The Best Homemade Deer Block! Store Bought Vs Homemade 

I wonder if oats would make it harden up better. I know if you leave remnants of oatmeal in a bowl it hardens up like concrete ( My wife has scolded me several times for doing this)

Great video. I would take 4 ratchet straps and squeeze the buckets together to make a tight compacted block. Let the mixture set in the compressed buckets a few days to insure tight compaction. Keep adjusting the straps as the mixture continues to compact. Good luck and I think you have a great idea going here!!

Love the trial!!!! I don't know why other people don't do this. This is what we want to see is RESULTS

The only critter eating your block that loves salt is the deer. 50 years ago I had a NYS ENCON officer follow me around for about twenty years and the second time he confiscated my salt block I was forced to use another local method. Months before the season (not that the locals needed to be told when to hunt) we would hang a burlap bag full of rock salt over an old stump. The rain would effectively pickle the stump with the salt. At the start of the season we would remove the works but the deer kept coming to lick the stump. Worked in the Adirondacks!!

YT has blessed your channel mate, watched the whole video and I gotta say you earned it!

Hey man just a little tip I started feeding the deer around here blue corn It's got a lot more antioxidants and all kinds of other stuff it's a really good form gotten really good results at the club here at past couple years

I have to say I have came across your channel and I just want to tell you that I sure do love your content brother keep it up man

Like it Like it. I have some oats also to put in my blocks along with all you showed. The molasses and apple is what drew them in. Looks great. Thanks

I'd say use more molasses on swap the crisco oil for a hard a room temp oil like butter or crisco. Add some oats or rice to thicken. You could even try gelatin and let it all soak in the gelatin before cooking. Maybe try to cook in the final mold and compress a few times while cooking to remove air gaps. I'd skip the maple syrup and up the salt. Deer love salt and it would help prevent mold if you make them to store up for next season

To get better compaction fill one bucket with sand/wet dirt or concrete to use as a press.

Awesome Job I can’t wait to get the ingredients and give it a shot

Record Rack berry block is my favorite.

I use bread pans when mixing my concoction. Then I either bake them in the oven on low eat 100* for 12 hours (it's like making your own beef/venison jerky), or I'll put it in a dehydrator... They work GREAT!!! Oter ingredients to try: Peanuts, PeanutButter, Raisins, Oats, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Marsh Mellows, Oatmeal, Feed Corn.

I just made my own. But, different ingredients. I also made them about 4inx4in blocks with para cord cast in them so they can be suspended from low hanging limbs to avoid raccoons. I’ll keep ya posted.

Need to have my birthday buddy do a cameo in the next one!!! Thank you I feel like I am now a deer block expert lol! Good video!

Love it!

I've tried this too , never could get mine blocks to last a week as the Purina block ( only 1 I tried ) lasted a couple months so I liked that better . I was just wanting something in the area all the time . That being said only used it 1 time .

Look at the bags of Purina horse treats. They have apple flavor. We've had deer show up and eat them, literally 10 minutes after putting them out. I think crushing them up, along with the Purina powder Deer mineral and somehow incorporating Purina Deer feed would make an all around nutritious block for deer. When we fed deer, we would use everything I mentioned and also get a bag of whole corn and cracked corn. We would put corn, feed in huge tote and hand mix it. When we fed, we would put a cup of mineral and half bag of horse treats and hand mix it in the buckets. Deer would act like cats on catnip when they ate this concoction. Now, I just need to learn how to bind it all together.

Something that might help your block set up better is if you add xanthium gum to it. My wife bakes And she said to use that to help bind everything together. I also think if you fill the bucket up on top of it with water and you leave it overnight it will help give it more weight and compact it down.

Get a candy thermometer and boil your Karo syrup to hard boil them mix in. This should make it harder. I am going to try that method and see how it works. Great video! Thanks!

I did a horse feed and just adding more molasses and vegetable oil and syrup and baking like the way you did it in the pans and with the bucket mixing, oven temperature of 350 made this perfect. I learned anything for goats nursing and supplements are just as good for deer AND WITHOUT that hefty price. Hope this helps buddy!

My husband and I will be making the deer blocks soon and we will let you know how it goes, Hopefully with pictures.😊

I've made my own. Yes, more popular with the deer. But dang inconvenient. Add oats (steel cut is what I used) as a binder. Near end of last season I didn't want to make any more so I set out a store bought (Purina I think). Covered it in salt and covered the salt with molasses. Seemed to be nearly as effective as homemade.

Square buckets are awesome!

very cool video.

Cheap jar of crunchy peanut butter. Take the screw top off, screw that to a tree, screw the jar into the cap, cut the bottom of the jar off. Deer luv it.

I also am trying to make my own feed blocks and the deer love them but I was curious as how hard your blocks were when you sat them out and how long they lasted?

I love the idea and I gave it a thumbs up. I hadn't seen anyone else do this before. I will say though if your idea is to build something that you don't have to go out and drive and buy adding the Apple part almost I don't know why not just go by the block then if you've got to go by the beet attractant? Aside from that did you figure out how much this cost? Maybe you'll say it at the end I'm about halfway through

What was your final cost per 5 gal bucket?

Enjoyed your video 👍👍

Had a thought while watching this. Build a small plywood box the size you want your block, then use a harbor freight 20 ton press to compact it. Might make it more solid.

Corn especially scented or flavored corn attracts to many animals such as black bear and raccoons here in Harlan Ky! We are being over ran by black bear the last few years. Every female we’ve seen this year has had anywhere from one to three cubs with them! I’ve seen two different females with three cubs this season! But to attract deer from far away within hours I use crushed beets from Walmart they come hard and fast to that stuff but you’ll have to have deer cane or a trophy rock to keep them coming back, or replenish the crushed beets once a week.

you might try oats oat hulls wheat hulls .....i used to work in a grain elevator cracked corn would help bind it up too .....

I am going to try this

Hmmm... Perhaps adding peanut butter and raisins??

I would like to add some information about the beet pulp. That is a cast off product from sugar companies. There actually is not much sugar there. Some yes. Also there is lots of dirt. If you take that soak it first, which for the animals you should anyway, Get the dirt off the pulp, also make it so it does not cause digestion problems for the deer after they eat it. It helps the deer so much. May I suggest rice hulls. Purina has a horse feed that has a high percentage of rice hulls. That will condition the deer well over what you are feeding for when you want to hunt them. Also cracked corn is easier for the stomach acids to break down the corn so more is digested. Again makes for a better carcass.

Hey. Great video. Just wondering if you would have put some weight on top of the product while it was still hot. That way I think it would hold better together if it was pressed down. I don’t know..just saying

thanks making my hubby his deer blocks

I don’t see how this couldn’t work Looks like a good mixture Definitely save a little money

This is going to go viral!

I just came across your channel. It was interesting to watch especially when you showed the results. The oil in the recipe is what most likely kept it from staying solid. I live in northwest Ohio where I believe the racoons outnumber the deer. Those homemade blocks would be gone in two nights. Which county in Ohio are you from?

You could build a frame and press with a bearing press

I agree. Never tried those on the course must remove at the greens.

I’ve never made any of these blocks but maybe putting in a press of some sort will make it harden up more

I make Bundt & Carrot cakes they love them! 👍🏻🦌

As to compacting for a harder block. You might try some weight on top to pack them

I use a paint mixer with a drill for a quick mix.

I’ve never had luck with any of those blocks or mineral licks

Since you are using sugars as binder, I wonder if you used a candy thermometer for how hard you want it. Different Temps for sugar for different hardness!

Maybe use a log splitter to compress it together may work 🤔

Hey write your video I'm assuming that the amount of weight in the 5 gallon bucket ain't compressing down on the feed block as hard as a hydraulic press on machinery would do it that's why they get the results they do with the store-bought blocks they probably compressed with hydraulic presses receiving a lot more Force to compact the box together

Maybe brown sugar instead of regular, and a dozen eggs, Keep it together better ,,,, maybe 👍🏻 good vid

I would add more molasses to it to make it hold together better when you go to cook it I think it would work better And I would also add Apple chunks to it

Those Purina blocks are pressed with a hydraulic Ram. That’s why they are so dense.

I made the same block, deer wouldn’t touch it. I have since started to use the Big and J blocks. The deer love them and tear them up.

I did the same block but a used a sledge hammer to pound it down tighter .

"I feel like Rachel Ray" 😂

add more corn syrup and molasses and DON't use oil in the mix "anti binder", and when you dump it into a bucket to set, put your other bucket inside the other with as much weight as you can get in the bucket. Store bought ones are compressed together with hydraulic presses

how about adding calf milk into the mix ?

Try Crack corn or flower.,corn mill for binder

use a drill and a paint mixer. works great. be sure to start slow.

Hey do you think putting in a press might help

How long did the homemade last vs the store bought? Did you get a week? Couple days? Did the rain affect your homemade block? Thanks for the video..

Ok my two cents so my wife makes her bird feeder cakes. Not only do birds loves them so do the deer. So try suet as a binder might not make it harder but it will hold it's shape. Sunflower seeds can be added as well. Side note to the people who complain about putting these out for hunting purposes a day will come when your going to need to eat while I'm sitting back eating a nice fat juicy steak you enjoy eating your grass. You voted for him reap the consequences.

had a friend who used to just mix a container of grape koolaid with his corn.... swore it worked. he's dead now but i might try that this season in his memory

Great utube

That's the trouble I've had , could not get them as hard as store bought . Had no trouble with them being ate .

Use lard cuz it will harden back after you cook it with all your ingredients but yeah put it free generator to pull it down the way you want it then it'll be perfect God bless

Your going to think I'm crazy. But home made deer block if you put Black Liquorish in it deer love black liquorish. And KC masterpiece BBQ tater chips.

Great video, too much work though, I will just buy the blocks, lol

grab you some clamps and clamp down the buckets with the water/dirt/sand just to help compact it more you may make them harder that way.

Try corn starch a half a cup in each one it's a thicker when you back.

crimped oats also which is like similar to oatmeal

Try adding a cupful of cement powder to each block

why not use honey instead of corn oil?? im going as organic as possible. thank you for teaching us how to make it brother.

tamp it in good.

Bake it til it starts to smell burnt? I don't like my food burnt. Think the deer prefer ot that way?

What’s the purpose of putting in oven?

I have 55 gallon of peanut butter, 150lbs of peanut, and apple flavor corn I am trying to get together!

Save time and pick up a "Protein block they come in a Tub"60 and 200 pound tubs . They are made for cows . Deer go crazy over them

Maybe stack more weight on top of the top bucket...i.e. a board and concrete blocks.

Maybe more salt might help limit the amount consumed? Works with cattle.

You might want to consider making yourself a racoon hat. And gloves and maybe boots and a jacket lol.

You kept showing and talking about a feed block on your tail gate. But your videos all showed a range mineral block in the field or woods.

Adding salt will stop them eating too much and pressing them will help

Also…. Anything apple flavor or scented has always not done well for me here in SEK

Well I can tell you a homemade mineral supplement for licks I been using for 15 years you can buy all at your local farm store..no corn just supplements the deer need and love to help grow big antlers..idk I just like big racks so I use stuff to help grow big racks!!I can spend less than 100$ make about 15 gallons in about 30 mins and they will dig holes you can fit a golf cart in..and attracts more bucks than doe..

Peanut Butter?

You may want to try a couple of packets of grape Kool-Aid.

Add flour to firm it up

Try putting some raisins in there.

9.99 for 50lb corn kennel ?? It’s 14.49 here in Connecticut

Add wild birdseed

Interesting. Build a press, skip the oven…just to see.

Compare to buck bourbon blocks

The Water Boy has your WOODEN SPOON! Der her her her 🥴

Add oats an more corn syrup. Harden up a bit

BIND WITH GELATIN AND CRISCO.....FREEZE......IN THE SUMMER ADD FLOUR (NO MELT)

This all seems pretty cool, but it seems making a homemade block is going to end up costing more than a store bought one, or am I missing something here?

Do you allow hunters in your land?