Mineral Licks - Excellent Results

[cantgetright]

Thanks for sharing. What is a mineral fountains?

Just a bucket full of mineral with small drain holes that leak the mineral down the tree as it rains. Here is a better picture of one from a few years ago that I had to replace because the loggers dropped a tree on it.

[longpointer]

Doh ! Why didn't I think of that ? For years I've just used plain old rock salt on top of a stump but a little bucket may cut down on how much gets washed into the surrounding soil ? I was told by an Old Timer that method as the deer will lick the dirt to get their salt and they have exposed the roots due to pawing and licking. I put out salt year round because the Old Timer told me the Does need it for when they are lactating and Bucks need it for antler growth. We have always done well in filling our tags and believe it has a lot to do with the salt licks.

[gbk]

I have mineral lick(hole in the ground) at one area i am hunting.
A bit away from my stand...but that is just the way i made it .

Just about every year ,end of Feb-early March i bring a salt block-or lately bagged stock salt, mostly the white one.
Ocassionally i switch to blue or brown ones.
In 20 years or so the deer(and other animals)dug a 10x 10 x 1 hole in the ground.
I believe they eat the soil with salt.

When i started it,i poured the salt at a base of a tree.
In about 3 years the tree died,and in about 10 years,the dead tree fell over.I still think the salt killed it.
By bad,did not know any better.

I had camera off an on on it-and my experience is similar to many-from snow melt till about mid Sept the deer visits it,then the site looses much of its appeal.
Bucks are more frequent from snow melt til Mid end of August.

I believe by that time antlers harden-and not much need for salt anymore for them bucks.

[rf2]

I just retrieved pictures from a camera I have had out over a trace mineral block since the end of April. The deer are just hammering it. Multiple deer a day. Strangely though, once the hot weather hit, most photos were at night, and it is not due to human pressure, because the property owner has not been back there at all.

Mostly does and fawns unfortunately. There is one buck that is shaping up to be decent, and another one or two spikes. They don't show up too regularly though.