Off-Season bait/mineral sites

[Livesintrees]

20 minutes ago, FeniQuest217 said:

I mean I'd argue that if leaving a bait pile does more for a deer than anything because they need food to survive winter. Minerals I'm sure help with other areas as you pointed out, they obviously can't hurt- but they need actual food they can eat more than anything. 

 

 

A deer doesn’t need us at all to survive. They eat the bait bc it’s there and easy. Not bc they need it.  There is Nothing to argue. The more nutrition and options a deer has, the better condition it will be in at all times of the year. There is a bait pile, and then there is a supplemental feed program. Two completely different things. 

[Rusty]

Wildlife get the greatest benefit when you plug the lowest hole in the bucket.   For deer that is the lack of energy during late winter.   The more calories deer get in February and March the less weight they lose going into the spring and summer.   Corn is an excellent source of energy / calories, and when it’s available through the late winter it will do just as much for your deer herd as all the fancy expensive supplements.   

[Livesintrees]

23 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Wildlife get the greatest benefit when you plug the lowest hole in the bucket.   For deer that is the lack of energy during late winter.   The more calories deer get in February and March the less weight they lose going into the spring and summer.   Corn is an excellent source of energy / calories, and when it’s available through the late winter it will do just as much for your deer herd as all the fancy expensive supplements.   

Corn. Alfalfa pellets. Sunflower Seeds. All stock sweet feed. Senior horse feed. Excellent winter mix. 

[JHbowhunter]

On 12/21/2023 at 4:41 PM, BHC said:

1 part Di-calcium phosphate, can be hard to find not all stores carry it 

1 part Stock salt (tractor supply)

1 part Producer's Pride General Purpose Livestock Mineral Meal (tractor supply)

2 parts trace mineral salt (red in color, without medication added)  (tractor supply)

I add the above mixture to 2 buckets

For flavor/scent  attraction I use 1 bucket of LUCKY BUCK each time I put the mixture out 

Clear the area of leaves and other crap, bare dirt only, I spread it out well and mix it well 

Di Calcium is very bitter, the salt cuts that down

I start putting it out around March 1st, and for me I put it out once per month  till the first week of September 

This works, some have a similar recipe , some have a different schedule putting it out 

I just use the Mix-n-fine salt instead of stock salt but been using your recipe for last two seasons.  You may recall, I posted my September buck seemed to have put on 40" from age 3 to age 4.... (not officially aged).  I also started adding grape Koolaid as a top shot last season 

[BHC]

7 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

I just use the Mix-n-fine salt instead of stock salt but been using your recipe for last two seasons.  You may recall, I posted my September buck seemed to have put on 40" from age 3 to age 4.... (not officially aged).  I also started adding grape Koolaid as a top shot last season 

first year I did it I added kool aid, bears all over it, so Lucky Buck I switched too, bears come in once in awhile but they don't stay