1 bag Deer Caine Black Magic
1 50 lb bag of trace mineral
1 50 lb bag di-calcium phosphate
1 gal feed grade molasses (powdered will work too and make less of a mess)
Dig a hole 4' in diameter about 8-10" deep. Be sure to bust up the loose soil, especially if there is high clay content.
Mix the trace mineral first with the dirt from the hole. Add the di-cal and mix, then the Black Magic. When all of that is mixed in the loose soil add your molasses and turn the soil some more.
Raise the sides of your mineral lick so there is a depression in the middle to catch rain water.
If you have a creek nearby, a 5 gallon bucket of creek water poured in the hole will get your lick started.
Once the ingredients have all dissolved and there is no visible sign of them the lick will be legal to hunt over. That will be a waste of your time since most activity on mineral licks occurs between late March to mid August during antler growth. You will most likely get very little activity at the lick from September through the winter.
The best time to start a lick is late February. That gives the minerals time to dissolve in the soil and "cool off" a little bit. Until the lick has "cooled" you won't get much activity.
Depending on the activity at the lick you may need to "freshen" it up in early June with another bag of Deer Caine. Just spread it in the existing hole. There is no need to turn the soil again. Doing so before a rain is always best.
Clay soils work the best and require the least amount of maintenance. Sandy soils tend to allow the minerals to leech out fairly quickly and require regular "freshening up".
I have one lick that is 6 years old. I added a bag of Black Magic to it at the first of last year. It is currently about 6' across and 14" deep and the deer continue to hit it.
1 50 lb bag of trace mineral
1 50 lb bag di-calcium phosphate
1 gal feed grade molasses (powdered will work too and make less of a mess)
Dig a hole 4' in diameter about 8-10" deep. Be sure to bust up the loose soil, especially if there is high clay content.
Mix the trace mineral first with the dirt from the hole. Add the di-cal and mix, then the Black Magic. When all of that is mixed in the loose soil add your molasses and turn the soil some more.
Raise the sides of your mineral lick so there is a depression in the middle to catch rain water.
If you have a creek nearby, a 5 gallon bucket of creek water poured in the hole will get your lick started.
Once the ingredients have all dissolved and there is no visible sign of them the lick will be legal to hunt over. That will be a waste of your time since most activity on mineral licks occurs between late March to mid August during antler growth. You will most likely get very little activity at the lick from September through the winter.
The best time to start a lick is late February. That gives the minerals time to dissolve in the soil and "cool off" a little bit. Until the lick has "cooled" you won't get much activity.
Depending on the activity at the lick you may need to "freshen" it up in early June with another bag of Deer Caine. Just spread it in the existing hole. There is no need to turn the soil again. Doing so before a rain is always best.
Clay soils work the best and require the least amount of maintenance. Sandy soils tend to allow the minerals to leech out fairly quickly and require regular "freshening up".
I have one lick that is 6 years old. I added a bag of Black Magic to it at the first of last year. It is currently about 6' across and 14" deep and the deer continue to hit it.