The mineral licks I use that I put in an earler post on this thread, I found on another disccusion board. The person who posted this put in his post that the MDC (missouri department of conservation) recommends it. I have a friend who works for the MDC and I had her hookme up with a department biologist. After talking with him what you are posting is correct to some extent.

What the bioligist told me is when a deer get minerial defficiant they will search for minerials in the dirt. they have a natural instinct to find the most mineral efficiant spots on the ground. This is why mineral licks are so popular. I have six licks on one farm and 2 on the other. I have licks that are not used that often and licks that are used on the dailey bases. The bioligst told me that the licks will be used more heavely when bucks are growing there racks, right after the rut (when bucks have depleted there bodies of just about everything), and when does are producing milk. This is why they they use them more heavily certain times of the year over others.

The bioligist also told me that salt has no nutritonal value to a deer what so ever. Salt is used as flavor and to draw the deer in. The trace minerial and di-cal are what is providing the deer nutrition. He also told me that most commercial brands of minerals do not put enough calcium and phosphate in there mixes to affect rack growth. This is why they reccomend so much be put in the ground at once.

Here is how the bioligist broke it down for me:

100 LBS stock salt used for taste only
200 LBS unmedicated trace minerial - to give the deer the minerals they are not getting from food source
100 LBS Di- Cal Dicalcium phosphate - for rack building and milk production. This is also what the biolgist told me was what the commercial stuff did not give enough of.

All of these [for those of you that asked in earler post] can be bought at he local MFA or most feed stores for about $20-$25 I think this beets the commercial prices by a long shot

The bioligst also reccomends that use use all 400 LBS to 1 lick. You will put it in and replace after 6 months the first time and then yearly after that.

My personal opinion is I don't hunt over the mineral licks I have out, these are there strictly for the nutrition of the herd.

Now the newer commercial stuff may have the exact same stuff that I am using Some may be better, but I have good luck with this stuff and am starting to see a difference in the herd after 3 years of use. Whether it is directly realated to the minerals or not this is what I am sticking with.

Sorry for long post guys.