Same mineral lick one year apart, I just mowed about 1/8 of an acre around it so I would not get false triggers on my cameras. Started out about 1'x1' in March 2010 and was 8'x8' and 10" deep when I moved from there in Dec. 2011 to where I live now. One of my mineral licks I have here on the farm I started in the spring of 2012 is only about 4'x4', but then again I don't have the population here as I had living at the other place,

Exactly, I have one that is rarely used, may get 6-8 pics a week during summer. Two about 1/2 mile either direction that light a camera up like a pin ball machine. I start mine and freshen them with 1 part di-cal phosphate to 2 parts red trace mineral. That's all ya need.

I think soil type has a lot to do with it. My neighbor has a salt water pool and where the overflow is the deer has dug it up. Definitely not a prime location. Red clay they will find it and tear it up.

2Dogs, is the soil the same in all locations??

I've used di-calcium phosphate in a lick before, but only because i read where you should. It is a cattle supplement. What exactly does it do for deer? As BSK already said, deer are not cattle. Does anyone know, or is it just one of those things that someone come up with?

Dang good question. I was going to start 4 new licks this year and was going to try it just because I read it here. I would also like to ask Swampy his soil type he is using AH. I know from past experience red clay is by far the best for me and sand is the worse. I think the clay holds it better and sand leeches out quickly...same as lime.

I will tell yall a farmer who has a Black Angus farm told me about it. Said it is important in bone growth and bone strength and density in cows. Now personally I have no idea if its true or false, but he swears by it.

This has been my experience with salt licks in general. They see the most usage in red clay soils and the least usage in sandy soils.

centralala, my soil type is Alfisol and Mollisol, mostly Alfisol. I really doubt my mineral licks are doing much good with my soil types, I just like to have them for my trail cameras. My claypan starts at about 12"-14" deep here on the farm.

My understanding, calcium and phosphorous helps with bones and antlers. I don't know if my recipe is exactly per Dr. Kroll but it's close. He always advocated a lower salt %. That's why I don't add extra plain salt to mine. Red trace mineral is 90 or more percent salt anyway.

Different soils. The one least used is probably the most sandy.

I found this on another site:

Dicalcium phosphate is used primarily as dairy cattle feed additive and other animal feeds. It promotes feed digestion, weight gain, and milk production, which is obviously beneficial to a lactating doe deer. Dicalcium phosphate contains roughly between 18 and 21 percent phosphorus and 19 to 23 percent calcium

I suspect that is your problem but you hunt in them freaking mountains and know more about that than I ever will. In sand I always dig down 6" - 12" to see if I can get red clay. The good thing about red clay is the licks are always great and it holds lime well. The down side is generally antler size is less than other soils especially prairie soil. This is for my area only, don't know about others. Oh, and the red clay grows pines great.

I knew you would come up with something I would have to google! Have you every tried the AH alone or do you always put it in with salt? If so, what were the results?

Got all my stuff purchased. Just did not get home in time today to get it put out. Hope to get it down tomorrow afternoon when I get in from work.

Here is what I bought:

1 - 50# Bag of Dicalcium phosphate - $22.95 per bag

2 - 50# Bags of non-medicated red trace minerals - $6.75 per bag

1 - 50# bag of loose white salt - $6.50 per bag

1 - Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - $3.47 per box

1 - Trophy Rock - $13.00

As you can see, prices have gone up quite a bit over the prices posted by Fezzik.

I was thinking about putting out only 1/2 of everything that I bought and saving the other half (unmixed) to refresh the site later on.

Is that a good idea or do I just need to put out everything I bought at the onset?

Thanks for everyone's advice.

CUZ THAT WILL BE OK. I USE ONLY THE DI-CAL AND TRACE MINERALS. IMO NO NEED IN THE LOOSE WHITE SALT AS THE TRACE MINERAL IS ALREADY 96% SALT. I ALSO USE THE WASHING SODA OR ABOUT 6 BOXES OR GRAPE JELLO TO KICK IT OFF.

I USE A 2:1 RATIO OF DI-CAL TO TRACE MINERALS

I am not sure about this "jump starting" with other ingredients. I just have never done it. My licks receive no activity until the salt is melted by rain into the ground. At that point is when they start digging a hole. So, are ya'll saying the will use the lick prior to the melt down??

This ain't hard fellers find a small depression or dig a shallow hole. Pour 50 lbs red trace mineral in then pour 25 lbs (1/2 bag) of di-cal. Stir it up with a stick , hoe or shovel. I've never needed extra salt, kool-aid , jello, baking soda to start one. It's the salt that is the attractant, and trace mineral is 90% plus salt.

I've run a few decent licks in the past, basically using the recipes posted above with good result.

As far as "kick starting" it, I don't mess around with kool aid or anything fancy. A good gallon of plain jane bleach works best!

I got all my stuff put out this afternoon. I went on ahead and put every bit of it out. I decided I'd just buy more later to refresh it. Site turned out to be about 6' square.

I finished raking it in just as a slight rain began. Hope to start getting some good PICS over it soon.