Mineral Sights And Why They Are Important

It’s already that time of year again when the bucks are starting to regrow their antlers, and minerals play a vital role in helping a buck reach its top potential.

I will usually begin putting out my mineral in March, but it’s really never to late to get it out, in my opinion.  I use minerals for several different reasons.  Reason number one: to keep my deer healthy by providing them with the trace minerals they need.  Second reason: to get the most out of antler growth.  Reason number three: to keep does healthy during their fawning period so in return their fawns are healthy.  Finally, reason number four: to help get an inventory of what bucks are around the property I will be hunting.

I tend to run my cameras over mineral stations during the months of July and August, so I like to put my mineral on field edges where I can access my cameras easy without bumping many deer.  I will usually try and put the sights next to soybean fields or alfalfa field where deer will be frequenting anyway.

Here is an active mineral sight on the edge of a field.

With so many types of minerals and attractants on the market, it is really tough to choose what to use.  I usually lean towards using more of a mineral than an attractant, something containing lots of different trace minerals.  Antlers are made up of many different types of minerals, but they tend to contain more calcium and phosphorous.  I more often lean towards these products because I feel they are doing more for the deer than an attractant.  Attractants are just what they say they are; they attract deer.  Attractants can also be a great way to pull deer in to your cameras to take inventory.

Minerals not only help bucks to reach there full potential of growth, but they also help does with fawns to stay healthy and to help produce more milk.  If we can get a healthy fawn from the start our deer herd is going to be much better off.

Now, how many mineral sights should a hunter or land manager have?  I’ve heard a lot of people say one mineral station for every 80 acres of ground.  Is there really a right answer to that question?  I’m not sure.  I tend to have 1 per 40 acres or sometimes even more.  A lot of it, to me, seems like personal preference.

Burning For Better Habitat

Burning the brome grass

For the last few years on my family farm that I hunt I have been battling brome grass.  Brome grass suppresses growth of many plants and small trees and is not very attractive to whitetails.

My plan going into this year was to get rid of my brome.  My plan was to go in late Spring and burn the whole south side of the river to help suppress it.  The later you can burn the better, but in my case, with needing help of a few extra people and farm equipment, I needed to get this burn done before my family got busy in the field.  With the weather looking like it was going to cooperate and rain in the forecast for the next day, we made plans to burn.  We started in a narrow spot in the timber where it would be easy to put the fire out as it separated.  With the fire burning into the wind creating a sufficient fire break we went to the west side of the prop

Burning the brome grass

erty along the road and started the head fire there.  It was long and we had a good fire going.  After 3 or so hours the south side of the river was burnt off and smoldering.

Now that we have had a couple of rains and some warm temperatures, the brome grass has started to green back up meaning it is time for me to get in there and do some spraying.  My plan is to get the brome killed, and hopefully, have new regrowth of weeds and some native grasses.  I will be doing follow up blogs showing the transformation of the property.  Hopefully I can create new browse and make my hunting property more attractive to whitetails.

Turkey Hunt Of A Lifetime

The first two giant toms! Lee shot these birds in the first 15 minutes of the hunt!

Last year I was blessed to get the opportunity to guide a Spring Turkey hunt on my family farm.  The archery shop where I always buy my bows had lined up a turkey hunt, but then he had a conflict and had to find somebody to do the hunt for him.  I was the first person he called, and without hesitation I said yes.  After a few phone calls to Lee, who has now become a good friend, we had made plans.  He would make the drive out from Pennsylvania to chase these wily Nebraska turkeys.

Lee made it to Nebraska safely and we met for the first time on the edge of a small town not 5 miles from where we would be hunting.  From there Lee followed me down to our cabin where he would be staying for the next couple of days.  After arriving at the cabin we got to know each other a little and talked a some about his drive, but that soon turned into hunting talk!  Lee proceeded to ask many questions about what, where, and when we would be doing our turkey hunting.  I could tell right away that Lee was an experienced hunter and seemed very knowledgable about not only hunting turkeys but whitetails too.  I had been scouting the last few days and had a pretty good idea of what the birds were doing and where we would be hunting.  Lee and I had talked it over and decided we should go ahead and get his hunt started that afternoon.  I told him I would give him some time to settle in and then would be back to pick him up and we would start the hunt.

I headed back up to my parent’s farm to make sure I had the blind, in case we needed it, and my decoys ready.  While preparing the last few things, my phone rang; it was Lee.  Upon answering the phone Lee says, “well, we have a little problem”.  I thought ‘oh no, what happened’.  He proceeded to tell me he must have forgotten shotgun shells.  I scrounged up some shells and, luckily, they were the kind he had patterned and new they shot well from his gun.  With the new shells in hand, we proceeded to head down to where we would be hunting for the evening.  After getting the decoys set out, I explained to Lee how the hens would be scattered along this field edge, more than likely sitting on nests, and with approximately an hour and a half of light left they would slip out onto the field to start to feed and head to roost.  I’d watched a group of toms pop out on the field edge and strut just before the hens came out.  It was like clock work, these toms would show up and then split up and wait for the hens.  I told Lee with confidence that we should be in-between them and the route they take to get to roost.  After explaining to him why we were setup where we were, I said “I’m going to give a soft yelp and see if anything answers.”

Much to our surprise, after just a couple of strikes on the slate call Lee says, “I heard a gobble!”.   I let out another soft call and this time two birds gobbled.  I decided to not call again and make them come look for us!  Maybe two minutes later they gobbled again this time much closer! I peeked around Lee and saw red heads walking the field edge right to us! Three mature toms and two jakes read this particular script better than any turkey I had ever hunted.  Lee eased his gun up and tried to pick apart these birds; they were all so close together that I knew the shot was going to be tough.  As they started to work closer I told Lee, “take ’em when you can,” and KA POW went the gun.  What a shock it was when two giant toms were laying dead on the field!  Two birds went down in the first 15 minutes of hunting!  We didn’t wait long to get out there and check these giant toms out!  We snapped some pictures and snuck out of there.  Since Nebraska allows hunters to kill 3 birds, Lee’s hunt was far from over.  We drove back to my house where my wife took some better pictures for us. Lee had decided he wanted to get these birds mounted so that made my job a little bit easier not having to clean them.  Luckily we had freezer space!!

Lee tagged out!! The third bird he shot had over a 10 inch beard!

Day 2

We started off day two setting up just off of a well-known roost site and watched birds for about an hour just out of range!  As we tried to slip out of there, we noticed some birds strutting in a field and decided this would be the place to set up for the afternoon.  With some time to burn, we did a little traveling and I showed Lee some of the history in our area that included several stops on The Oregon Trail.  Lee seemed to be very interested with the Indian raids and stories from The Oregon Trail.  We weren’t ready to distract ourselves from the turkeys too much yet, because Lee had one more tag to fill!  With full bellies from eating at the local bar, we headed down to the cabin for a little rest before we headed back out.  By 3:00 we were setup on yet another field edge where we had seen a huge mature tom strutting earlier that morning.  Trying to aggravate that tom, I set out a Dave Smith jake decoy and a Dave Smith upright hen.  We were sitting there telling stories of our past hunts when, right during the middle of a wild story of a bear hunt, we were interrupted by a gobble.  We worked with that tom for a little while before he stepped out onto the field. Within minutes that tom was strutting into our decoys, and before I knew it, that tom was on the ground flopping! Lee was tagged out in a total of 5 hours of hunting!! (It took him 22 hours to drive here one way!)

Buffalo tooth Lee and I found by the river looking for Indian artifacts.

This turned out to be one of the greatest turkey hunts I had ever been a part of! In the next couple of days, Lee got to experience looking for Indian artifacts, eating great food at the local bar everyday, and riding in the tractor while my brother planted corn.  I made a lifelong friend on this hunt.  Hopefully, in the future, I will get to spend some more time hunting with my good buddy, Lee!

Learning a little about the Midwest and the farm life.

Late Season Inventory

I hope this blog finds you all in good health and hopefully you have just finished up a great hunting season.  For most of us hardcore whitetail hunters, we are already wishing season wasn’t over and that we could still be in a treestand.  If you guys are like me, you’re always looking for a way to get back into the woods.  With shed season right around the corner for most of us, we may be wanting to locate some of the bucks we watched throughout the season and to find their sheds.

This time of year is when I really like to have my cameras out.  I like to keep a close eye on the bucks that evaded me during the season, and, to me, there isn’t a better way to keep track of those bucks than with a trail camera and a standing crop field.  I will also put out grain or alfalfa bales to draw deer in to an area during the cold winter months.

Here is an Alfalfa bale topped with Gravestone Attractant.

I’ve found that putting food out or planting crops to leave standing helps hold bucks on my property longer into the year, therefore helping me get those deer to stay on my property year round.  By providng them with everything they need to survive the harsh months, they don’t need to go looking for anything anywhere else.

What kinds of things do you guys do to help hold deer on your property during this time of year?

 

Tough, Tough Deer Season

Well everybody, I hope this finds you all well and more sucessful then I have been this season.

The velvet buck my wife and I were after at the beginning of the season.

My season started back on September 15th and was off to a good start.  I had daylight pictures of a buck that was still in velvet and to make it even better the pictures were in daylight!  My wife and I started hunting him right off the bat, but we didn’t have any luck.  It wasn’t long and all sign of him vanished from the cameras!  More than likely, the reason why he was still in velvet was because he was super skinny and looked to possibly have EHD or was recovering from it. We had a lot of that in our area this year, as I’m sure many of you have as well!  We kind of marked him off the hit list since at first he was so regular on the cameras then vanished.  As the season progressed, we didn’t get much time to hunt until November hit.  I was pretty excited to be in a tree stand during the first couple weeks of November; just as much as most of you reading this blog, I’m sure.

November 4th was a calm crisp morning and I was sitting in a pinch point that also had a long food plot of winter rye in it.  The buck I was hunting showed up around 8:00 AM and I remember thinking ‘wow this is unreal!’  He continued up the trail and offered me a broadside shot at 17 yards!!!  I released the arrow just to watch it hit him low through the brisket!  I was bumbed!!!  My wife, buddy Rick, and I attempted the recovery but I knew we wouldn’t find him.

Since then I have continued to run cameras and have gotten pictures of him, but I still have yet to get another shot!!!  Keep following ScentMaster’s blog to see how my season ends up!

Getting Your Gear Ready For Season

Now is the time of year when most of us are getting things around for season.  Some of you probably make checklists while others just grab things and go!  I try and keep everything organized throughout the year but still seem to be missing stuff I need when season rolls back around!  I try and keep a checklist of my stuff to help me keep organized and to make sure everything makes it into my pack.

Here is a list of what I carry in my backpack

Hunting License

Knife and Saw

Grunt Call

Scent-Away Spray

Headlamp (with extra batteries)

When ideoing hunts, my camera arm and video camera

Hand warmers

Bow hanger

Bow rope (to pull my bow up into my stand)

Nitrile gloves for field dressing

Snack bars (High protein bars)

My ScentMaster loaded with my hunting clothing

Yesterday, I pulled all my clothes out for the first time since last season.  I always start off by washing everything to make sure it is clean.  I start of by running a load of just water and a scent free detergent to get the odors out from washing our regular everyday clothes before my hunting clothes go in.  After washing and drying them, they go straight into my ScentMaster.  I start by putting my boots on the bottom and then the rest of my clothes, followed by my release, binoculars, and range finder.  I will then run it for a full hour before my first hunt.  I will then take my ScentMaster with me in the back of the truck, and from there I will get dressed when I get to the field trying to keep my clothing as scent free as possible.

 

Slaves To Their Stomachs

With our whitetail season just around the corner here in Nebraska, it’s time to focus on what the whitetails will be doing for the first part of season and where we should be hunting for an early season trophy.

This year has been a little bit crazy weather wise.  We are still experiencing the drought, and with the forecast, it looks like we may not be seeing relief anytime soon.  The beans are already starting to turn yellow making them not as desirable to the deer.  What does this mean to us bowhunters?  We will need to be searching for the next available food source.  I really concentrate my scouting efforts to my green food plots such as clover or alfalfa.  Acorns are also going to be a huge attractant.  I really like to spot these fields from afar and if at all possible, with a spotting scope.  This lets me stay undetected to the deer on these early season food patterns.  If you cant find a way to scout these fields with a spotting scope, go in when the wind is right and put up your camera.

Early season food source. This is a field that I can scout from long distances.

You really want to be cautious this time of year.  The deer are just coming out of velvet and are starting to become a whole different animal in my thoughts (especially mature bucks).  Bucks are going to be really sensitive this time of year, and it won’t take much pressure to send one underground.

I really focus on field edges and staging areas during the early season.  Also, if I’m not getting pictures or seeing a big deer coming onto a plot, I will usually just stay away and not hunt that area.  I tend to focus on the early season as a time to manage my herd and take does out on field edges trying not to disturb my bucks.

The early season can be a great time to kill a mature buck if he is still predictable.  With some scouting and hard work maybe this will be your year to knock down that giant before the rut.

Shoot Straight!

The Advantages Of Water Holes

I think I speak for many of the hunters around the world this year when I say we are experiencing dry conditions.  I’ve heard from several of my friends and people that I associate with, that this is the worst drought we have experienced since the 1950’s.

What does this mean to us as hunters?  Well first of all, the drought and warm weather has taken it’s toll on all wildlife, not just the whitetails.  In my area here in Southern Nebraska, we have been hit with EHD.  A disease that’s caused by a biting insect called the midge.  Some areas are worse off then others, but it really takes its toll on the deer population and can do so in a hurry.  Just another thing to watch for as you’re out checking cameras or working on food plots.  The deer that have been stricken by this disease will be dead in the water or along the edge of water.

I’ve seen a big drop in numbers of deer hitting my mineral this year.  Just after writing this blog I hope to make it out to move some cameras around to try and locate a few different bucks on the farm I will be hunting.  My thinking is to switch my cameras over water sources.  Deer don’t have to visit the mineral stations but they do however have to drink.  If you can find a well used water hole during this time of year I personally can’t think of a better place to take inventory of your deer.

What does this mean for us hunters during the early season?  Focus on WATER!!! If the weather patterns stay and we continue to have dry conditions I would be looking for the first available water source on the travel route in between the bedding and feeding.   This may not work in all areas simply because some areas may be wetter then others. In places where irrigation is still going it will be a little bit harder to track down where that shooter buck is watering but with some long distance scouting and cameras it may not be impossible.  By most season openers all the irrigation is done for the most part so those secluded ponds may be just the ticket for an early season buck!

Shoot Straight!!!

Mineral Stations

I’m betting that all of you guys reading this blog have some knowledge about mineral and mineral stations.  The months of June, July, and August are when mineral stations see the most use.  During the spring and summer months deer are feeding a lot more on new vegetation that is growing throughout the woods and areas these deer inhabit.  This vegetation lacks sodium which is required for deer to stay healthy by having the right amounts of sodium in their diets.  Now I will say and have done a lot of research and sodium or salt is important to a deers health but does little to no good in growing big antlers.

Hunters nowadays will buy almost anything that they believe will grow big antlers.  I do believe that there are several different minerals that will help deer grow bigger antler but this takes time.  I don’t believe that you can put out mineral for one summer and expect to see terrific changes in the size of the deers antlers.  From my personal experiences you need to find a great mineral with all the right amounts of minerals the deer need and stick with it.

Now lets talk about minerals and attractants.  There is a big difference between minerals and attractants.  So many minerals out on the market today claim to be minerals when they mostly consist of salt making them mainly an attractant.  Deer need minerals including, Phosphorus, Selenium, Zinc, and many others to help in the antler growing process.  So be sure to check labels to make sure the mineral you are interested in include many different trace minerals.

Here is a mineral station with a Trophy Rock and 30-06 mineral from the Whitetail Institute.

I have been using trophy rocks now for 4 years with great luck.  They contain the right amount of salt to keep deer healthy but also contain over 60 different kinds of trace minerals that are mined from a rock quarry.  I double this mineral up with the whitetail institutes mineral and now have started using fat rax mineral and am having great success with it.  There are several kinds of mineral on the market these days but don’t be duped by a low quality mineral.

Mineral is usually always talked about during the summer months but mineral is something that should be available to the deer year round.  The summer months will just be when they get the greatest usage. Tips for good mineral stations

*Find a spot on your hunting ground that the deer use and is easy to access without bumping deer when refreshing mineral sites

*Find a good mineral and stick with it

*Keep mineral stations next to normal deer travel routes

*Make sure the mineral is available year round

Shoot Straight!!

ScentMaster Update

Well things are really starting to get busy for us here at ScentMaster.  Jamie has been in North Carolina at a show for the last few days. He visited with several bowshops in the area that are very interested in carrying ScentMasters. He will also be making several stops this week at archery shops as he travels to the next show.

Jeremy Schaaf was here this morning and picked up the trailer.  He will be making several stops in Oklahoma as he get bowshops in Oklahoma set up with ScentMasters also.

As for me I will be doing some traveling to a few area bowshops while also working on some advertising and product articles for a few of the Magazines that we will be advertising in.

We are very excited about our product and getting them out to our customers.  Our goal is to bring you guys a great product along with great customer service. We are still getting great response from everybody using there ScentMasters!  We appreciate everybody’s business and look forward to continually providing a great product.