Trophy rock versus mineral block- has anyone tested for preference ?

T

Tenured Student

Active Member
i have had nothing but great success with trophy rock. I have also had success with mineral blocks from farm supply stores. I am thinking about running a simple experiment by place one of each by the same camera, otherwise there are many variables to control for. Has anyone on here done similar?
 
Trophy rock is nothing but uncrushed Redmond TM salt. No way in hell I'm paying 4x for the same product in a different form. Throw in the QDMA sponsorship and that only further guarantees I'd never buy a Trophy Rock
 
I have done... it. Used the red mineral blocks, white salt blocks, biologic buckets, Deer Cocaine and Black Magic. Hands down my deer prefer the Trophy Rock when given a choice. I don't know why and I don't care. Others have observed different results. Ten out of ten times the first deer to my mineral sites will go directly to the Trophy Rock leaving the yearlings or younger deer to what other option is left. Sometimes the other deer just wait and hit the Trophy Rock when it's their turn.
 
^^^and Redmond minerals thanks you for continuing that (anecdotal/biased/designed/America loves endorsements)perception
 
smsmith said:
^^^and Redmond minerals thanks you for continuing that (anecdotal/biased/designed/America loves endorsements)perception
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So nobody else is entitled to give an observation Stu??? Let's not deteriorate to that already. I don't have any double blinded control studies, but I have also observed a deer preference for trophy rock over my standard mineral licks. I rarely buy them due to the high cost for such a small amount of mineral, but I do use them for late Summer surveys from time to time. I have no love lost for QDMA, aside from the fact that they brought most of us together. I also have no problem with good old fashioned capitalism or successful businesses, hunter related or otherwise. Though most of us have a penchant toward frugality and making more educated purchases than much of the media driven public, I still like to see American businesses succeed.
 
First ..not sitting in judgement of anyone plus it is my nature and my beliefs.. but it is QDMA's loss not ours that I/we have parted company ..BUT hate is like taking poison and expecting someone else to die ..we have a good thing going here and the high road in how WE as a group.. act, think and talk will make us better than the place most of us have migrated from ..nuff said

Now in case you have not read or heard or whatever ..Redmond is the mothership the the Trophy Rock ..but a far far bigger piece of their business is the horse industry ..and they service it with 50lb bags of the same stuff but crushed (same stuff) as the non crushed Trophy Rock (like smsmith stated above) and for about the same $$ you get 50# of product ..just dig a barrel sized diameter hole 6" deep and throw in a bag ..1 bag 4 to 6 months (time of year and use)

You can go to Redmonds web site ..put in your zip and find the nearest dealer to you ..the business name will most likely alert you to where the 50# crushed bags will be found ******* like "Bobs Sporting Goods" vs Morgan County Seed and Feed

This ends up being the most effective least expensive successful system I have yet to find ..for now at least

Bear
 
I haven't found any studies that suggest deer can metabolize any of these minerals, but I still put minerals and salt out, and it does get used. They are primarily attracted to the salt, which they do need, but if they get a little something extra along the way, great.

Minerals.JPG Deer diet needs.JPG Salt Camera Study.JPG
 
Doctorbrady said:
So nobody else is entitled to give an observation Stu??? Let's not deteriorate to that already. I don't have any double blinded control studies, but I have also observed a deer preference for trophy rock over my standard mineral licks. I rarely buy them due to the high cost for such a small amount of mineral, but I do use them for late Summer surveys from time to time. I have no love lost for QDMA, aside from the fact that they brought most of us together. I also have no problem with good old fashioned capitalism or successful businesses, hunter related or otherwise. Though most of us have a penchant toward frugality and making more educated purchases than much of the media driven public, I still like to see American businesses succeed.
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I agree Doc. That's why I'm interested in finding out if I can get more bang for my buck!
 
Doctorbrady said:
Though most of us have a penchant toward frugality and making more educated purchases than much of the media driven public, I still like to see American businesses succeed.
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Trophy Rock and Redmond are one and the same. TR is simply bigger chunks of Redmond TM salt in a pretty package marketed to deer hunters. If my posts weren't of the tone you appreciate, I apologize. I'm not here to be liked, I'm here to share what I know.
 
smsmith said:
Trophy Rock and Redmond are one and the same. TR is simply bigger chunks of Redmond TM salt in a pretty package marketed to deer hunters. If my posts weren't of the tone you appreciate, I apologize. I'm not here to be liked, I'm here to share what I know.
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I appreciate the information, and was indeed ignorant of the fact that the mineral can be purchased at a more economical price in crushed form. I was just a bit out off by the derogatory "anecdotal/biased" comment, and felt that it was a bit of an attempt at brow beating someone's honest response to another's honest question. The fact is that all of us use this type of forum because we in essence "want to be liked" and want to both learn and share our experiences or "knowledge". It is the friendships, even if only "virtual" that make forums like this so powerful. Thanks for sharing! I shall step down from my soap box now :).
 
Does the 50# bag have a name? I didn't see any thing larger than a 25# bucket on the website and it was listed at $60 something dollars. Not what I would call a savings. A little more specific guidance would be helpful.
 
Here to see the 50# bag http://www.redmondnatural.com/products/10-fine-mineral-salt/
Here to see where to get it http://www.redmondnatural.com/dealers/ [note: when you go to this map it will most likely be localized to where my location is ..you will have to enter you zip code to re-orientate the map]
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Cheers everyone ..my stands and ground blinds are all in place ...the corn plots are taller than I can reach ..the forage beans are staying up with the munchie little kritters and of my 3 tower blinds I am removing the ladders and and putting in steps with hand rails! and boxing it in and with an up town Charlie Brown honest to gosh ROOF! Doing one tower this Saturday ..then as I get the material gathered the other two next spring for one and fall for the other ..

Doing it on the cheap ..been visiting 4 local lumber yards over the past year ..catching bundles deals ..the exterior plywood I have $5 a sheet in ..caught a bundle of 38 treated 2X4 running 8 to 14' for $35 ..did bleed thru the nose for a pair of 14 step stringers at $44 each and a pair of 5 step stringers for $16 each ..found a guy who specializes in barn teardowns and wood resale ...walla! ..$3 dollar sheets of good heavy corregated roof sheet metal

Bear
 
While I doubt adding mineral licks has any real affect on most deer, like me taking a vitamin, what can it hurt. I've played with any of the brands including those intended for cattle. Deer hit them all, I think mainly for salt content. Trophy rock works equal to any of them and if caught on sale at end of season not that bad of price. I find does, especially lactating and young deer are most frequent users of salt licks. I've observed them hitting them on cattle farms for a lot of years. I do find, they prefer when whatever form is used, that it mixes in with dirt, or stump material. They do like the stuff, and if you can find a natural spring/mineral seep, they hit it as much as anything. All of it tends to be overpriced but like anything, buy in offseason. Best use of it I've seen is late May thru hunting season.
As for the test, Tenure, LC did a very competant side by side test controlling as much variable as he could. I'm sure it is on his web page. Just a matter of fact test with no judgemental attitude thrown in. Might ck it out.
 
I've placed the trace mineral blocks (http://www.ruralking.com/salt-block-trace-mineral.html) out on numerous properties during late winter or early spring. By fall, without fail, the block is gone and there is a depression/hole in the ground where animals have pawed at the soil.

The above block weighs twice as much, but costs half as much, as a Trophy Rock...making it 4 times the value, in my book.

The only reasons I put out salt/mineral blocks are to provide the sodium deer need when eating a diet high in water content, which causes frequent urination, and as a sort of "pre-natal vitamin" for gestating and lactating does. The former is a quantifiable need, while the latter is just a personal preference on my part.
 
dogghr said:
While I doubt adding mineral licks has any real affect on most deer, like me taking a vitamin, what can it hurt. I've played with any of the brands including those intended for cattle. Deer hit them all, I think mainly for salt content. Trophy rock works equal to any of them and if caught on sale at end of season not that bad of price. I find does, especially lactating and young deer are most frequent users of salt licks. I've observed them hitting them on cattle farms for a lot of years. I do find, they prefer when whatever form is used, that it mixes in with dirt, or stump material. They do like the stuff, and if you can find a natural spring/mineral seep, they hit it as much as anything. All of it tends to be overpriced but like anything, buy in offseason. Best use of it I've seen is late May thru hunting season.
As for the test, Tenure, LC did a very competant side by side test controlling as much variable as he could. I'm sure it is on his web page. Just a matter of fact test with no judgemental attitude thrown in. Might ck it out.
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I agree. I don't buy into the "grows bigger antlers" directly. I do believe it takes a healthy deer to grow good antlers and, like humans, a vitamin cannot hurt a deer's health. I will certainly check out LC website.


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I just ride up on my wheeler and toss a 50# $6 trace mineral block off...

ebccd50d3ab8424db483c708c4bfb6f1.jpg


9e9d266fff32a637c58e34be8ef5d0f6.jpg


I got fancy with one once and dropped it in an armadillo hole ;)

5435a6788a75a8bdc8e8df60f483cd4d.jpg





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Anyone just buy water softener pellets and dump them on the ground? I know it's just salt, but the gains attributed to minerals are controversial at best.
 
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