As a general rule, offering up a mineral site to your local whitetail herd should coincide with early spring. Just about the time you’re thinking that you might have to mow the lawn soon, you should be considering establishing a mineral station, however there’s more to the process than simply dropping a salt block at the edge of a woodlot.
Instead, consider where the deer already like to travel when contemplating sites. If there is a staging area or place where trails converge in the woods, then you’re on to something. The deer already naturally travel through, and this will put them in a better position to hit the site in an area that may cut down on their exposure to predators. In many areas this may not seem like a big deal, but others with higher predator populations, mineral site location is important. This becomes even more critical when fawns drop and follow their mothers to these sites.
Once you’ve identified a quality spot, haul a bag of Record Rack Deer Mineral in and either use a mineral feeder, or more simply dig a hole in the ground at least four inches deep and then pour Mineral into it. Once you’ve filled the hole, cover it up with loose soil. If that’s too much work, you can just dump it on the ground, but it’s better to get it mixed into the soil.
Deer will quickly find your site and take advantage of the vitamins, salt, calcium, phosphorous and other deer-friendly additives. As May progresses you may also want to add a Record Rack Deer Block to your site. Deer Blocks consist of 14-percent protein and will draw in deer all summer. This is a great opportunity for using a trail camera to monitor antler growth and take inventory of fawns throughout the late-spring and early summer. Plus, periodically checking a camera at your mineral site will tip you off to when you should replenish your minerals or leave out another Deer Block.
Author: Tony Peterson