22 replies to this topic

[Raleigh Archer]

Holy cow!! I put a Trophy Rock out and it didn't even take 30 minutes before a doe started licking it!!

I normally just buy a mineral block from the feed store, but I thought I'd give the Rock a try. One day does not tell the whole story, and I reserve judgment on whether or not it is worth the premium over plain salt or mineral blocks, but I never had anything hit so fast before.

I'm sitting here watching on my BuckEye as she goes between the corn and the Rock. Back and forth. Pretty cool.

[Grey Bear]

My son lives in the Texas hill country.He put a Trophy Rock in his backyard where he could watch it.Deer after deer walked right past it and not a single one ever stopped to lick it.

[OkieOutlaw]

I have had one out at a feed station for well over three months now. My trail cams capture over 40 to 50 pictures a night of does and at least two young bucks in velvet. I have NEVER captured a picture of any animal except the raccoons that also frequent the site licking the trophy rock. It has over 50% desolved now and not one picture of a deer licking it. While on the other hand a plain old trace mineral block shows clear and unmistakable proof that the deer are trying to consume it and the well over a hundred trail cam pics seem to confirm it as well. Why spend the extra money on the trophy rock when trace mineral blocks seem to attract more deer.

[mchech]

I put one out last winter and the deer never touched it. This spring I threw the remaining chunk off in the weeds. This summer the deer have a 6" deep hole dug in my yard where the rock was all winter. I think it's strictly a seasonal attractor.

[Raleigh Archer]

Well, the corn feeder seems to attract the deer just fine ( ), so I don't have it for that. I just wanted to give them a source of minerals, and the deer behind my house seem to really like the Trophy Rock. Hard to say if they like it MORE than a regular mineral block, but I do have lots of photos of them licking at it. I will be happy to post a few here once that feature is restored to the forum.

The one thing that the Rock has over a mineral block is that some of my spots are places I don't want others to identify as easily. A rock blends in a lot easier than a big, brown cube. I wanted to try the Trophy Rock on my test deer to see if it was working first, and so far, it seems to be working great.

Certainly, different deer like different things. I read many, many posts about using grape Kool-Aid as an attractant, for example, yet my deer won't touch it no matter how I use it (plain, mixed with rock salt, etc.).

That is why I test things on my "yard" deer first, since they seem to like the same things as my "hunting" deer do. Same sub-species and same environment, so this only makes sense.

Great to hear the experience of others. Thanks to all for chiming in.

[Raleigh Archer]

Man, I've got like a million photos of deer hitting the Trophy Rock. It is being HAMMERED! There are deer on it as I'm typing this right now. Funny how it works so well here but not at all in other places.

[Buzzard Bait]

I've used the Trophy Rock for three years now. The deer seem to really start using them early in the spring, eat them up during the summer and then slow down as the weather cools. The first year I put them out I got about 500 photographs at one location about 100 yards from the back door. (My avatar is one of those photos.) By the way, a Trophy Rock is the only legal thing other than plain white salt to hunt over here in Alabama per the Game warden.

[msflatlander]

I wish we could use feeders and minerals in Illinois. It is illegal to do so but a lot of hunters do it anyway. One guy I knew tried it and didn't have much luck with it. I'll bet if he checked that spot now his story would be different.

[Spirithawk]

Here in Missouri minerals are ok but you have to be careful. They can't have any actual food source in them, such as any kind of grain. They can smell like food though. Such as apple or persimmon scented. What really works for my son and I is a trick an old outfitter told me about years ago. We take an old pair of nylons. Make sure they are old if you value your life. Wives tend to get upset if you use their good ones. Use one leg and fill it with about a pound of salt. Then hang it from a limb high enough that deer can't reach it. Also make sure you use a long enough piece of rope that coons and opossums can't reach it from the limb its hung from too. Moister will cause the salt to harden into a block inside the nylon. When it rains the salt leaches out of the nylon onto the ground below. Deer will be attracted but can't get enough salt at one visit to keep them away for long. They have to keep coming back over and over, whereas with a salt block, they eat their fill and may be quite a while before returning. Salt in the nylon will last all season like that. It's very effective, cheap to do, and you can easily put out more than one station. Plus it's legal anywhere salt blocks are. I've seen them dig huge holes trying to get more salt.

[ezmoover]

"Big Six" trace mineral. $6.99 for a #50 block. Slather livestock grade molasses over them once a week for the first few weeks. I put out two blocks in May and the ground around each one is trampled raw for a 4 foot radius. The molasses brings them in and the salt keeps them coming back.

[Brubaker]

Just put one out 8/4 with game cam on it will keep you posted!

[DaveHawk]

Even after the rock is gone the deer dig at the ground. One time I took a hammer and dug a hole and pulverized the rock and covered it up. Deer made a huge hole digging for it. Deer will carry off small pieces of the rock.

[Brubaker]

Here a few pics on Trophy Rock. She was there 4 days in a row for 20 min each day![attachment=10708:PIC_0108.JPG][attachment=10707:PIC_0077.JPG]

[BlackBoarDown]

I had one washed away by the flood we had the other day. Couldn't find it !

I have another next to a feeder and it has large lick holes all over it !

I need to get another but at $15 a pop ! need to not eat lunch a few days and save.

[bones44]

I just bought one the other day. Haven't put it out yet. One thing I do know is that a regular salt block works just as good. The deer don't even touch mine, they eat the dirt all the way around it !! I can't wait to see what they do with the trophy rock. Good luck all !!

[Brubaker]

I put this Rock out 2 wks ago to start a new lick.

[Brubaker]

Sorry cant get pic to upload right now

[semperfi1970]

Up here in NY the highway dept spreads so much salt on the roads salt and mineral blocks are good for cows only the deer just lick at the road side gravel.

[JJK]

I have had good results with the trophy rock. i have watched the deer fight over it.

[Brubaker]

Here are a few pics