Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
#3
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 950
RE: Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
good point, just a little concerned with creating an area around there with over-browsing, too many deer, never thought I would say that, actually too many does.
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IOWA
Posts: 400
RE: Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
6 mineral licks is really more than necessary on a parcel like that. You wont do any harm though. You really wont attract any more deer than if you just had one site. I have just one site on my 125 acres and it serves all my area and attracts many deer from neighboring properties during spring and summer. They will travel good distance to get food, water and mineral. It doesnt mean they will stay near it. Its a great place for a camera if you have one. You will get pics of nearly every buck in the area during the summer. Good luck.
#5
RE: Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
Good post fletch. I have 3 salt blocks here on 21 acres and theres a major highway going in and out. I have a trough of water nearby and they hit that afterwards. I've had them out for about 6 yrs and just replaced them last year with new blocks. I took rock salt and poured it in a hollowed out stump with the block on top. When that salt melts down into that stump they just waddle out a big hole. Seems like they like digging for the salt as oposed to actually lickingthe block. I've seen coyotes on the lick and moose tracks there also. I had some mineral blocks out but they just rotted as the squirrels and rodents were the only one intrested.
I don;t hunt over these (or any other bait) but have them where I can see activity from my kabin window and there kinda like my pets as I have a lot of regulars showing up from previous offsprings and I enjoy watching them. I did see a 6x6 in velvet last year at the block. Just like fletch said, if you put a camera up, you'll get some good photos. I think I just might do that.
Bobby
I don;t hunt over these (or any other bait) but have them where I can see activity from my kabin window and there kinda like my pets as I have a lot of regulars showing up from previous offsprings and I enjoy watching them. I did see a 6x6 in velvet last year at the block. Just like fletch said, if you put a camera up, you'll get some good photos. I think I just might do that.
Bobby
#6
RE: Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
agreed, it is amazing how much soil deer can eat at a lick in a year. One of the properties I hunt I put a mineral lick and one year later there was about 5-6 five gallon bucketfulls of dirt gone from that spot...that is more than usual though.
#8
RE: Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
Another point to consider when placing mineral licks is that under Indiana law they can be considered baiting unless both the lick and the surrounding affected soil have been removed at least 10 days prior to the start of deer season . This is accordingto an ICO who posts at the Indiana based site in my sig line in their "Ask the Conservation Officer forum.
#10
RE: Are 6 mineral salt licks too many on 45 acres
IMO, and I stress opinion......it depends what you are using them for. If you are truley using them as a benefit to the deer, I would say to make them as readily available as possible. If your state, like it is in Missouri, doesn't consider mineral licks as bait and intend to hunt over them, the fewer the better. I mean, like......1. It's like not knowing which white oak to hunt by. The more there are, the more options the deer have as to which one they use. If you only have one.....there's only one they can use, making your job much easier.