For this time of year with bucks in velvet, and bachelor groups, minerals work great. Minerals though, are much more the "salt". There are a million hyped up products you can buy, and if you look at them, they are 99% trace minerals. You can buy trace minerals at the feed store in a 25lb bag. Youtube search deer mineral mix, there are a bunch of videos. The best ones are 1 part feed (stock salt), 1 part di-calcium phosphate and 2 parts trace minerals. For about $50 you can buy 100lbs of this stuff. Only mix it when you need it, I put out a coffee can at a time, and half of it needs to be worked up into the ground. To also compete with the store bought stuff, a lot of it has sugary attractants. Along with my minerals , I add dollar store cool aid powder in fruit punch or strawberry. Deer love it. You can also dump dollar store maple syrup on it, no different then home made buck jam!
I have pics of bachelor groups 8-10 bucks of every size most years. Near this site you want to set up a hemp rope or a licking branch that you can start with some tarsal gland (IDK if you can buy in Ontario, I get code blue in the US). This will get the bucks rubbing there racks at each visit, and part of their routine. When the bachelor groups break up, they usually head for other areas, but will come back.
On the hemp rope trick, I am just trying this for the first time. A 3-4 foot length of 3/8"-1/2" rope zip tied to a branch is supposed to be something deer will lick and rub there scent glands and antlers on. Have someone several miles away do the same thing, and then right at the rut, swap rope locations. the deer will think that other deer are in there territory and stick around to challenge them.
I have pics of bachelor groups 8-10 bucks of every size most years. Near this site you want to set up a hemp rope or a licking branch that you can start with some tarsal gland (IDK if you can buy in Ontario, I get code blue in the US). This will get the bucks rubbing there racks at each visit, and part of their routine. When the bachelor groups break up, they usually head for other areas, but will come back.
On the hemp rope trick, I am just trying this for the first time. A 3-4 foot length of 3/8"-1/2" rope zip tied to a branch is supposed to be something deer will lick and rub there scent glands and antlers on. Have someone several miles away do the same thing, and then right at the rut, swap rope locations. the deer will think that other deer are in there territory and stick around to challenge them.
