# Salt Lick



## shinerman77 (Jul 28, 2008)

I just joined a hunting club. Haven't hunted in 15 years so I can't wait to get back into it. I have a ? about salt licks. What type of salt works best or does it matter? I have read other forums and some say a mixture or water softener salt. Some mix in coolaid. And what type of stump to use hard wood or pine? What are some of your opinions. Thanks


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## SlimeTime (Aug 3, 2008)

Sorry I'm not much of a hunter....I believe you can buy saltblocks about anywhere (TSC, Big Blue, Rural King etc) for deer. Don't take this as gospel, but I'm thinking it's a mineral salt you want.....but I could be way-off base.

Keep in mind your state regs may require the block be removed weeks (I'm thinking it's 2 weeks here) prior to season, or it may be considered "baiting"....be sure to check.

I Googled this real quick: https://forum.deeranddeerhunting.com/tm.aspx?m=281

ST


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## Jim (Aug 3, 2008)

Thanks Slimetime!

I was waiting for an answer to this myself. Im going to go do some pre scouting this year and drop some salt blocks :wink:


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## shinerman77 (Aug 3, 2008)

Slime thanks for the info. I am looking to make my own. I researched it and found a recipe using water softener salt, koolaid and I am going to add deer cain and see how that works. I plan on pouring it on a stump and see what happens. I just bought a game cam and will be setting it up around the stump. Hopefully I can get some good pics.


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## Jim (Aug 3, 2008)

shinerman77 said:


> I just bought a game cam and will be setting it up around the stump. Hopefully I can get some good pics.



AWESOME! :beer:


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## FishinsMyLife (Aug 3, 2008)

I've never messed with the salt licks, so I don't know if they work. Baiting is legal around here, and all I've ever put out there is corn.


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## SlimeTime (Aug 3, 2008)

You're welcome! Now, here again....keep in mind I'm not much of a hunter (outside of a few tree rats now & then), but it sounds as if you're your plan is to use pellet salt? If so, it won't last near as long as a block.....between the rain, and the fact that deer (or any other critter) can carry it off. Part of having a block is so the deer will return to it.

ST


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## shinerman77 (Aug 4, 2008)

I grabbed a bag of the crystals not the pellets. And with the high humidity here i think it will dissolve quick. I am going to pour it over a stump and let it soak in. some of the other salt lick stumps on the property were big stumps now they are twigs or just holes in the ground where the deer up rooted them.


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## Quackrstackr (Aug 4, 2008)

Around these parts, if you haven't made a lick yet.... you are pretty much wasting your time.

Salt/mineral licks need to be in the ground no later than the end of April around here. The earlier the better. The deer need it in the summer as they grow antler and nurse young 'uns. They will be completely off of the mineral by mid September as their antlers have quit growing and they are weaning their young.

People wonder why they don't see any deer activity over a mineral lick that was put out in the fall right before season starts. That is why. Go back and check it about next June and see what it looks like. :wink: 

If you are purely wanting an attractant, use salt. If you are wanting to help in antler development, use a mineral.

Here is a recipe for a homemade mineral lick that is much cheaper than anything you can buy premade:

WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE 
Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. for about $23.00 
1 part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive bought at feed stores. Comes in 50lb bags at around $11.00. You need one bag. 

2 parts Trace mineral salt, the red and loose kind without the medications. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $5.00. You need two bags. 

1 part stock salt,or ice cream salt. Comes in 50lb Bags at around $2.00. You need one bag.

Pouring it on a stump is striclty a regional thing. You don't need a stump and it generally doesn't help anything unless you just have a stump that you want removed. Simply dig a hole about 2 feet deep and big enough in diameter to hold the entire bag leaving about 3" or 4" at the top. Fill that 3" to 4" with some of the dirt that you removed from the hole and mix it with the salt. You're done and it can be done anywhere you want to put it without the need for a stump.

If I am strictly using salt, I will buy a 25 to 50 lb bulk bag of rock salt like they sell for making ice cream or melting ice on your sidewalk. It's cheap and it works as good as anything else.

The deer will home in on that and the rain will leach the salt into the surrounding ground. It won't be long until you will have a hole the size of a truck hood in the ground (given that you are doing this in the spring). If you are just now doing this, you may not see much (if any) activity until next spring.

I use licks to attract deer to an area and hopefully have them stick around that area for the season. You won't see much activity at a lick site once season starts so they are nothing like hunting over a pile of corn or a feeder. They make good spots to hang trail cameras for summertime deer photos, though.


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## shinerman77 (Aug 4, 2008)

thanks for the info


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## daltonmcgill (Dec 24, 2008)

how a salt lick works is when the it rains the rain washes salt off the block and makes it go in the ground and since the sooil is good nutrition for the deer but deer dont like to eat dirt when u put the salt lick out it washes the salt in the soil and the deer eat the dirt lol i dont usually use them i use corn


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## jkbirocz (Dec 25, 2008)

At my cabin we usually have a salt lick out, usually a big block. The deer seem to come to them, but we have to remove all forms of bait one month before any deer season starts. Another member of my camp bought a lick thing called Acorn Rage at cabelas, and the deer went crazy for it. I really don't know much about licks, but they seem to draw the deer in....sometimes anyway.


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## switchback (Dec 25, 2008)

Quackrstackr said:


> Around these parts, if you haven't made a lick yet.... you are pretty much wasting your time.
> 
> Salt/mineral licks need to be in the ground no later than the end of April around here. The earlier the better. The deer need it in the summer as they grow antler and nurse young 'uns. They will be completely off of the mineral by mid September as their antlers have quit growing and they are weaning their young.
> 
> ...




Exactly what he said.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Dec 26, 2008)

> bought a lick thing called Acorn Rage



i got one for xmas that screws into a tree. we've had some rain and it completely desolved it off before the deer found it, but now theres a big hole in the ground from them eating the bottom of the tree and dirt

i usually load up on all the leftover deer corn and minerals this time of year after deer season ends when everything is around 75% off. we have 4 active feeders with blocks near by each that the deer tear up all year long. 

the homeade mix quacker stated is the best way to go. say goodbye to all your stumps


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## Jim (Dec 26, 2008)

Perfect..I have a stump I want to get rid of anyway. Thanks for the recipe!


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