mineral licks

[bswarchery]

I've read on several sites about making a mineral lick site for deer. Any good, tried/tested ideas/formulas that I can try out?

 

[eastTN270]

Buy a Trophy Rock or rock salt or salt block or mineral block and place it on an old tree stump. Thats about it.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Or just set it on the ground. The deer in my area prefer Trophy Rock. For basics, just get a rake and rake the leaves out in about a 10 ft diameter, then set it in the middle. The more level the ground is the better. If the ground is sloped, set it on the higher end of the raked out area.

 

[Anonymous]

I use $7 trace mineral block from local co-op. They last about 1 year and I get pictures almost year around. Just place on ground in some really thick stuff with a tree nearby to put your camera on.

 

[spoon]

Trophy Rock, just place it on a stump in a good area

 

[BSK]

I prefer to make my licks along a major entrance or exit trail to a food source (food plot), generally about 50 yards back from the edge. Stumps work great as do red-clay root wads.

 

[hayman]

Might try adding a package of grape jello or kool aid to the mix to help them find it quicker has worked for me

 

[BSK]

I've heard mixed results on the grape kool aid trick.

 

[Football Hunter]

Buy a Trophy Rock or rock salt or salt block or mineral block and place it on an old tree stump. Thats about it.

yep

 

[BowGuy84]

I'll have pics off of a mineral lick for over a month on Thursday...they hit mine but not like some of the other guys on here...not sure why. Going to start my cameras earlier next year to see if I'm missing heavy use but I don't think I am. Corn is king where I am at.

 

[BSK]

I'll have pics off of a mineral lick for over a month on Thursday...they hit mine but not like some of the other guys on here...not sure why. Going to start my cameras earlier next year to see if I'm missing heavy use but I don't think I am. Corn is king where I am at.

Is this the first year you've had salt licks?

 

[FLIPPER]

A friend of mine up in Blount county started a new lick this year using goat mineral he buys at Tractor Supply and it is unbelievable at the hole they have dug!

It is as wide and deep as one of mine that is 7-8 years old.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I use TR and trace mineral blocks. My home deer are much pickier and use TR alot more. The Morgan Co deer dont care though, lots more deer there and I get the same usage out of cheap trace mineral as I do TR so they get the trace mineral.

 

[BowGuy84]

I'll have pics off of a mineral lick for over a month on Thursday...they hit mine but not like some of the other guys on here...not sure why. Going to start my cameras earlier next year to see if I'm missing heavy use but I don't think I am. Corn is king where I am at.

Is this the first year you've had salt licks?

Nope 3rd year of established licks. I dont use TR anymore, mix of dical-phospate, rock salt and trace mineral. Also added a little dried molasses to the mix this year

 

[BSK]

I would suspect the dical-phosphate and trace minerals could be a problem. Deer want salt. Just salt.

 

[BowGuy84]

guess I'll cut that out next year. Read the di-cal might be the only thing that actually aids antler growth somewhere.

 

[BSK]

No evidience consuming dical does anything for deer.

 

[Andy S.]

guess I'll cut that out next year. Read the di-cal might be the only thing that actually aids antler growth somewhere.

Suggestion - do a test and make a "salt only" site 20 or so yards from your current "mixture site" to see if there is any difference in preference. Just a thought......

 

[BowGuy84]

ahh a scientist...control for location and offer different options to assess. Might do that.

 

[BowGuy84]

No evidience consuming dical does anything for deer.

I know it wasn't evidence, just speculation based on what I remember.

Something about comosition of antler material and mothers milk...

 

[Andy S.]

ahh a scientist...control for location and offer different options to assess. Might do that.

We've done it at Ames before. It was cheap (generally speaking), pretty easy, fun and we all learned something from it. The results can be viewed here.
http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/personnel/charper ... cience.pdf

Let us know how it turns out if you do go through with it. Best of luck.

 

[Winchester]

I too use the loose trace mineral salt with great results. I did a comparison on 2 different farms a few yrs ago, here and western KY, TR and loose trace mineral salt. and both areas saw equal or slightly more usage on the loose trace mineral sites. It costs much much less as well.

 

[BSK]

I too use the loose trace mineral salt with great results. I did a comparison on 2 different farms a few yrs ago, here and western KY, TR and loose trace mineral salt. and both areas saw equal or slightly more usage on the loose trace mineral sites. It costs much much less as well.

I'll bet the loose salt soaks into the ground much faster and more efficiently.

 

[BowGuy84]

I too use the loose trace mineral salt with great results. I did a comparison on 2 different farms a few yrs ago, here and western KY, TR and loose trace mineral salt. and both areas saw equal or slightly more usage on the loose trace mineral sites. It costs much much less as well.

I'll bet the loose salt soaks into the ground much faster and more efficiently.

If nothing is proven to aid in antler growth, why not go with the cheaper, more efficient and more effective method?

I think I know your response (its not natural like TR) but if you are calling it a baited survey why not use the best bait that isnt harmful to the herd (like laid out moldy corn) that you can?

 

[BSK]

I too use the loose trace mineral salt with great results. I did a comparison on 2 different farms a few yrs ago, here and western KY, TR and loose trace mineral salt. and both areas saw equal or slightly more usage on the loose trace mineral sites. It costs much much less as well.

I'll bet the loose salt soaks into the ground much faster and more efficiently.

If nothing is proven to aid in antler growth, why not go with the cheaper, more efficient and more effective method?

I think I know your response (its not natural like TR) but if you are calling it a baited survey why not use the best bait that isnt harmful to the herd (like laid out moldy corn) that you can?

Because I have tested loose trace mineral salts and found them less preferred than Trophy Rock and they required more frequent reapplication.

But then every location is unique. I've seen areas where salt simply WILL NOT draw deer. You have to use what works best in the given location.

 

[BowGuy84]

Gotcha. I had a few does and fawns on the lick and staying for a darn long while...acted like they liked it. No bucks, but that is par for the course on my extremely thick ridge. Bucks will Start to show up in October when the crops come out and the temps drop a touch.

 

[ItzAShooter7]

I picked up a tip from a buddy about half way burying your trophy rocks. He said that he had done this on his property a few years back and deer came to that spot even after the rock had been removed at the end of the season. Dont know if thats just conditioning or what. Possibly the ground around absorbs some of the salt and so forth. I took this advise and buried two on the property I hunt. The first was about 5 yard off a trail i like to call the deer hwy. I simple cleared a spot in the middle of the ground dug a hole with my boots placed the rock in the hole and kicked the loose dirt back around it. Since then i have had to put the rock back in place for each week or so that i check my camera the rock has been dug up and moved. Its well visited by a group of does and fawns. as well as 2 6's and 2 spikes. The second was placed at a base of a tree last week near my food plot. I will be checking my cameras Saturday so hopefully ill have some good results.

 

[BSK]

ItzaShooter7,

Yes, rainwater washes salt from the rock into the soil, and deer will eat the soil to get the salt.

I find red clay soils hold the salt better. Perhapss that has to do with the iron content of red clays.

 

[Boone 58]

x~2

 

[Football Hunter]

One reason I like trs is that I can see em,just ride by,there or gone,not wondering if all the loose salt has been washed away.