A while back, I posted a note here about trying mineral blocks to habituate deer to coming to the area that I hunt...
A couple of months ago, the lady who owns the land that I deer hunt on, asked me if I would mind going out to the local farm supply store and bring her a new mineral block. They have a beautiful deck overlooking a large clear-cut bottom and creek behind their house. There is a large wood pile there, and for many years, they have kept salt or mineral blocks there in order to attract and watch the deer. While I was there, I got a total of three, and after I put Carolyn's where she wanted it, I headed on down the creek, to set out the other two along a deer trail, near where I put my stands up. Now, before I go any further, NO, you can not hunt over bait etc. here in Indiana. I have to remove them before opening morning, and am fully familiar with the regulations in that regard)
Anyway, today, I decided to take my game camera back out, and when I got there, the first thing I did was look over Carolyn's mineral block. There were a few tracks there, but nothing to write home about. I have one tree where I usually attach my camera, but decided that before I do that, I would walk back and have a look at the other blocks. I had placed on under the edge of a blow-down, and the second on an old pile of cut wood which is near the main trail. What I found really excited me. BOTH blocks are being used extensively, and the ground around them is ALL DUG UP... So, without hesitation, I attached my game cam to a tree overlooking one of them... I was absolutely amazed at the amount of use they have had. Others have told me about the deer digging the ground up where they are, or have been. And, several guys on these forums were a bit skeptical as to whether or not the deer would be very attracted to the blocks very quickly without some other attractant, such as apples or corn or other food item. But, to my extreme pleasure, the blocks are in fact being visited very regularly, and in fact, there are new trails which, after nearly a quarter century of hunting that same woods, I can assure you, were not there before... So, now all we have to do is wait and see what cool pics my game cam has to offer. My intention is to go back in two to three weeks, change film and batteries, and see if I can get a picture of a doe and fawn...
