True North Outdoors Deer Feed and Attractants
The Will to Hunt 10.12.12
I’ve tried a lot of supplements for deer. I mainly use them to attract deer to trail cameras while also providing some extra nutrition. Here in Virginia it is illegal to use any bait or supplement from September 1 through the end of hunting season, which is usually the first Saturday in January. So I started using True North Outdoors supplements in February and pretty much kept them going all summer long, until September. To see my initial thoughts on the products check out my ‘First Look’ post. Here I will follow that with my thoughts on how the products performed.
Trophy Mineral
I’ll start with my favorite of the line up, the Trophy Mineral. As I mentioned I’ve used a lot of different products in front of my trail cameras, and this has been by far my most successful product. In some cases I have had deer showing up shortly after putting it out and visiting it several times a day, everyday. Lactating does will tear this stuff up and that’s a good thing. I know everyone wants to see bucks but having healthy does and fawns means healthy bucks in a few years. I found that a decent dusting will last about two weeks and a heavy dusting covering about a two-foot circle and mixed in with the soil some will last up to about four weeks. Obviously you can just dump a ton and it will probably last even longer but in those cases you can stand to waste a lot if you are getting heavy rains.
The products will last through rain but it the rain can wash it wash and make it soak deeply into the soil. I also put this out at a new spot where I had big 4-point last year, this year he exploded. I’d love to say it was all the Trophy Mineral and give them credit but I think it was partly just his time and access to good food sources but he was hitting the mineral about five nights a week while in velvet and I’m positive it helped with his antler growth.
Fatal Attraction Deer Feed
Next up with the Fatal Attraction Deer Feed. This stuff smells awesome and will have deer on it almost immediately. The only problem is it works so good it goes very quickly. Like most feed though, raccoons love this stuff so be prepared to feed the raccoons on your property when you put this out! My favorite use for this was to put down a good bit of the trophy mineral with nice heap of the deer feed on top. The smell of the feed draws them to it super quickly and the mineral keeps them coming back well after the feed is gone. It’s a great way to quickly establish a new mineral site. As I mentioned back in the first look post, unlike some feeds or supplements this comes in a sealed bag and it shows in how fresh the product smells when you open it the first time!
Sugar Beet Draw
The Sugar Beet Draw is another great product in their line up. This thick liquid also has a strong smell that helps pull deer in. However, I will say that like the feed the raccoons go crazy for this stuff. If you’re in area overrun with raccoons stick to the mineral because they will tear up the sugar beet draw like crazy. Now, the deer love it too, and I’ve found the best way to use it is to pour it on a stump. For some reason when I just put some on the ground the raccoons would dig it up but when I poured it on a stump they didn’t bother with it as much and the deer actually got to enjoy it.
Hot Plot
Lastly is the Hot Plot. I’ll be honest here, due to issues with permissions that didn’t get cleared up until it was too late to plant, I didn’t personally get to put any of this in the ground. However, I did get a buddy to take it up to Ohio to a hunting property up there and plant it in late summer. It’s come up great and the deer are hitting it good. It was planted without a ton of prep and it’s doing just fine. This seed will grow even in a quick plot, you don’t necessarily need a tractor with ever implement to get this stuff to produce. It’s a great all around seed mix that is a great ‘go to’ for food plots.
Fortunately, True North has a deal right now. All purchases over $20 before 10/19/12 get free shipping with discount code SHIPFREE. So if you are at all interested in trying out these products this is a great opportunity to save money. Of the three supplements I would suggest the trophy mineral it will last longer and provide more for the deer than the other two and it just works awesome. Plus they now have a 25-pound jug of the mineral for $24.99 and with free shipping! If you’re thinking about starting a food plot or just looking for good seed for next year’s plot give the Hot Plot a try I think you’ll like it.
