HuntingNet.com Forums - I need a good mineral site???

Hey Phil, Here is a answer to your question. Do deer need high levels of salt in their daily diets, No. Deer need an average of 4 to 5% salt in their daily metabolic needs. These attractant companies use high amounts as they put it ( we use it as a transport agent to deliver the needed minerals) There are several mineral compounds that are very bitter. Phosphorus is very bitter and you do need a flavoring to cover up some uf the bast taste case in point take a multi vitamin and cut it in half and chew one up in your mouth and see how bad it taste. Thats why human grade companies use a coating and flavoring to overcome the bad taste.. So salt being the cheapest ingredient we will never run out of is easy to get and resell at a profit. Do this take a 5 lb bag of just plain morton salt and pour it on the ground and take another 5 lb bag and add a couple packs of pre sweetened Koolaid in grape or rasberry to it and watch how fast they consume it. Bottom line minerals do work for deer but they need to be complete and in balance with each element and in high enough ratios to work. Vitamins in a organic form will help to metabolise and better help with absorbtion rates. So many of the products available on the store shelf are just nothing more than attractants that offer high profit returns for the manufacturer. If a 47 or 65% salt product that was lacking in areas of low calcium levels or incomplete in their mineral content were responsible for growing 200+ bucks the top 30 deer breeding operations would all be using them. Im sorry but as a cervid specialist and bio chemist a product thats 65% salt and low calcium (13%) and no Phosporus, magnesium, sulfer,potassium, sulfer and just trace amounts of remaining elements and no vitamins were responsible for growing 200+ bucks all of the top 30 deer breeders and high end preserves would be on it. Alot of the companies go to established deer breeders and offer them free product in return for promotion and advertisement . Truth being these breeders already have 200+ bucks or better in their program already . Most top pros have their own feeds and mineral programs formulated for them privately. Tell ya what Ill put my rep on the line here and make the statement everyone wants to hear. How many of these products are developed by deer health and nutrition experts, how many have deer digestive physilogy under ther belt to formulate a product thats a true species specific program thats geared to real health and nutrition. Across the country there are about only 40 people I know of world wide that have cervid health and nutrition backgrounds to develope these types of products that can really make a difference in your deer and elk. Ask the sales rep or the mom and pop feed store or some farmer trying to make a fast buck next time about his background and deer health or nutrition experience and where did he recieve his training etc.. So many companies make very cheap attractants with alot of flavoring and high salt content.Why because I see some that are making as much as 300% profit return for a product that deer come to. The average joe hunter only wants to get a deer in close for a shot in reality and a cheap price is first thing on their mind not quality. A lab test tells the truth about whats really in the products you buy and its those two words Lab Test get alot of companies or sales guys nervous when you ask to bring it up.If you have a quality product thats species specific and offers a complete program that works they will never balk or have anything to worry about,Same for the feed industry now as well.Deer have Chemoreceptors in their nose and mouth and they tell the brain that something is good for them, bad, sweet,sour,etc.. and with high high sweet flavored salt contents deer will consume it alot faster this way untill their brain says ok my body has enough for now.If I wanted to make a cheap attractant that would have deer visiting and digging holes each year I could. I focus on the health needs first and not price as others do.Ask some of these sales guys do they have a lab test on their product, do they have X rays or MRI,s of rib bones and antlers of deer after fawning or bucks after going into hard antler, or blood, liver or fat test to see how well their product works and see how many step up to the plate to answer your questions next time while shopping a product.I hope this helps out some and more than happy to answer any health or nutrition questions you have. Thanks and have a great afternoon.