Deer season is just seven weeks away, and I already know where I’ll be on opening day. I’ve been experimenting with mineral sites and have two locations that should be visited regularly, hopefully during daylight hours. The deer woods are hot and buggy these days, yet it’s not too soon to visit your stand sites, clip access trails, and assure your stands are safe and ready.
Drill a Rotten Stump
A savvy West Virginian alerted me to this trick. He has many mineral sites spread across a large area, and he forms them by locating a rotting stump in a good hunting area and drilling holes into the rotting wood, allowing it to hold minerals and scent more effectively. He often finds that these stumps are wholly consumed by deer, but realizes they also may attract bears.
Multiple Mineral Sources
I enjoy shopping at rural farm stores and have learned that the price of a mineral block doubles if it features a picture of a deer, even if the blocks contain similar minerals. It pays to read the ingredients before you make a purchase. One of my favorites is a large 50-pound trace mineral block, which I break into two or more pieces. As you can see in the picture above, I also use Big&J Dig It liquid, which soaks into the wood and has a strong attractant.
Great Camera Sites
If you don’t have your trail cameras clicking away, now is the time to post them. Locating one near a mineral site will capture a wide variety of wildlife and provide a good indication of your deer population. By now, you should be seeing does with fawns. If only single does are seen, you may have a fawn mortality problem, likely caused by coyotes, bears, or bobcats. Are you seeing branch antler bucks? That’s a good sign, and I’m already hopeful that the buck in the lead photo will keep my stand in his territory.