Trace Mineral salt?

[GOLDTIP]

has anyone here ever tried trace mineral salt for cattle for a deer lick and if so how did it work do they stay around for some pics or doesnt it help at all and did it seem to draw the neighbors deer over to your property at all

[ScottPugh]

We started using a homemade version last year.  Supposed to refresh the spots a few times a year but we haven't had a chance to do that yet.  Here is the mixture. 

WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE
Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. for about $28.00

1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores.
Comes in 50lb Bags at around $11.00 you need one bag.

2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loos kind without the medications.
Comes in 50lb Bags at around $5.00 you need two bags.

1 part Stock salt, ice cream salt.
Comes in 50lb Bags at around $2.00 you need one bag.

Directions:

-Use a 3 pound or similar size coffee can to use as your measure for each part of the mix.
-Mix all together well but not until read to use, keep ingredients separate until ready to put to use.
-Dig or tear up a circle in the soil about 36 inches wide and about 6 inches deep.
-Mix your mineral mixture with the soil.

[GOLDTIP]

COOL THANKS FOR THE RECIPE IS THE DICALCIUM PHOSFATE IN A LITTLE BAG AND IS KNOWN AS DI-CAL AND CAN YOU BUY STOCK SALT RITE AT A FEED STORE ALSO AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN USING THIS AND HAVE YOU NOTICED THE DEER TO BE HEALTHIER,BIGGER RACKS,ETC.ETC.

[Mayfly]

COOL THANKS FOR THE RECIPE IS THE DICALCIUM PHOSFATE IN A LITTLE BAG AND IS KNOWN AS DI-CAL AND CAN YOU BUY STOCK SALT RITE AT A FEED STORE ALSO AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN USING THIS AND HAVE YOU NOTICED THE DEER TO BE HEALTHIER,BIGGER RACKS,ETC.ETC.

The Di-Calcium Phosphate comes in 50lb bags and no they are not small.

All igredients can be bought at the feed mill. I tried this mix just recently and have had no luck. I put it out in the yard/field with all my other goodies. They hit everything except this mix. I see other people have had luck with it but I have had none. I have a trace mineral block with apple flavoring out and they love that. I alos have just a standard salt block and they love that as well. This mix seems to be popular as the feed mill gave me the recipe and said that many buy it. 

[ScottPugh]

Looks like Mayfly answered your other questions to where to get it.  You can get the stuff at Fleet Farm and any Co-Op.  Just call a head (especially the co-op) to make sure they have it. 

We did our first "install" last fall (a few weeks before rifle opener).  We have found (this is PROBABLY your case Mayfly) that if there is food (corn, apples etc) around they will go for the food first.  I did find two our spots from last year that were dug down probably an inch over the winter and spring (when we don't supply food).  We have a few stumps that we have put this over and they seem to be eating on the stumps.  We plan on putting it out again the next time we are up at the shack and then again in the spring right after thaw. 

[labs4me]

We have had fantastic luck with this recipe.  Here is just one photo of a site we have.  I'm using it on different properties in Mn and WI and they are all pounded just like this one.



This site has been out since April and refreshed once in July and again last week.  It may be hard to tell, but it is dug out a good 6" all around and 12" in the hole... and that was from the deer not us!

I think in Mayfly's case, there are plenty other  mineral sources for his deer already and being creatures of habit they are continuing to use those.  They only need small amounts of minerals and just putting this out with the other options available, will not mean this mix gets hit.  The reason we chose to go this route over others was because of cost.   I can do a whole year's worth of mineral stations on 4 properties for $25.  Pretty cheap in comparison to store bought products.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Mayfly]

That has to be the reason that this is not getting hit in my field/yard. I am yet to hear anyone else not having good results with this recipe.

Note* Be careful what Fleet Farm that you go to and call ahead. The one we originally went to did not have the minerals.

[GOLDTIP]

Thanks guys for all the info I opted to try somthin a little different first just for kicks  I picked up some 95% calcium since di-cal is 15.00 a bag and this was only 5.50 a bag today at a local feed store since this helps the bucks out with antler development I know it's a little late now but I figure it will tend to keep em around my woods so today I put out trace mineral salt and saturday will mix in some free-flo aka (calcium) to see if they like it  oh ya by the way the fella at the feed store was telling me and showed me that the trace mineral is about 96% salt and 4% mineral so he told me to just buy standard salt it's cheeper good guy  I will keep you informed and hopefully be able to post pics last time I tried pic was to big or some crap and dont know how to resize it

[ScottPugh]

Thanks for the information GoldTip.  I am off to Fleet Farm tonight to pick up the mixture and hopefully mixing it up next weekend.  Next year I have to remember to get this stuff done in the spring.   ::

[labs4me]

Goldtip,

While the salt is readily used and needed by deer, the trace minerals (4%) are just that... trace minerals!  They are the stuff that's hard for the deer to find and consume.  It is a lot of the nutrients missing to help deer not only grow better antlers, but over all bone structure, digestion, milk production, stress reduction, health during gestation etc...  The stock salt in the recipe is giving them the salt... the trace minerals are giving them the trace minerals. 

At least that is how I've been told by some one in the know...

WoW!  $15 for di-cal - phos.?  I know for a fact that I bought all 4 bags of ingredients for under $25 at Fleet Farm in Oakdale.  The most expensive (can't remeber which one) was $7.00 / bag.  One was $5.00 / bag and another was around $6.00 /bag

Good Luck!

Ken

[Mayfly]

I paid about $11.50 for the di-cal at the Forest Lake Feed Mill (E.J. Houle). They were out at the Fleet farm I went to.

The two bags of Trace Minerall ran me about $12.00 and the Salt was about $6.00.


So....a grand total of just under 30 smackers

[Joe]

I used the same recipe as Scott posted above. I couldn?t find stock salt, but I substituted it with mixing salt.
Can anyone tell me if they are the same thing? I imagine salt is salt.
I think I spent around $25 total.

I just checked one of the three sites I have out and there was some evidence the deer were in there kicking around. I had actually used rock salt the first time and it appeared they had eaten it all up. I have a feeling these mineral pits will be a lot more active later in the season.

[iceman]

Well here we go  :rock:

I'v tryed the salt in the bags it don't last as long as the blocks if it rains the baged salt disapers but the block salt stays around till it's down to nothing but it's still in the  dirt ..

over the years i'v tryed just about every thing but found the blocks are the best ether white or the trace  minerals if the salt blocks melt away they are replaced i try to keep at least 4 on hand..

heres a few pic's from last year of the deer and on the licks that were started about 4-5 years ago..

 



as you can see how far the deer have to bend down to get to the salt that was done only by the deer and not ME

[luvn-luvnlife]

I also use the blocks sold at the feed store, there are deer using it pretty much year round except the dead of winter. We watch deer at our block almost every night at the cabin. As far as deer coming over from the adjacent properties, I am not sure I think it is more of a thing the deer just swing by on the way to somewhere else. I dont know if they will come out of the way to lick on salt. The salt blocks seem to last all year, I just throw one out when the old one is nearly gone. 

[tripnchip]

Well here goes my expierences. I have used blocks, rock salt, pelt salt, morton table salt,and salt taken out of water conditioners. Theres not a one of them that didn't work. I personaly think that how well a salt likc works depents on how much mineral the deer are getting from there natural food.I wont speak for south of here but up here the deer mainly hit salt in the spring. Just remember the blocks that have food in them to are considered bait.

[Mayfly]

I used the above recipe and put it down and the deer have never touched it. At the time I thought maybe they were passing on it becasue there was corn and apples there as well. Now that the corn anbd apples are gone they still come to this spot but still do not hit the mineral mox that I put in the ground.....what they do hit is the trace mineral block and the plain salt block that I have out there. So my conclusion is to just get the blocks....it is really not anymore expensive. I think a large block is $5.00 and lasts forever. I think I bought this block in March, maybe earlier, and it is still more than half the size of it originally. I also put a small trace mineral block out there that I paid $2.50 for and that is hit on a regular basis and still has more than half its life left.

 ::

[tripnchip]

Mayfly, I have nver put outanything but plain old salt and they come to it everytime. i have used morton talble salt, water conditioner salt, and road salt and they like it all. In my part of the country the heavest use is in the spring.

[ScottPugh]

Mayfly - They use it 75% in the spring when the antler growth starts.  Then they use it sometime through the summer but then they go away from it fall and winter when they want to eat to bulk up.  Renew it (if you want) in the spring and I think you will see a difference.  I didn't get ours out this year, so am going to refresh the spots every two months next year and see what it does, mainly for the antler growth. 

[Mayfly]

Mayfly - They use it 75% in the spring when the antler growth starts.  Then they use it sometime through the summer but then they go away from it fall and winter when they want to eat to bulk up.  Renew it (if you want) in the spring and I think you will see a difference.  I didn't get ours out this year, so am going to refresh the spots every two months next year and see what it does, mainly for the antler growth. 

Here is my point....

Right now, today, the deer come into my field every evening. Currently I have a salt block and a trace mineral block sitting out there. About 3 feet away from the blocks I laid down the mineral mix on the ground. All I am saying is that they are prefering the blocks over the minerals I have on the ground. The ground mineral has not been touched.

 happy2.gif

[Mayfly]

I forgot to add. They do use the blocks every evening.

[ScottPugh]

I forgot to add. They do use the blocks every evening.

 tequila.gif tequila.gif tequila.gif No answer for you then...  Continue on!!!