Salt Blocks

[Rembrant]

Had a guy at a feed store tell me once that the animals prefer the mineral licks in drought years and the white salt in years with good moisture. I was told this about 10 years ago, and while throwing out salt over the years with this in mind, I think he is right.

...just something else to think about.

Mike

[TREESTANDMAN]

I disagree with that theory. The past 2 years both deer and elk have hit my cheap water softener salt very hard. I have never used a trophy block before but I've shot 5 bucks from this cheap salt and have never had a day where nothing came in. I think that for a deer, salt is salt, whether there are minerals present or not, they enjoy and need salt. I have noticed an increase in deer activity during light rain, or just after a rain which when water reacts w/ salt a scent that attracts deer is created. The same thing should happen w/ a trophy block.

[TREESTANDMAN]

I am definately tempted to try a trophy block now though.

[300 wsm]

Hey coueschaser I buy mine from our local archery dealer here in showlow Timber Mesa archery. So Im sure you can buy them at many other sporting goods shops.

[Guest Guest]

The way to find out is by placing a mineral lick and some variety of white salt in the same location and keep it going for years for on-going observation.

Again, sounds like you are blessed with a great area TREESTANDMAN.

Mike

[TAM]

I think the bottom line is that salt works! I do think that adding some sort of mineral salt or deer cocain can help draw deer into a newly established salt lick or to assist during the hunting season is a good idea. But to spend a bunch of money on these "super mineral salts" during the rest of the year doesn't make sense when you can buy a 40 lb bag of salt at the grocery store for $3 that will keep them coming in throughout the rest of the year just fine.

 

I also think part of the key to hunting over salt is to keep replenishing the same location for year after year. The longer a location has been established the more generations of deer will know about it and frequent the site. Remember that the does will teach there fawns how to survive. If a doe and her fawn(s) are coming into a salt lick every couple of days, you can bet that the fawn(s) will keep coming back to the salt lick even after they seperate from mama. In a sense you are training the deer and often times the best results won't come for several years. Just going out the month before the hunt and throwing out a bag of salt won't necessarly produce a lot of deer.

 

Good luck!

[m1280]

great discusssion, how much salt or block should one start with and if in a new site how long would yall estimate that it will take to consume... how often do you experienced salt guys and gals ck yer sites any info welcome thanx -mike, new archer..

[TAM]

m1280, Once you've found the right location I would haul in a 40 lb bag of rock salt and a 1 gallon jug of the liquid deer cocain. Pour out the bag of salt, preferably in a small depression or hole, then pour on contents of deer cocain. The deer won't be able to consume the entire amount, most of it will be dissolved by rain and absorbed into the ground over time. Once the salt gets into the ground the deer will start pawing and eating the dirt and they will actually dig out a hole in the ground. On a new site I'd replenish it about every three months for the first year or so, then I'd cut back to 2-3 times per year once the deer are hooked and coming in on a regular basis. At that point I would only add the deer cocain about a week before the hunt.

 

If you really want to have some fun go buy or build a trail camera and set it up on your new salt lick and keep track of the animals that come in.

 

Thats how I do it.

[TREESTANDMAN]

I have an uncle in unit 27 that has used salt for years and had some really good success. Once I helped him pack some salt into his honey hole. He was very very careful not to make noise and leave very little scent. We dropped the salt and left quickly. I was a little disappointed cuz I wanted to check the prints and trails coming into the salt. I don't know if his extreme care is really necessary but he has taken a LOT of 100+ bucks from his salt so I think it may have something to do w/ it.

[Rembrant]

Got a spot near Flagtown that I started salting about 12 years ago in he hopes of attracting whitetails. All I have ever seen is mulies. Could have killed a handful over the years with a bow but would rather kill a whitetail every year. I like what TAM said about the long term salt. I think there are some mule deer that have lived out their entire life knowing where my salt sett-up was.

I haven't done anything fancy here. I take a half a block of white or half a block of the $6.00 mineral lick up there once or twice a year. If the salt disappears, there is enough soaked into the ground till I get some more out there. I haven't even hunted it for about 5 years but I keep it going just for fun. Plus it has probably helped these local deer through the drought.

I have other licks employing a lot of the various mentioned methods in this string. I keep trying different things in better locations for whitetail. But again, like TAM says, the bottom line is salt works - elaborate or not.

Where the rubber meets the road on hunting salt licks is how well you can keep your butt in a tree to wait out an encounter with a shooter.

Mike

[m1280]

deer cocaine?? where do you get it from i live in tucson and thanx for the info guys..

[TREESTANDMAN]

http://www.ehoutdoors.com/

[TAM]

Deer cocain is just one option. Also mentioned earlier in this thread are the deer blocks and there are sevaral other commercialy available "mineral enhanced" salt block type products that should produce the same type results. I would bet that they all contain about the same thing and will produce very similar results. My expericnce has been with the deer cocain and it works quite well.

 

I will also add this..... I think the location is the key and is much more important than what type of salt you put out! Poor location = poor results. But if you find the right spot the deer will hammer it.

[TREESTANDMAN]

Rembrant, I couldn't agree with you more. The end result of harvesting a good buck will most likely depend on how patient you are and how much time you invest in sitting up in that tree or in the ground blind.

[m1280]

thanx again guys i'll keep ya posted, probably next w/e is when i intend to drop the salt, i have a couple of good areas in 33 and 36c