Trophy Rocks over spring/summer to get pictures of the bucks in the area. We get very good activity around them and usually have at least a few pictures of every deer in the area after a summer of trail camera pictures over one.
 
yoderjac said:
Since there are no studies to show that mineral supplements benefit the health of free ranging deer, I no longer use them. I assessed that the risk of disease spread from point source attractants far outweighed any benefit I was getting from close-up pictures. The reason there are no studies to show mineral supplements benefit free ranging deer is that their native diet is so varied. Each plant has different capabilities for mining different trace minerals. It turns out that the best mineral delivery system are plants.

So, I now spread my minerals over my food plots in the from of N-P-K and any trace minerals my soil tests call for. Not only do the deer get the minerals, they get the energy and nutrition from the plants themselves.

Thanks,

Jack
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I don't do it because it helps them. I do it to get pics. Unlike most on here deer are #4 on my list management wise.
 
I can't say I have seen a difference for my deer. The big difference I see is in the price I pay and what I get. I too now just use a 6 or 7 dollar 50 pound trace mineral block. Costs less, get more so it lasts longer.....deer lick it and essentially eat the stump it sits on.
 
j-bird said:
I can't say I have seen a difference for my deer. The big difference I see is in the price I pay and what I get. I too now just use a 6 or 7 dollar 50 pound trace mineral block. Costs less, get more so it lasts longer.....deer lick it and essentially eat the stump it sits on.
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Same here. Both have worked equally as great.
 
Redmond makes trophy rock. They are coming from the same mineral mine.

2725 N 100 W Redmond, UT 84652
 
ksgobbler said:
I don't do it because it helps them. I do it to get pics. Unlike most on here deer are #4 on my list management wise.
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That is why I used to use mineral licks as well. I found that I was able to get the same data using true black flash cameras on small food plots.
 
I don't do deer foodplots either.
 
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