by danesdad » Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:50 am
Here is how deer caine went for me...I live in Southwestern PA and have a camp in Northcentral PA. I put out deer caine in multiple locations at home and near camp. At home, all efforts were pretty much ignored, but at camp the deer tore it up. Up there, it got to the point that I have a couple holes a foot deep where I originally just scraped leaves away and dumped the caine on the bare ground. My conclusion is that here at home, where soil quality is good and browse is diverse, the deer obtain most of the minerals they need thru regular feeding and thus have no interest or need for a supplement. But, up north, where the soils are poor and the available browse is lower quality and less diverse, the deer are more attracted to the supplemental minerals they may be lacking due to a deficiency in the available minerals. To this day, I have about 8 spots that I dope up regularly up there, even tho I dont hunt up there any more.
Some things I've learned over the last six years:
- dont expect immediate results. It takes deer some time to find the spots. And ,you can actually put too much down and the deer will wait for a few rains to make the ground more palatable.
- When you pick a spot, keep putting it in the same spot about every two weeks to every month.
- dont expect the spots to be hit during the daylight, especially where the deer are hunted hard.
- deer aren't the only animals that will take advantage of it. Applying it to stumps will draw a variety of animals including (here, anyway) skunks, possums and porcupines, squirrels, and possibly bears. I believe I attract more rodents and such when I put it on a stump, rather than on the ground.
- it is better to put a little down once a month than it is to dump a ton of it once a year.
- I believe that if you want to use supplements successfully, you have to establish a dumpsite over a period of years, rather than just in one season. Not to say it wouldn't work after one application, but I think I've conditioned the deer to my spots and by now (six years later) the knowledge has been passed on to younger generations and that has increased deer activity.
- the stuff works better in loose loamy soils than it does in clay or rocky spots. I think it works better if it gets absorbed in the soil, rather than just sitting on top.
- I've never used anything other than deer caine because its cheap (a bag lasts me 4-5 months...a little goes a long way) and because, in the right situation, it works.
- I dont hunt over these spots, I just put it out to try and keep deer living in the area and make them healthier.
Sorry this went on so long, hope it helps.