When spring rolls around, hunters everywhere gear up to begin establishing or “recharging” the mineral sites on their hunting properties. They know that deer typically begin using supplemental minerals around spring green-up and continue until early fall. Surely, the knee-deep depressions in the soil caused by repeated years of mineral supplementation are evidence of deer need, correct? Maybe, or maybe not.
Putting out minerals for whitetails is a popular strategy used by hunters to either aid in herd health or attract deer to a particular location. But can minerals actually achieve these goals? The research isn’t always 100% clear. Here’s what we know, what we don’t and a few things to keep in mind this year if you plan to use minerals as a tool on your deer hunting property.
