Minerals Are For Trail Cameras Not Antlers

Hard to believe we are already to May. It seems like deer season just came to an end and we are already starting the preseason preparation. This is a great time of year to get out and set up the trail cameras.

One of my favorite locations for a trail camera is over a mineral lick. Whether natural or man made a mineral lick is going to produce lots of pictures year round. The picture above is from Monster Raxx Minerals so check out there sight for photo proof that big bucks love minerals in the spring.

Before we talk about mineral lick location I need to clear something up that is probably going to upset a few folks. Mineral supplements do not produce larger antlers in wild populations of whitetail deer. Minerals definitely do help maintain a healthier herd but don\’t expect bigger antlers.

It\’s no secret old bucks are elusive animals. For this reason I recommend setting up 2 mineral sites per 100 acres. The intent is to establish one lick in a high traffic area for does and young bucks and one lick in a more secluded area for mature deer.

The strategy has worked well and trail cameras have been able to show two distinct groups of deer utilizing the different mineral lick locations.

The high traffic location should be adjacent to a popular forage area and have water nearby. Staging areas near farm fields and water sources can be great locations.

Some hunters even hunt over mineral sites. You can check out the video of one hunter killing a massive deer over a Lucky Buck mineral lick. He even got the kill shot on video. Here is some pricing and review information on Lucky Buck.

Establishing a mineral lick in thick cover near a known buck bedding area can be a great location for the older deer in your herd. Big bucks have a tendency to avoid the high traffic areas. Be extra careful to avoid laying down to much scent when refreshing the mineral site.

Trail Camera Tips for Mineral Sites

• Don\’t point the trail cam south
• Avoid crossing deer trails when checking trail cam
• Be as scent free as possible when check trail cam
• Be as scent free as possible when refreshing mineral site
• Use a cellular camera like the Covert Special Ops if budget allows

Mineral sites should be established now! Spring time is the best time to set up the site and trail camera. Deer naturally require sodium because of the high potassium and moisture heavy forage in the spring. This creates a sodium dificiency and causes deer to search out mineral sources high in sodium.

We would love to hear about your mineral site tips. Please leave a comment below if you have a tactic that is helping you be a better hunter.