Food Plot Basics

[retrieverman]

Here’s the situation. I’ve got 360 acres basically by myself (no one else has hunted there but me in two years), and there have only been 4 deer taken off the place in the last 3 years. I’ve got leasers hunting south, east, and west of my place. The east hunters feed a little protein and corn and plant small “hunting” plots, and they are supposedly “trophy horn” hunters. The leasers to the south have been hunting there longer than I have, and to my knowledge, all they do is put out a little corn during season. They aren’t very picky about the bucks they shoot, but they don’t subscribe to the “if it’s brown, it’s down” methodology. I don’t know the hunters on the west, so they are wild cards.

Being realistic, I know that drawing and holding deer off the neighboring properties is probably unlikely given the realively small acreage, but my goal is to do the best I can to provide a sustainable food source so they don’t have to go elsewhere for groceries. From what y’all are sharing in this thread and my talks with Deerslayer, I believe a plan is attainable. Thanks!!!

 

[Deer Slayer]

It is time to put your mineral out for your deer.

 

[Toothpick]

I know I could dig through this thread and get my answer, but...
Should we just buy a bag of minerals for cattle and put out a portion on the ground?
I have put out manger blocks in the past, but is that enough?
Any solid advice would be appreciated.

 

[Swine]

2 parts Trace Mineral
1 parts Stock salt
1 parts Dicalcium Phosphate


Thank you Co-op!

 

[Toothpick]

Thanks Swine

 

[Deer Slayer]

Toothpick - are you wanting to just get by or do you want to get a quality mineral specifically tailored for deer? There is a difference. If you want quality then I can help you. I will be purchasing 50 pounds of quality mineral for my farm herd on the 10th of March when I go to Nebraska for a seminar that I am teaching. I have been using this mineral for several years and the deer readily take to it. I am buying direct from the manufacturer who I have known for many years, who I trust explicitly, and I have used his feed for years with excellant results. If you are interested I will check the price for a bag and let you know. I only recommend products that I have used and know that the claims made are true. There is alot of hype in the deer marketplace.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Toothpick - the 50 pound bag is $50.00. 1 bag per year should be sufficient. Let me know if you wish me to pick up a bag for you.

 

[dlbleak]

Toothpick - the 50 pound bag is $50.00. 1 bag per year should be sufficient. Let me know if you wish me to pick up a bag for you.

How do you disperse this mineral? Feeder, trough?

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Atwoods carries a mineral that is already mixed unlike the one recipe provided in another post. It is a 50# bag for about $22. One of the big things to look for is a percentage of phosphorous that is about half of the percentage of calcium.

When first locating where to place mineral, look for an area with a lot of deer travel in the spring months of the year, and near a fresh water source. I try to have a mineral lick per 40-50 acres. Once established I freshen (add new mineral) every mid to end of January and then again in April or so. I use a fork shovel to mix the mineral in the top 2-3" of soil.

 

[Shadowrider]

When first locating where to place mineral, look for an area with a lot of deer travel in the spring months of the year, and near a fresh water source.

Just how close to water are you talking?

Got a 30 acre plot with two ponds on it, one of which is extremely small. It's surrounded by by more acreage that has feeders and the deer roam a wide area. With only 30 acres, just pick a high traffic trail?