any one use trophy rock mineral
 

i just got one a couple of days ago and I was wondering if anyone ever used it before and the result you got

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

The small red colored rock next to the stumpwas the remnant of a trophy rock after a month. They liked it.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

I use to use trophy rocks at my camera sites ( as well as every other type of block, lick, jam etc) at $25.00 each and the deer loved them, but then I tried generic 50lb mineral blocks that only cost $6.00 each just to see how they worked at the local feed store and they worked just as good if not better (I got pics of over 100 different bucks last year) so now I just use the generic blocks every year. Pike

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Nice pics.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

JPIKE: Just curious: judging by the times, dates, and racks in some of the pictures, I'm curious what the law is down there Yorks Pa. ways, regarding use of bait, mineral licks.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

crokit my property is in SE. Ohio. so dont get your pantie's in a bunch since this is the 2nd time you questioned my pics.
Here is pic. of another SE. OH. buck I just located in my PC. Pike

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Didn't realize questions about photo's being posted wasn't allowed. My bad lol.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Your right there isnt anything wrong with asking questions about pics.
But what did your question have to do with my pics?
Your question was about the game law for using bait and mineral licks here in York PA., which the answer to you question (which you already knew the answer to your question and insinuating that I was breaking the law) is that it is illegal to use bait and licks starting 30 days prior to the season and once again nothing to do with my pics. Pike

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Holly mackerel, PIKE, that's some deer!
Thanks for the tip on the generic blocks!

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Sure will miss getting mineral site pics this year here. We had a deer on a game ranch test positive for CWD last Aug, and our DNR immediately banned minerals, bait etc in the lower peninsula. Might be a case of over reacton, but better safe than sorry.They did the right thing in what they did, and I can live with the decision, but it has required a little adaptation on my part in how and where I sometimes place my cams.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

I just get the cheapest block i can find, works well enough.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Rather obvious what my question had to do with the pics, if they were taken in Pa., due to dates on pics,{ at least those that dates were included }, along with racks. You didn't indicate that the pics were from SE ohio in the original post. I didn't realize that baiting was allowed DURING season, simple as that, whether Pa or Ohio. Crokit

LMAO My skivies are just fine, but thanks for askin'.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Nice pics Pike. Dont let crokitget to you, from his posts he likes to start things.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

crokit I never once seen you make a post in this forum that had anything to do with the subjects in my or any other members pic's nor have I seen you post any pics yourself! The only post's you make in this forum is to put down those of us who use mineral licks and bait.
Please see examples below. Pike

LINK #1

LINK # 2

LINK # 3

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Just an FYI about the generic blocks. Generally they are sold under the name "trace mineral block" at most feed stores. They are just that, trace minerals. These blocks are about 96% salt, so while they do attract deer and other game, you won't be adding any other positive minerals such as calcium or phosphorus to their diet.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Handles just an FYI. Mineral supplements do nothing to benefit the deer herd other than giving them a source of salt. So I guess its a good thing that the generic blocks are 96% salt. Pike

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

What? Are you saying that mineral blocks don't have minerals in them, or that the minerals in them do nothing to help deer? I'm curious which you mean, and if you mean the latter, I would be even more curious to see your sources.

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

What im saying is that the minerals in the blocks, licks, rocks etc. do not benefit the whitetail deer other than providing a source of salt.

There has been numerous studies done over the years and to date not one has shown and benefit (other than providing a source of salt) from mineral supplements.

Here is an article by QDMA.'s leading biologist Brian Murphy, If anyone would write an article that supported using mineral supplements it would be him since his employer (QDMA) generates alot of advertising $$$$
from companies that produce mineral supplements on their TV show and their Magazine.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""A classic study on the mineral needs of deer was conducted at Penn State University in the 1950s. In this study, researchers did detect a difference in yearling buck antler development between supplemented and unsupplemented groups. However, these herds were fed a nutritionally deficient diet below what most whitetails would have access to in the wild. Furthermore, when the same deer were examined the following year as 2.5 year olds, no differences were detected between the two groups.

In a similar study conducted at Auburn University, researchers tried to detect differences in body and antler size between an unsupplemented and supplemented group. This study differed from the Penn State study in that both herds were fed a nutritionally complete diet. In addition, one group was provided a commercial mineral supplement. Over a four year period the researchers were unable to detect any differences between the two deer herds.

Without question deer need minerals, and they will readily use mineral licks. But why do they use these licks and why is their use restricted primarily to the spring and summer? Many hunters believe that it is simply because bucks need the minerals for antler growth and does for raising fawns during these months. However, several studies have shown that while deer readily use mineral licks high in salt, they rarely, if ever, use pure mineral supplements. If deer were lacking minerals, why wouldn't they use the pure mineral supplement even if salt wasn't present? No one can say for sure, but it's probably because most minerals by themselves are bitter.
Could the use of salt/mineral mixes simply be due to an increased need for salt? According to research, yes. During the spring and summer, deer operate at a sodium deficiency due to the high potassium and water content of the forage. This interferes with efficient sodium conversion in the body and increases the need for sodium. This makes deer actively seek out concentrated sources of sodium such as natural or man?made licks. Almost all soils more than 25/50 miles from a seacoast are low in sodium. Therefore, in these areas, salt may be just as necessary as calcium and phosphorus to whitetails during the spring and summer."""""""""""""""""""""'""""""""""""""""""""



Here is what CJ said in an article on this subject, who by the way is not only a well respected biologist but an editor of Bowhunter mag.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""Over the last several decades, biologists at Universities across the country have researched the effects mineral supplementation has on a bucks' rack. In most cases, they put deer in two pens. In one pen, the deer were feed their regular diet. In the other, the deer ate a mineral in addition to their regular diet. After a few years in most studies, researchers did not see a noticeable difference. Many biologists bring up the research every time a hunter brings up minerals. C.J. Winand, a biologist from Maryland, believes that minerals are hocus pocus. "All of the data available today says that mineral supplementation doesn't have a lasting impact on antler size. Research is being done regularly and until I see a study that shows that minerals help deer grow larger racks, I will continue to believe what I believe," Winand explained."""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "

RE: any one use trophy rock mineral
 

Jim,

Good read. Thank you for posting that very imformative article.

Blessings.....Pastorjim