deer attractant right now???

[Cheif]

Ok guys. i laid out a mineral block about a month ago check my camera about a week ago. had one buck and a few does coming through. My question is should i be using just a mineral block this time of year or should i be laying out some of the deer attractant as well. this is my first off season here. any and all advice is appreciated.

[Big_Holla]

Minerals are the go-to for this time of year as bucks will need them for antler growth and does can use them for milk production. The problem with a mineral block is that it is very hard for them to consume until it dissolves. Also they aren't quite as attractive to them compared to other products, some with higher salt content and some with other additives to make them more desirable. Perhaps adding a bag of mineral salt or even stock salt will help if you are looking for an inexpensive addition to the block. Other products that are made just for this are Trophy Rock or even Monster RAXX, which is what I prefer.

Another thing to think about is the location of your product, no matter what you use. It should be somewhat secluded, near but not next to water, on or very close to a good travel route and for me it should be against some sort of stump or log. I rely on the old decomposing wood to absorb the mineral and give them a place to come back to. It also holds moisture longer and that allows the mineral to stay soft in the soil around it longer so they can consume it. Under your minerals it is also best to loosen the soil and if using a granular mineral, mix it in with the soil. This also allows a hole to form as the deer consume which also helps hold moisture.

[mrbb]

well I agree with Big holla
minerals can be a huge deal this time of yr, and placing them close to water helps a lot
BUt I think you have to ask, what is your goal, to just get pictures or help the deer get some extra or easy food?
apple now will work, so will corn, and any of most of the other other so called deer feeds
I have had great luck with using them pressed blocks of corn minerals and what ever else is in them, at tis time of yr getting a ton of pictures
Tractor supply stores here sell them for like 12 bucks for a 25 lb block
they hold up petty well till you get a lot of rain then they fall apart pretty quick, but
all last yr from May till Aug I used them, and 90% of all the deer hitting there JUST bucks too
doe and fawns seems to stay away, for un known reasons, but that was fine with me, I target bucks more so??
and corn will pull deer and other critters all yr if you can afford to feed them it, a timmer feeder would be best, to help condition them I think but I just use a bigger feeder and only add some from time to time, to get pic's, and to prevent any of it from getting moldy, wet corn in high temps mold grows a lot faster than in colder temps!

[00buck]

i bust my mineral blocks into pieces with a hammer to help them use or eat it i will be pulling cards next weekend and will post pics on here

[hortontoter]

For me the Trophy Rock is king. I pull cards from three cameras about every 2 weeks. Only one camera is placed over my TR. These three cameras usually yeild about 2500 -3000 photos every two weeks. The camera over the TR usually has 80% of the photos. But, to be fair the other two cameras are just watching individual funnels.

I know mrbb has had little luck with the TR. So deer in your area may or may not prefer it. I'd give one a try. But, like BH said put it in a known travel area. Once found they will use it quite often. As the photos indicate, at times the TR draws a croud and even puts a little "pep in the step" of the young bucks.

[Big_Holla]

LMAO on the second pic Hortontoter! Looks like someone, other than us hunters, is thinking about the rut this time of year!!

[hortontoter]

He is assuming that practice makes perfect.

[blackbeard]

I agree to the attractiveness of minerals right now, corn is always a good attractant, and apples are the bomb anytime.