Minerals & Attractants
Short version: a deer attractant brings deer to a spot this week, and a food plot keeps them there next season. This shelf has both. Flavored attractants from Wildlife Research, Evolved and Wildgame Innovations cover the quick draw. Whitetail Institute seed blends, herbicide and a soil pH product cover the long game. Check your state's baiting rules first.
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deer hunting supplies · deer feeders · deer feeder parts · deer scents · cellular trail cameras · scent eliminators · tree stands
Choosing a Deer Attractant
The flavored attractants here work on smell and taste. Wildlife Research has sweet corn, caramel apple and acorn supreme. Evolved has a sugar and molasses blend, plus Deer Cane Black Magic and Dirtbag, sold in multi-bag packs that make it easy to stock more than one site. Wildgame Innovations sells crushed peanut brittle in 5 lb bags.
Put an attractant where deer already travel, near cover, and downwind of where you plan to sit. A camera on the site tells you how fast it is working. A heavy acorn year can slow things down, so give a new site time before you move it.
Deer Minerals and Licks
Deer minerals work on a slower clock than flavored attractants. Hunters set up a mineral site in spring and summer and let deer find it over weeks. A good mineral lick for deer ends up as a fixed spot on the property, worn down to dirt, and it makes a natural place to hang a camera for inventory. Read each product listing for what it contains and how to apply it, since blends vary a lot between brands.
Mineral and bait rules vary by state, and some states treat minerals the same as bait during season. Your state wildlife agency has the current rules for your area.
Food Plot Supplies from Whitetail Institute
Most of this shelf is Whitetail Institute, and most of that is food plot work: seed blends, a no-plow option for ground you cannot till, herbicide for weed control, and a soil pH product. The order of operations matters. Test the soil, correct pH, kill the weeds, then seed. Skip the first step and you can spend a season growing very expensive ragweed.
Size the plot to the work you can actually do. A quarter acre tucked into cover that you can spray, seed and check is worth more than three acres you plant once and forget. Whitetail Institute's listings name the blend and the season it is built for, so read those details before you buy seed for the wrong time of year.
Food plots and feeders pair well. A deer feeder keeps deer coming while a plot establishes. Once the spot is producing, watch it from a stand and wear a harness from our treestand safety harnesses page. A trail camera on the edge of the plot shows you which bucks use it at daylight, and the deer calls page helps when one hangs up in the timber. For the evening sit itself, a seat from our hunting chairs beats a cold bucket.
Deer Attractant FAQs
Is it legal to use a deer attractant?
Rules differ by state and can change by county or disease zone. Check with your state wildlife agency before you put anything out.
What is the difference between a mineral and an attractant?
Minerals are usually set out months ahead and work over time. Flavored attractants are built to draw deer faster. Many hunters run both on the same property.
Do I need a tractor for a food plot?
No. A no-plow seed blend, a sprayer for herbicide and a hand or ATV spreader will handle a small plot. Spreaders are on the main game management page.