Deer minerals play a major rule in antler development throughout the summer months. Minerals such as Stump Dumper are always a key supplement for deer. The best time to use antler growing minerals is, as soon as the bucks drop their last set of hard antlers, until velvet is rubbed off. So we are talking from late winter into late summer or early fall, but that doesn't mean you should have supplemental mineral sites year-round. It's best to keep your mineral sites as fresh as possible from February - August.
When Do I Focus My Mineral Efforts?
So to answer this question, we must first analyze the products you'd like to use. If you are using a mineral that is low in salt , but has an equal amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, etc., you would be fine to use this product year-round. Stump Dumper has a guaranteed analysis of 12% salt, and when compared to other “deer minerals” that is quite low. Meaning there is a high abundance of calcium, phosphorus and all the other minerals listed above, plus more. Now, if you're planning to use a product with a much higher salt percentage, a bit of caution is advised.
Most “deer mineral” you can grab off of any shelf that I have seen can have salt content from 40%-98%, meaning it is merely an attractant, at least in my opinion. Now are these high salt minerals a bad thing? In fact salt in a deer’s diet is a necessity, but only when there is an adequate amount of water consumption. Salt and water balance each other out, but when there is a high amount of salt and no water to combat the salt intake, its not good. So, just be cautious when using those products, and ensure you're not utilizing those products during droughts or any time where deer have absolutely no access to water.
Where to place Deer minerals
Now onto the exciting part. This is the time I wait for all year, getting minerals out, placing a camera and getting inventory on the areas I am hunting. Sometimes I anticipate this more than hunting. This is actually quite simple. Place the minerals in high traffic areas, places where deer frequent. So, get into those bedding and feeding areas. You can get a little more complicated in your plan of attack and place minerals in areas that you plan to hunt. Eventually year after year of placing minerals in the same exact spot, the deer will get accustomed to traveling through that area. A helpful tip is to put your minerals on rotten stumps or logs to increase the longevity of the minerals.
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