is there a difference
well the long and short of it, is yes and no
some deer OLNT sale's pitch is just that a sale's pitch
BUt theer are some mineral mix's on teh market that are made to be absorbed and will attract deer to it to help get them to ingest the minerals
so, yes there is a difference
but if you get same minerals and mix yourself, you can make what they sell for less
but it may not be absorbed as well as some deer made one's are
only little, I think, but that is teh difference if you ask me
some add color and scents and flavors to there's again to pull deer to want to eat it
making them in theory eat more of it, and thus hopefully make them healthier and bigger racks and bigger healthier off spring
talk to a pen raise deer farmer and they will swear by certian stuff a deer needs
but!!
to me, many deer just don't know what it is and avoid it, or at least at my farm
as an example
I placed a few of them apple flavored and acorn mineral blocks out in front of my camera, and corn 3 ft away from it
been 6 weeks now, and not a single deer(or pic) hgas gone near it/them
and I have LOTS of deer, they just have ZERO interest in it(for now anyways)
but in the past I have used a powdered mineral mix, and had deer hit same day i put it out!
you have to play with it i think, and find one your deer like
no one size fits all if you ask me!!