Deer using salt

Gone Hunting

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2015
Messages
219
Interesting I'm up on plateau and most people I've talked to around here have had the same experience I've had unless they were feeding corn also. I even had cameras on salt licks around bean fields and had to move to to where they were entering fields to get pictures
 

catman529

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
Messages
29,472
Location
Franklin TN
Different areas see different usage from my experience. My best salt licks are near creek banks and get hit year-round. Some others get the most use in the summer, and only the occasional visit in the late fall and winter.
 

redblood

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2006
Messages
26,055
Location
Lewisburg
Its more about the salt and temperature than it is the deer. White salt will always have the strongest draw as long as deer are not deficient in a specific element. Many minerals, magnesium to name one, are very bitter. We conducted an experiment in a graduate animal science test where 38 angus cross heifers (weaned) were given access to identical 10x10 corals that each contained an identical trough filled with salt. They were side by side and neither had an advantage as far as access. One was mineralized and one was white mixing salt. They had to cross a mat that had sensor under it (late 90s technology lol). The mat simply recorded traffic into the trough. It was something like 8 or 9 to 1 preference to the white salt. Consumption in pounds was also much higher but that wasnt really measured other than us noticing it was harder to keep the white salt trough full. I cant inagine deer would be much different since they have a similar digestive system.
 

Shanman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2007
Messages
1,826
Location
Loudon Co., Tn
Its more about the salt and temperature than it is the deer. White salt will always have the strongest draw as long as deer are not deficient in a specific element. Many minerals, magnesium to name one, are very bitter. We conducted an experiment in a graduate animal science test where 38 angus cross heifers (weaned) were given access to identical 10x10 corals that each contained an identical trough filled with salt. They were side by side and neither had an advantage as far as access. One was mineralized and one was white mixing salt. They had to cross a mat that had sensor under it (late 90s technology lol). The mat simply recorded traffic into the trough. It was something like 8 or 9 to 1 preference to the white salt. Consumption in pounds was also much higher but that wasnt really measured other than us noticing it was harder to keep the white salt trough full. I cant inagine deer would be much different since they have a similar digestive system.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
 

PossumSlayer

Well-Known Member
2-Step Enabled
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
14,323
Location
Down Town Skinem
Early December and deer are still tearing up the minerals at Bear hollow
 

Attachments

  • 49A2A2BE-83C0-438D-9CB3-5341A3D446DF.jpeg
    49A2A2BE-83C0-438D-9CB3-5341A3D446DF.jpeg
    3.8 MB · Views: 286

Shanman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2007
Messages
1,826
Location
Loudon Co., Tn
Different areas see different usage from my experience. My best salt licks are near creek banks and get hit year-round. Some others get the most use in the summer, and only the occasional visit in the late fall and winter.
Could it be that water is closer and more readily accessible after they use the mineral/salt?
 

PossumSlayer

Well-Known Member
2-Step Enabled
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
14,323
Location
Down Town Skinem
Neat how the rock opens up there
Where I was today, it's probably a good 75 foot drop 20 yard behind me.
As I watched chip and dale fight and play in front of me I noticed a 1' wide grove in the ground that touched the cliff to my left and right.... not using that tree again.
Here's a video from about 500 yards from where I was... the peeing tree,,
Damn, can't do a video, here is a crappy screen shot.
 

Attachments

  • E6F77172-0D18-49F6-8F90-FECE4963AA13.png
    E6F77172-0D18-49F6-8F90-FECE4963AA13.png
    1.1 MB · Views: 247

Gone Hunting

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2015
Messages
219
I should've said that the salt licks have been active for many many years and just this year a sudden decline in activity and not just on one farm but 4 farms. I was thinking in the summer maybe because of such a wet year. Who knows 2020 has been a crazy one.
 

JCDEERMAN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
17,461
Location
NASHVILLE, TN
I have never paid much attention to our salt licks after I pull cameras off of them in late September. Our cameras are on scrapes, pinch points and food this time of year. I definitely wouldn't hunt over salt in hopes deer would be coming to it this time of year, atleast in the area I hunt
 

Gone Hunting

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2015
Messages
219
I don't hunt salt licks any time of the season I just use them till mid October to see what bucks are in the area. I move cameras to funnels and scrapes mid to late October. I just didn't get many pictures this year throughout the summer, I was just trying to see if it was a local change this season or what
 

Knothead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
7,763
Location
Middle TN
I should've said that the salt licks have been active for many many years and just this year a sudden decline in activity and not just on one farm but 4 farms. I was thinking in the summer maybe because of such a wet year. Who knows 2020 has been a crazy one.

They wore mine out in spring, summer and early bow season. I've found spring and summer is typically when they are most active. They never hit them hard during the fall/winter.
 

DoubleRidge

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2019
Messages
9,590
Location
Middle Tennessee
I had deer licking trophy rocks this afternoon

This has been my experience....I have five different trophy rock set up on two different farms and I leave cameras on them.....other cameras are used on scrapes.....but I'll get pics year around on trophy rock.....no doubt spring and summer the picture count is higher than fall and winter.
 

Latest posts

Top