Great video Dave. I used lucky buck for 2 years then I decided to do some research. Now I get 50# dried molasses 50# dicalcium phosphate 50# trace mineral salt. For around $65 and it makes plenty for 3 different mineral site. Plus I like a little diy project
The dicalcium phosphate is great for bone and rack growth and also helps lactating doe's produce more milk. Trace minerals are better than just salt also because it's got zinc and iron and copper and a bunch of other ingredients that deer need.
@@dalewalker2379 Try digging a hole add trace minerals and dicalcium phosphate mix dirt and water. Then cover with dirt with water and deer will find it very soon. Made mine close enough to the house in the woods so could sit in jacuzzi and watch them
Do you guys mix in any diatomaceous earth? It's full of trace minerals. I use it in all my feed for my hogs, goats and chickens. Never had a worm problem with any of them, including the goats. I also use basic H in my water for them all as well which is supposed to cut down on worms. Can't do that for the deer but the Diatomaceous earth could help. I imagine any lower parasite count would make a healthier herd.
I caught onto this years ago. I go to my local co-op or Tractor Supply store and get "trace minerals" in the 50# bag for $7. I think it's called Top Choice, but any brand will do. I prefer trace minerals over just plain salt because it's got other minerals that deer need and sometimes is hard for them to get....like zinc, copper, iron, ect. I pour it on and around an old stump. After it rains on it a couple of times, they tear it up. I've had deer dig a perfectly fine stump out of the ground in a year. I just keep refreshening up the hole. Sometimes, the hole gets so deep that the deer have to step down in it with their front legs.
Awesome comparison bud !!! I’ve been using the ag blocks for years . Funny thing is I had never done or seen a comparison I just figured it was cheaper and if it was good enough for livestock it couldn’t hurt the deer . Thanks for sharing
Did ya here about the farmer who won the lottery. They asked him what he was going to do with all his money. He replied I'm just gonna keep farming till it's gone 😂😂😂 No but seriously good information. I've used the granular stuff for years but I never drilled holes like that in my stumps. I'll be trying that this year
When I had a dairy farm I as well as many local farmers bought the mineral rocks from the local elevator. I put in the pastures they lasted all summer because they didn't weather away like the processed blocks . They weighed each rock and bought by the pound . One day I went to buy some rocks for the cattle and was told they may not be able to get it anymore and if they could the price would be 3x more because gander mountain bought the only mine for the rock mineral in the world in Utah. And they where supplying there store and market first. That was 15-30 years ago.
Past few years I've been mixing my own dried molasses, trace mineral salt and 365 mineral. Trophy rock seems to be preferred. It's easy to stick in a backpack too.
For years, I have been drilling holes in logs, and running rebar through them into the grown....then filler holes for to put different ingredients of minerals. Keeps them coming back. Good stuff.
Dave, when I hunted we went to a co-op and bought mineral blocks, placed them on a stump and let Mother Nature take its course. In a few years there would be no stump and the deer would eat, lick and dig a big hole where the stump had been. We did the same with salt blocks. I have no idea what name brand the blocks were but they worked. We were doing this in the seventies and early eighties on land that we had long term hunting leases on. I begin hunting there in 1973 when I was 20 years old. Thanks, you’ve triggered a few good memories.
I have heard this said many times - "Same Stuff" I have done many tests and tried just about everything under the sun. I have the "cheap block" next to a Trophy rock in several areas - the deer always lick and eat the dirt on the trophy rock and never touch the cheap one. Just throwing in my experience.
@HuntingFarmerOfficial 👍👍. Deer are funny. What works best in one spot might not work a mile down the road. I've had a ton of people swear by rice bran. My deer won't touch rice bran and it just rots. Thanks for making the video!
It puts the opinions of many hunters into perspective when they so readily purchase those great labels and swear by them. Like they know better than the few effective pest control operators and species managers. Democracy and the opinions of the majority can have limitations.
2 50# bags of trace mineral salt 2 50# bags of crushed rock salt 1 #50 bag powdered molasses and 1 #50 bag of dicalcium phosphate. Makes 300# and cost around $70
Another great video. Been saying this for years about corn. (we can't bait in Michigan but that doesn't stop them from selling it in the stores- a bag of deer corn in Family Farm and Home is $3 more than a bag of corn in the horse feed isle.) Hoping to have access to some private land this year. I think that we can use "minerals" but need to look into it to make sure. If so, definitely gonna pick a bag up of it.
Stretchin' Gretchen, MI dictator governess, being the absolute moron she is, explained her veto of the Legislatures bill to overturn HER arbitrary baiting rule by saying to the lapdog idiot press.. "we don't want CWD to infect our livestock", of course none of Gretchen's sycophants knew enough to tell her that CWD is a disease which affects CERVIDS, not BOVINE, species.
I've scored those square blocks with a hacksaw, then bust them. They break better. And yes, deer like to dig the stuff from the ground. Bury the block partially
Like Mark said, “the power of Marketing” . You could put a picture of a big Buck on a bag of manure and call it Trophy Poo and we Hunters would pay double. Good tip Dave. Thanks
In Wis most of the state is zero baiting and minerals fall under that law. So the Trophy Rock is how some get past that. It looks like a rock so some think the DNR will not notice a rock vs a salt lick. I figure a good warden will know the difference anyway lol
Great comparison and research! Too funny - I use Record Rack deer blocks and have for years. Now I will have to do some research! Good information Dave!!
Great info! I put out a couple of the salt blocks and apparently somebody else had to have it. I'm guessing the bag form would be more likely to stay put. I did notice your cows don't have much in the way of antlers. 😍 Just kidding. ❤❤
Capitalism at work. I love my trophy rock. I put mine on the same oak stump for the last 3 years. There eating the bark off the stump now. Ive seen alot of does and yearlings spending a lot of time on the rock. Thanks for the video.
spot on brother i do the same thing, i all so make a mineral mix with Dicalcium Phosphate added with other products from local agg store, make about 200 pounds , for about $65 sometimes ill add a favoried , small bag of premade stuff just for a kicker. But try and buy that much at $14 a small bag and what i make is not only a attractant but i looked up what deer need so its good for them. Caution though all ways keep inside 200 yards of water sorse/ better for deer heard. thats nice content
Tractor Supply baby!! Love that store.. unfortunately we have a liberal governor that doesn't allow any of that stuff ever.. stinks for trail cameras. Great video!!
The advantage of that rock is the shape......it looks like a rock. In some areas, salting for deer is not legal......a rock is less noticeable to the game warden!
@@HuntingFarmerOfficial I know folks that use these here in Idaho.....where it's not allowed. Haw! (Nope, it's not me!) Good video. I might put some out for a trail camera.
And now illegal in many States because of CWD. The other issue is giving away your hunting spots. The rock looks natural, the block stands out. You can also make your own with more calcium and phosphorus by mixing trace mineral, salt, and di-cal.
I hunt private land both farm and swamps...its hard to keep outsiders off so i use the T rock its way less obvious...a block screams GOOD HUNTING AREA...of course the other salts would work too but i like to see them licked till they are Shiney and thin it tells me + trail cam how many deer come to use it... Yes they eat the dirt and for a long time too... In NJ you can bait with this on private land but not to sit over it 50yd limit...not legal in gamelands...
Wow! Thanks so much for posting this. We've been buying Trophy Rock for years, but after watching this video found 50# bag of Redmond 10 Fine locally for $10.95 and will be making the switch. You da man! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great info Dave, you're spot on with going for the Ag version to save money, I have to ask though.. the buck at 9:52😳, did you have any encounters with him or do you know what ever happened to him?
I had that buck on camera for 4 years. Had a couple close calls with him over the years but never sealed the deal. I saw him show up on a local taxidermist’s website. Congrats to the hunter (whoever you are) 😁👍
Going to be looking for these. I use trophy rocks all the time. The deer hit them all year long. I even have coyotes and bobcats on trailcam licking them.
Awesome video. We here at MTX TrailMix in SC. Makes a 6 grain deer feed and added salt and crush trophy rock as a mineral. After watching your video i think we will change a few things. Thank you
But Dave, its a TROPHY rock, not just an ordinary rock! What's the difference you might ask between a TROPHY mineral rock and an ordinary mineral block? Obviously, the TROPHY rock costs more! Did you really think you would get a TROPHY mineral rock for the same price as an ordinary mineral block? It wouldn't be a TROPHY mineral rock then, would it? Never mind that the contents are identical between the TROPHY mineral rock and the agricultural mineral block or the loose granular bagged minerals. That's not the important differences to focus upon! What you are missing is the TROPHY mineral rock weighs only 60% as much as the ag mineral block. Much easier to transport to remote deer food plot locations. A TROPHY rock benefit for sure. And the TROPHY mineral block comes with a strong plastic wrapper to help protect the block from chipping or breakage. That's another benefit for the TROPHY mineral rock over the ag block. The TROPHY mineral rock also comes with a picture of a big deer on the label so you won't mistakenly feed it to your livestock, See all the wonderful advantages of the TROPHY mineral rock product? Certainly that justifies paying 4X more for the actual minerals doesn't it? And the bagged loose minerals? Well, that's just a pathetic loser in this contest. I mean who wants to have to lug around a 50 pound bag instead of a 12 pound TROPHY mineral rock? Once the bag is opened, there is no way to seal it back up so it exposes the contents to moisture. So if you don't want the loose granular bagged material to clump up, you would have to create 4X the number of mineral sites for deer than you would by just using one TROPHY mineral rock. I mean, who want's to do that much work just to pull in a few bucks to shoot? You can't hunt 4 mineral sites at the same time anyway. Plus there's no picture of a big racked buck on the bag so you might get confused and accidentally feed the bagged product to your livestock, thereby wasting your precious deer minerals. Dave, you have a really solid video here and I enjoyed it very much. But I am surprised you didn't recommend the TROPHY mineral rock for its clearly superior benefits over these copy cat agricultural products available at a much lower cost. Next thing I know you will probably be showing us how we can brew our own great tasting coffee at home cheaper than buying a Grande from Starbucks.!
The trophy rock works great in high theft locations (state land) I've lugged plenty of 50lb blocks back to my spot just to have them stolen along with my stand I left overnight 👿
Awesome reveiw. Hunter helping another hunter. That's how it should be. Thank you. I'm planning on creating a good salt lick/site on my property. I'm thinking like you and break up the block salt and put into the ground or stump. Kind of like sd cards. You can buy the ones in the sporting goods areas with a picture of a deer in it for a hefty price. Then you go to the electronics area of Walmart and get it darn near half the price. Thanks again!
mineral stumps are better,cut a tree oak,red maple,etc. to a stump and when it grows back it causes the root system to bring 3 times the minerals in the leaves.about a 4-6" tree,try it and see
So down in Florida I’d take that mineral block and set it in a hole I dug in the sand with gumbo clay under it. Dug it as a water hole. In the end I set that block in there and every animal in the forest came to that hole to drink the water.
Very informative video. A lot of people are brought in by the pictures of a big buck on a product. Back before all the feeding bans in Wisconsin due to CWD, I used to always mix my own mineral from items found at a local Fleet Farm. I have seen mention of some of the ingredients that used in other comments. I will add that one of the most important ingredients but also one of the most expensive that I used was Vitamin A D E. It improves the health of the deer allowing them to build body mass. This in turn results in enhanced antler growth. It is really important for fawns since it will help their survival rate for over winter.
Don't break up the salt block!! 5:07 By doing this it will take longer to dissolve through the elements. This will mean your salt block will last longer in the field and this will also mean more animals will discover it and create a pattern to it
Thanks for this! Never knew about the bag, incredible savings just looked it up and they have another brand at my TSC crazy cheap! And I agree with what u said once the block melts they love digging at it in the dirt
FYI, Redmond no longer sells a 50 pound bag. Currently they only sell a 5 pound bag for $16.99. Sounds like pictures of cows now cost more than pictures of deer.
Nicely presented!! This has to be one of your best videos to date . It’s right up my alley,, although I don’t use this product yet . I use fresh apples 🍎, liquid molasses, p.b. And 🌽 corn ..A winning quad for me but I like your powder in salt & molasses.. I definitely have to find the ultimate stump to drill.. Thanks for sharing your Holsteins with us and your prize winning hay ..I’d like to see you relax more in your presentations ..Your a little tentative in front of the camera it seems.. A friendly reminder LOL. I didn’t catch your latest..it was from Dave phd was it not ??
Kevin, you should’ve took a block along on Cumberland Island. The horses would’ve went crazy for it. (Maybe slip it into John’s pack so you’re not stuck with the extra weight)! 😂🤣😂 Thanks for watching. I appreciate it 👍
