I've read and tend to beleive that high salt mineral licks can do more harm than good - ESPECIALLY when water is abundant. Sounds odd, I know - but let me explain.............

A deer puts on his best weight & muscle mass by eating high quality forage - especially in the summer months with high calorie & protein intake. This same deer will also abtain MOST of his Calcium, phosphorous and other nutients from the same forage. A good quality food plot (or feed if you cannot grow a summer foodplot) will provide all the neccessary elements.

A Salt based mineral lick may also provide some of these same elements needed for bone, and especially antler growth - however.......... the lick makes the deer thirsty (as you might expect) - and they tend to drink abundant water. This increased WATER intake - will curb the deer's appetite, and reduce the time the deer would have otherwise spent foraging. SO the net intake of nutrients/calories is likely less than if a mineral lick & water was not offered. Literally, the deer is "full" of a non nutrient rich...... water.

Sounds complicated - but this fact alone, coupled with absolutely no hard evidence that mineral licks does anything for antler growth - even under ideal conditions, makes me ask - WHY BOTHER WITH MINERAL LICKS?

Plus, of course,its now illegal in NY - year round.

FH