The Best Time to Establish Mineral Sites for Deer

For many of us, there’s no real end to deer season. The closing bell on one just means the preparation begins for the next one. If that describes you, then you’re probably thinking about new food plots, mineral licks, and even supplemental feeding between now and next fall.

Good mineral sites and quality protein feed can be especially beneficial in the late winter and early spring. This early in the year, bucks and does alike are still worn down from the rigors of the rut. Sure, they can find something to eat out there, but the bounty of browse following the spring green-up is still weeks or months away. Most of last fall’s acorns, meanwhile, are gone. Crop fields are picked clean, and many food plots are still dormant. Providing deer with easy access to high-quality minerals and supplemental feed can be a great way to help them rebuild fat reserves and get a jump on the new antler-growing and fawning season.

A few bags of mineral mix, like Antler Addict from 4S Wildlife Solutions, and some hand tools are all that’s required for establishing mineral licks that deer will use for years to come.

If you hunt a larger, contiguous property, a good protein feeding plan (provided it’s legal in your area) can be a game changer for both increasing body weights and antler size in your deer herd. At Realtree Farms, the feeding program begins in earnest in early February, right after hunting seasons end and just as the first shed antlers are falling. It continues throughout the spring and summer months, using a quality, pellet feed like the 20% Premium Deer Pellets from 4S Wildlife Solutions. It is a part of the overall management strategy, no different than food plots and native plant management, and it works.

Realtree Farms consistently produces some of the largest free-range whitetails in Georgia. A supplemental feeding program there begins in the late winter and continues throughout the antler growing season.

Of course not every hunter has the budget or the acreage for a large-scale feeding program. But even if you’re just hunting a few acres, adding some good mineral sites can make a difference — plus, they’re great places to get pictures of deer. Over time, sites can be replenished with products like Antler Addict, which comes in both bagged and block form, and deer will quite literally dig holes into the ground to keep getting the minerals they need, but can’t always find naturally.

Mineral sites are easy to establish (about one per 50 acres is the recommendation), and easy to maintain. Put them in well-drained areas with steady deer traffic, and bring along a shovel or garden hoe to work the soil up a bit and help incorporate the mineral. Making the sites just ahead of a slow rain is usually a good call. Deer will find the sites quickly and begin using them steadily, so don’t be shy about hanging trail cameras right away. Though usage can slow in the fall, deer will still visit mineral sites year-around — so be sure to keep an eye out for good stand trees as you’re making them.