Author Topic: Mineral blocks re-visited... (Read 944 times)

IronKnees · « **on:** June 19, 2003, 04:45:55 AM »

Just a quick note about those mineral blocks I set out a few months ago... Some on my forums, and also here on Graybeards forums wondered if they would get much attention. Well, I am here to tell you, as are the pictures from my game cam

http://www.accs.net/users/drquick/gamecampics3.html

http://www.accs.net/users/drquick/gamecampics4.html

that they are indeed getting used. In fact, this past Tuesday when I went out to check on the camera, I discovered that in just a two week period, the area around the block has doubled in size, and is starting to look like a sink hole! The deer are "pawing" it out, and in fact, the mineral block, which was sitting on top of the ground at first, is now down in a depression made by all the activity. The area, as it stands now, is probably six to seven feet across and totally dug up...

longwinters · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2003, 11:03:16 AM »

Back when it used to be legal in Michigan I used to put out mineral blocks and also the powder for the deer in the spring. They really hit it in the summer months. Of course now with the new laws, because of the different diseases going thru the deer herds, we can no longer try to help out the deer in any manner.

jhm · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2003, 03:16:41 PM »

Dave : Looks too me that you have already got a good start on the one deer with some head gear, the minerals can only help to improve that rack and will benefit the does as well, good job keep up the good work.

JIM

ssmith_1187 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 24, 2003, 06:31:47 AM »

Longwinters,

Like you, it's illegal in Illinois as of last year. We put out a half a dozen blocks last spring and the Illinois DNR in July(ish) issued a notice that made the use of them illegal......so we had to pull all of them.

They are concerned about CWD and the possibilities that the blocks could cause herding.

Steve

IronKnees · « **Reply #4 on:** June 24, 2003, 07:53:34 AM »

Did Ill. make using them (having them out any time) illegal, or just during hunting season. Here in Indiana, it is okay to have them out, but they have to be removed no later than ten days before hunting the area...

ssmith_1187 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2003, 08:13:59 AM »

IronKnees,

Prior to last year.....we had the same 10 day rule prior to the start of the season as you do in Indiana.

Dated July 30th, 2002 from the Illinois DNR website:

"The Department also is banning feeding of wild deer and other wildlife in areas where wild deer are present. The ban includes food, salt, mineral blocks and other food products, with some exceptions. For example, bird and squirrel feeders close to homes and incidental feeding of wildlife within active livestock operations, are exempt from the ban. For a complete list of the exemptions see the rule on the Department's web site at http://dnr.state.il.us/legal/rule-status.htm."

I haven't seen a repeal to this ruling either. I certainly know we haven't put out any this year.

A complete listing of this ruling can be found at:

http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2002/July/cwdemergencyjuly2002.htm

Steve

IronKnees · « **Reply #6 on:** June 25, 2003, 12:03:08 PM »

I'm curious... what effect could mineral blocks have on chronic waste disease? Is their thinking that they would spread the disease because multiple deer would be using (licking) the same block, eating the same food, etc...

Just curious... I would be interested to know the thinking behind banning these. My thinking of course, by putting them out was not only to get deer movement where I wanted it for hunting and photography purposes, but I thought I would be helping with supplemental minerals in the process...

ssmith_1187 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2003, 11:19:58 AM »

Dave,

From what I have read......they aren't quite sure how CWD is spread. Their thinking is since they don't know, they want to keep the deer as spread out as possible and by removing the salt (mineral) licks it's going to hopefully accomplish this.

Steve

willis5 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 30, 2003, 06:19:39 PM »

is anyone going to coment on my pretty self walking next to dave in the last picture? I was showing him a little deer sign that I had seen in my...uh... yard. :lol:

Theshootist78 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2006, 01:43:18 PM »

Well what we used to do was take a few of the brown mineral blocks and an ax/maul, and chop them up into chunks. Than we took the chunks and used them to rebuild a section of old stonewall. The section we rebuilt just happened to be at the opening through the hedge row, which was across from my stand. This was done during summer, and the chunks would break down over time from the rain, the area under the wall is quite rich in salt and mineral, which has leached into the ground, and than the deer tear it all up. By hunting season there is nothing left of the chunks of blocks.
I have never actulay seen any deer useing the mineral, but I know that they are.