Do Salt Blocks Help?
02-16-2002, 10:46 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Do Salt Blocks Help?
BSK - You are very right about this - I am not denying it. - In fact its fairly easy to find information or studies proving NO correlation to anlter/or body size development in free ranging herds of deer, directly. eg.http://jrm.library.arizona.edu/data/1992/456/8schu.pdf
Other studies suggest that excess salt could be a mojor problem, eg.http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/DEE/00-108.doc
We use mineral supplements and some salt, in the form of licks for reasons that some might find controversial. First off, I think that the experience many hunter's and hunt clubs have had with licks is not to be discounted. I really think that many have had good successes in harvesting larger and heavier antlered deer after implementing a mineral supplement program. Personally, I cannot conclude that the licks actually helped any of the harvested deer acheive their size directly, and likely neither can they (as you said its very difficult to obtain hard, scientific proof to this effect). However, I cannot deny that in some cases, better deer are harvested as a result.
My theory goes like this. Salt/Mineral licks have very little impact, if any on the actual health of a deer herd. However, deer choose their home area based upon their basic needs, and the better deer choose the best of the best of these areas. Deer, like many other animals crave salt, and other trace minerals. If you have an area that supply's excellent cover, browse, and food plots - you will attract your share of good deer. If you throw in a mineral supplement program, including some salt - You up your odds!! Deer do not know that they do not need it, they do know that they crave it and with all else being equal, may alter their behavior as a result. Does this mean that a large buck may give up a little better cover, to have his core area in an area with a mineral supplement - I think yes - it may. Or that more better does might reside in a parcel with a mineral supplement, raise more male offspring there, and atract more and better bucks - again yes I think they do.
If all your neighbors have mineral/salt licks as well, the effect is likely mimimized, and your back to managing for best cover, browse and food plots.
Another thing we've learned about licks - Deer will alter their patterns to get at them. This sounds silly when you first hear it, but think of the implications. You have a great spot (you think) for a stand, but the deer do not agree, they'd rather skirt the swamp on your nieghbor's land. A properly placed lick on your property encourges them to cut right through the swamp on a daily basis. Come fall, even though thier craving for the lick is all but gone, since deer are creatures of habit, they continue to use the route they are accustomed to, and you get a shot you otherwise would not have had.
We stop putting out minerals in August, because its illegal (and unethical in my mind) to hunt over bait or a lick (season starts Oct 15). Still we have in some cases altered deer movement through behavioral adaptation. In fact we've wrestled with this one from an ethical standpoint - another whole topic.
So - Do mineral supplements help the deer herd - maybe not. Do they increase your odds for a better harvest - Yes, I think maybe they do.
Other studies suggest that excess salt could be a mojor problem, eg.http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/DEE/00-108.doc
We use mineral supplements and some salt, in the form of licks for reasons that some might find controversial. First off, I think that the experience many hunter's and hunt clubs have had with licks is not to be discounted. I really think that many have had good successes in harvesting larger and heavier antlered deer after implementing a mineral supplement program. Personally, I cannot conclude that the licks actually helped any of the harvested deer acheive their size directly, and likely neither can they (as you said its very difficult to obtain hard, scientific proof to this effect). However, I cannot deny that in some cases, better deer are harvested as a result.
My theory goes like this. Salt/Mineral licks have very little impact, if any on the actual health of a deer herd. However, deer choose their home area based upon their basic needs, and the better deer choose the best of the best of these areas. Deer, like many other animals crave salt, and other trace minerals. If you have an area that supply's excellent cover, browse, and food plots - you will attract your share of good deer. If you throw in a mineral supplement program, including some salt - You up your odds!! Deer do not know that they do not need it, they do know that they crave it and with all else being equal, may alter their behavior as a result. Does this mean that a large buck may give up a little better cover, to have his core area in an area with a mineral supplement - I think yes - it may. Or that more better does might reside in a parcel with a mineral supplement, raise more male offspring there, and atract more and better bucks - again yes I think they do.
If all your neighbors have mineral/salt licks as well, the effect is likely mimimized, and your back to managing for best cover, browse and food plots.
Another thing we've learned about licks - Deer will alter their patterns to get at them. This sounds silly when you first hear it, but think of the implications. You have a great spot (you think) for a stand, but the deer do not agree, they'd rather skirt the swamp on your nieghbor's land. A properly placed lick on your property encourges them to cut right through the swamp on a daily basis. Come fall, even though thier craving for the lick is all but gone, since deer are creatures of habit, they continue to use the route they are accustomed to, and you get a shot you otherwise would not have had.
We stop putting out minerals in August, because its illegal (and unethical in my mind) to hunt over bait or a lick (season starts Oct 15). Still we have in some cases altered deer movement through behavioral adaptation. In fact we've wrestled with this one from an ethical standpoint - another whole topic.
So - Do mineral supplements help the deer herd - maybe not. Do they increase your odds for a better harvest - Yes, I think maybe they do.
02-16-2002, 10:53 PM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: A shack in Arkansas
Posts: 2,029
RE: Do Salt Blocks Help?
if deer dont like or need salt then why do i catch them getting it out of our salt trough? they will go right into our cattle lot and get there supply of trace mineral salts. so... i started putting it out in the woods for them and they get it there to. but they still come to the cattle lot . i guess it is a hard habit to break.
02-17-2002, 07:42 PM
#25
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cuba City WI USA
Posts: 16
RE: Do Salt Blocks Help?
Everything that I have read recently was said in farm hunter's above posts. Most mineral/salt licks are made up of too much salt to draw deer. The deer love salt, so they consume it. The salt makes the deer thirsty just like popcorn at the movie theater makes us thirsty. The deer then drink more water leaving less room for high protien foods (that have been proven to help grow larger antlers in many studies)! Deer and cattle need different amounts of minerals at different times of the year. Cattle minerals should not be thought of deer minerals. I have a mineral site started already this year and hope it will help lure a group of bucks into staying on my land instead of traveling a large distance to feed on my land at night. If they stay on my land longer the next few weeks I will have a much beter chance in finding their sheds. The bucks proved what I already thought was a problem... my land lacks the cover they need/want. The grass was greener on the other side of the fence in this case. We'll have to see whay happens next year!
02-20-2002, 04:11 PM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: Do Salt Blocks Help?
chdeerbio; I would also like to see legitimate proof in black and white. But I posted the links to show BSK that there are sites which back up what he says. The concept that BSK is putting forward isn't outrageous, but it would change the way I manage my property.
Remember chdeerbio I only found one site with that viewpoint. It's only a rumor until you read it twice.
Dan O.
Remember chdeerbio I only found one site with that viewpoint. It's only a rumor until you read it twice.
Dan O.