1.) Swamp Fox - 01/27/2015

I think I'm going to buy some ingredients in bulk this year instead of using pre-mixed attractants. I don't have the recipe in front of me right now, but it's been posted here and on QDMA before. I haven't made the phone calls to see if anything's going to be hard to find yet, but I need to get cracking. Where did January go?

Anybody mixing up anything they think is worth considering?

2.) bluecat - 01/27/2015

Just make sure it's gluten free.

3.) Deerminator - 01/28/2015

Get those flowers and some of the shrubery that old ladeys plant around there yards. Deer love'm.

4.) DropzOfWild - 02/05/2015

Dicalciumphosphate -1 part, rocksalt - 1 part & trace mineral salt - 2 part
I heard to dig hole 2' diameter and 1' deep add & mix w/ dirt as filling back in....however personal experience is mixing & dumping straight on ground...
I preferably like trophy rocks...

5.) Floyd - 02/05/2015

[QUOTE=Deerminator;29061]Get those flowers and some of the shrubery that old ladeys plant around there yards. Deer love'm.[/QUOTE]

Deermintor, your comment hits close to home. Add Swampy's name to it (It's implied so you really don't have to), re-arrange the words, hit spell check and you will find the funny, funny truth in it. (humor)

Try it. Post results.

Just so I'm not podunking, and also to add some value..... Plus I remember you like music, videos and learning

[video=youtube_share;sa4XM2rpgDg]http://youtu.be/sa4XM2rpgDg[/video]


Ya, the video has an abrupt ending. But, I think that's designed to snap you back to the task at hand.

Also, I was at one of my local feed stores and I asked what they was going to do with the broken mineral blocks. The guy offered them free to me.

6.) Floyd - 02/05/2015

Swampy, in this next video, a few things caught my interest for you. 1. The cost, about $1.65 2. Feed quality molasses from sugar beets. as opposed to sugar cane molasses in the previous video. Based on cost, it might be a good swap of ingredients in the recipe. 3. So easy, a girl friend can do it. No ring on the girl in the video, just saying.

[video=youtube_share;oKAcVPZaSbk]http://youtu.be/oKAcVPZaSbk[/video]

7.) Swamp Fox - 02/05/2015

LOL...Good point on the feed-grade molasses....I've heard wildlife biologists warn about going overboard with molasses for deer. "It" (most likely the sugar-cane molasses) is apparently not good for them at some point (quantity). I'll see if I can dig up anything negative about feed-grade....My semi-educated guess is that it's A-OK, no problem at all.


Good post(s)!


I'm calling feed stores today, so when I get a second, I'll post the mix I'm leaning toward.

8.) Swamp Fox - 02/05/2015

[QUOTE=Floyd;29301]... So easy, a girl friend can do it. No ring on the girl in the video, just saying.

[/QUOTE]



Man, I hate to do this...I really do....I'm harshing my own buzz...


I might have to retract this later, just to try to keep the dream alive... LOL

9.) Floyd - 02/05/2015

I wonder what molasses type is most used in sweet feed? I'll have to look next time I feed Scout's cow.

Is sweet feed good for deer?

Wildlife guys talking to Ag guys, can get pithy to down right dangerous.

Your #8 post - pure podunk. And completely unnecessary.

And mean. You need to treat yourself better. You need a mantra like - "Fish are friends, not food". If you know what I mean? ;-)

10.) Swamp Fox - 02/05/2015

Hey, you opened the door...


Here's an old mineral lick thread I'd forgotten about. I was imaginative enough to pick the exact same title for mine. :p


[url]http://forums.huntingcountry.com/forums/showthread.php?174-mineral-lick&highlight=mineral+lick[/url]

11.) Swamp Fox - 02/05/2015

Well, really, mine was plural, and capitalized, and Podunk-prone...


:wink

12.) Floyd - 02/05/2015

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;29305]Hey, you opened the door...


Here's an old mineral lick thread I'd forgotten about. I was imaginative enough to pick the exact same title for mine. :p


[url]http://forums.huntingcountry.com/forums/showthread.php?174-mineral-lick&highlight=mineral+lick[/url][/QUOTE]

I opened the door? I did no such thing. Remember what your mother said, [B]if all your friends jumped off a cliff.... [/B] Nice try though.

Same thread, but different.....hmmm

13.) Swamp Fox - 02/05/2015

[QUOTE=Floyd;29307]I opened the door? I did no such thing...[/QUOTE]


LOL....Yeah, yeah, yeah....Butter wouldn't melt in your mouth...:tap::wink


QDMA recipe is same as Dropz posted above:

1 part Dicalcium Phosphate
2 parts Mineral Salt
1 part Stock Salt


The other thread mentions using some dried molasses.



:wave:

14.) Swamp Fox - 02/05/2015

[QUOTE=Floyd;29304]I wonder what molasses type is most used in sweet feed? I'll have to look next time I feed Scout's cow.

Is sweet feed good for deer?

[/QUOTE]


I've always heard that sweet feed in "large" quantities was not good for deer, but that they'd definitely go for it. I never tried to experiment with it. It seems pretty yummy to me, though, LOL.


Here are two perspectives that at quick glance seem predominantly different:


[url]http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=620495[/url]


[url]http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232835[/url]



I don't know anyone around here who uses sweet feed to bait, but that doesn't mean there isn't somebody out there who's using it as a supplemental. Mineral/protein/nutrition feeders aren't very common here, though, the way they might be in Texas. Here, it's pretty much all about the golden nugget, and being able to drive all the way up to the carcass.

15.) Swamp Fox - 02/06/2015

Okay, dug this up over at the QDMA site. Didn't find anything on sweet feed yet, but if I do, I'll post. This is Basics Plus on mineral licks, and I thought it might be helpful. I recommend reading the comments section as well. A couple of wildlife biologists in on the discussion.


[url]http://www.qdma.com/articles/minerals-for-whitetails[/url]


BTW, if anyone is looking for food plot info, QDMA's articles are outstanding, especially the ones that cover specific plantings one at a time. Worth your time to browse around, so to speak. :wink

16.) Swamp Fox - 02/06/2015

And while we're on the topic of molasses, before I forget: some cheap generic Coca-Cola poured in a lick adds sweetness for attraction, as does powdered Kool-Aid and that type of thing. I'm sure you can use Sprite and Mountain Dew if you want to. I don't think there's anything magic about the dark drinks (or about the molasses for that matter, although I'd guess it's a little more weather proof and stays in the soil pretty well).


[video]http://www.cellsea.com/ringtone/detail/RT4842fcc2e6abd.htm[/video]

17.) Hunter - 02/06/2015

Swampy, has there been any type of research or info provided as to what minerals the deer in your area need and when they need it? It seems that would help determine your "recipe." :wave:

18.) Swamp Fox - 02/06/2015

I think what we need here is for the Mississippi River to have a million-year flood and spread some of that rich, thick black soil from out there around. :wink


My understanding is that we have several different soil types and mineral compositions here and they can exist in very close proximity to one another. I've heard of farmers who have to prep their land differently from one field to the next. I can be in red clay, gray clay, black loam, and sandy barrens all on the same property, almost. LOL I can definitely do some combination of two out of those four most places.

Not only does this affect the nutritional value of the soil, it affects how nutrients hold or leech in the soil. XJCraver and I were talking about how quickly licks die here vs. there (southern Illinois) after hunter-abandonment or removal of the mineral block. I imagine that is because a lot of our soil won't hold nutrients very long.

I am on the edge of piedmont and coastal plain in most of my NC hunting, and split between upper or lower coastal plain for most of my SC efforts.

Here are good rundowns of what that means, if anyone's interested.


[url]http://www.unc.edu/courses/2009spring/geog/262/001/biosphere/AA_Biosphere_NC.htm#Piedmont[/url]

[url]http://sciway2.net/2001/sc-geology/coastal_plain.htm[/url]


I think you'd have to do a soil test if you wanted to create a custom recipe for licks or supplemental feeding. I doubt any biologist here would say there's something MUCH better than the DiCalc Phos and salt recipes, though. The QDMA article linked above hints why that might be so.

As I said, I don't know much about what people are doing for supplemental or mineral/protein FEEDING around here, because it's just not that common (beyond corn).. The deer basically have plenty to eat and plenty of variety most places, LOL. I think if anyone's doing anything, they're probably just throwing protein.

19.) DropzOfWild - 02/06/2015

Hunter....this is one of the reasons why I love trophy rocks. .... they have every thing plus I have not had anything else work no matter where it's placed

isn't the salt the attractant & not really all that good for them? I know that the dicalcium is great for lactating doe

20.) Swamp Fox - 02/06/2015

My understanding is that in most areas more than 200 miles from the coasts, there is not enough salt in the soil for "optimal" nutrition. So the salt does serve a purpose and is not just a filler. But I've heard people run down salt, as well. Not biologists, though. LOL...Not unless there's nothing else of value in the recipe/product anyway.

Good point about Trophy Rock. With so many different minerals in it, I'm guessing it's pretty close to a no-brainer that it has something for everyone.