Make a Mineral Site

With spring turkey season almost here, now is the perfect time to do double duty with your trip to the woods.  Since you probably hunt turkeys in the same areas you hunt deer, why not make a mineral lick?  The giant buck in the lead picture fell to the Eskers, identical twins who have developed their own specialized minerals.  They are amazingly successful and a mineral site is something every hunter should consider.

I’ve used Tall Tine minerals over the past year with excellent success.

Big Tine Minerals-

Tractor Supply sells these blocks for $15 and I bought five last year.  During the season, deer consistently came to the site as I will show on my Vosker trail camera pictures.  I wrote a review of these cameras which got a great read from you.  Their benefit is solar power and I only change batteries once a year and get as many as 100 pictures per day.  That’s an amazing performance from a camera.

Vosker

Late Season Miracle

I had given up on the Maryland season last winter when this nice deer showed up.  The late archery season was in and this deer was 20 yards from my tree stand.  However, I did something stupid.  Instead of sticking with minerals, I chose to bait the site with corn.  I got 250 pictures the first night of a dozen or more deer, but the site had so much activity, the buck stopped showing in daylight.  I really shot myself in the foot.

Yesterday’s Giant Bear

Long Lasting-

This huge bear has been captured on camera for at least five years.  It only passes my stand once or twice per year but here he is checking out my mineral block.  These blocks last between three and six months so that you can stay out of the woods while still attracting wildlife to your area.  I’ll turkey hunt there in early May and probably put out another block.

Yesterday’s surprise visitor.

Yesterday’s Surprise-

This is the first time I’ve seen a bobcat at my Maryland stand, yet this is a big tom probably looking for a female.  I’m hoping he keeps moving because bobcats are a significant predator of deer and turkeys.  Mineral licks attract all kinds of wildlife and they will alert you to predators on your property, even if they don’t actually lick the lick.

Vosker

No Baiting Problems-

Most states prohibit baiting turkeys with corn and other grains and you can run into problems when the season opens if you still have an active feeder on your property.  Minerals eliminate this problem.  It’s possible that a turkey could peck at a mineral block, yet they are not attracted to minerals as with grain.  Just over the turkey’s back, you can see the mostly depleted Big Tine block.

Some minerals can help fight disease.

Fight Disease as Well?

I received information from a small company in Michigan that has just introduced a line of minerals.  Aside from being an attractant and mineral supplement, the product claims, “It has a lower salt content at 34% Max, Probiotics and Prebiotics. A unique conditioner that allows for a quicker absorption rate, We were one of the first in the industry to have added Humic Acid which studies have suggested can help eliminate Chronic Wasting Disease prions in the soil level. ”

Minerals work day and night.

Minerals Make Dollars and Sense

Combine a cellular camera and a mineral site and you have a means of attracting and logging wildlife year-round with very few trips into the woods.  The less you disturb your stand sites, the better,  and the information from your cameras will help you plan the best times to be afield for deer, bear, or turkey.  The Eskers, mentioned in the first frame, hunt from ground blinds and only enter when conditions are promising.  Day and night, your mineral site is attracting wildlife and helping them be healthier, stronger, and grow bigger antlers.