About J. Wayne Fears

One of the most asked questions we have received lately relates to salt or mineral licks at or near a food plot. Many readers have read of natural salt licks used by hunters in the colonial era, and want to know how to find these naturally occurring licks. Others want to know how to establish a mineral lick in or adjacent to their food plots. Still others want to know the value of mineral or salt licks, and whether or not they really lead to the growth of massive antlers or attract bucks from the next county.

Unfortunately, there are few natural salt licks occurring in rural lands of today, so if you haven’t already found one you probably won’t. That leaves the option of establishing a man-made mineral or salt lick on your hunting property.

Having minerals and trace elements available to deer on a year-round basis in salt or mineral licks no doubt can be some help in growing better antlers, but it is just a small part of a much larger picture. Free ranging deer cover a lot of country and it is a combination of the age of the buck, the quality of the habitat within his range, and the genetics within the gene pool that make a trophy. Mineral supplements alone will not make much difference.

	An 8-inch pine stump before making it into a salt lick.

It’s Not Magic

“Jack-and-the-magic-beanstalk” story. Simply put out the “special” mineral block or mix and bucks will rush from miles around to your property, lick the ingredients, and grow trophy antlers. If only it was that easy!

Artificial mineral or salt licks can play a role in a deer management program, but it is a small role and will not produce trophy racks overnight, and most likely not pull your neighboring county’s trophy bucks onto your property. If you consider putting artificial salt or mineral licks on your property for deer, consider it a small supplement to the deer’s diet.

Deer Are Attracted to Salt

Georgia DNR deer biologist Kent Kammermeyer reports, “Another reason for application of salt in March has been supplied by Georgia DNR biologist Reggie Thackston of Forsyth, who completed a research project monitoring the longevity of salt in the soil and its usage by deer. Reggie’s results indicated that salt leached through the soil very quickly even on heavy clay soils. In only three weeks after he applied a mineralized salt formulation to the soil, the concentration of salt was greatest at the 3- to 6-inch depth, while that of calcium and phosphorus remained highest at the surface of the soil. This phenomenon may indicate at least three things: 1) attractiveness of deer to sodium may decline quickly over time, as the salt leaches downward; 2) deer dig deeply in salt licks to seek leached sodium at lower levels; and, 3) reapplication of pure sodium chloride (without calcium or phosphorus) once more per year (possibly in June) may increase attractiveness of salt licks and encourage more usage of the calcium and phosphorus, which remains available at the soil surface. Time will tell if these results continue to hold true or are replicated by other research.”

The same pine stump three months after becoming a salt lick.

Many deer biologists recommend granular salt mixes that contain a concentration of 16% calcium and 10% phosphorus, and trace elements including cobalt, copper, iodine, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, and zinc that help growing deer.  A lot of the deer managers I work with don’t recommend salt or minerals in block form, as it is difficult to get high concentrations of calcium and phosphorus in that form.

A great deal of discussion has been devoted to the location of salt licks, but the bottom line is that deer usually find salt licks regardless of their location. A favorite location for many deer managers is to put a lick in the corner of each food plot. Research has shown that clay soil works best for the base.

Products to Consider

Selecting a product to use in salt licks on your hunting property is a choice you need to make with advice from your wildlife biologist and conservation officer. Many landowners have had great luck simply using bagged, granular cattle salt they purchase from the local farm supply store. It is available in a pure salt form or with minerals added. Either will attract deer.

Also, there are some excellent mineral mixes that have been specially formulated for providing deer with minerals and trace elements they need. These include Hunter’s Specialties Vita-Rack 26, Pennington Rackmaster Deer Mineral, Biologic Whitetail Addiction, Imperial Whitetail 30-06 Mineral/Vitamin Supplement, Trophy Rock, BB2 Nutritional Supplement, and Deer Chow Mineral Supplement, to name a few.

	Salt and mineral licks need to be reworked about every six months.

Making a Lick

Making a man-made salt lick is easy. One of the most natural-looking salt licks is an old stump, especially one you would like to have removed. Here is how to make a stump lick:

1. Using a posthole digger, dig deep holes under the stump between the roots.
2. Pour 25 pounds of  granular salt or mineral mix in the holes.
3. Cover with dirt.
4. Save a little mix to pour on the top of the stump so deer can find it more quickly.

After a rain or two, the lick will become more natural, and will not need salt added for six months. On my farm, I have had stumps dug out of the ground within a couple of years by deer pawing for salt. Over time, rain leaches the salt into the ground and deer have to dig deeper to get to the salt. The results are a stump that is sitting on top of the ground.

A natural looking salt lick can be made easily. These are usually located on the corner of a food plot, where legal. Here is how it is done:

1. Dig a hole about 12 inches deep and at least 36 inches in diameter, preferably in a well drained clay soil.
2. Remove the soil and fill the hole with 25 pounds of granular salt or mineral mix.
3. Save some of the mixture to place on top (see step 5).
4. Place soil on top of the mix and stir it up a little.
5. Finally, sprinkle the remaining mix on top of the loose soil.

Adding salt or mineral mix under a stump makes a good lick.

It will take the deer a while to discover this lick, but when they do you will begin to notice a hole being dug. As the lick is used over a long period of time, the hole will get larger and it may require refilling with dirt to keep it from holding water for long periods. I have seen active man-made salt licks in hard clay soil become deep enough to become small ponds during periods of heavy rain.

Know the Law

It is illegal to hunt over or near mineral or salt licks in some states. Check with your local conservation officer to be sure that the salt or mineral mix you want to use – and when and where you put it out – is not considered baiting and that you can hunt near it legally.

Salt licks are not a “magic bean” and do not replace a well-rounded deer management program, but they are one small step in the right direction, when combined with good habitat and population management. During spring and early summer it can be one step of many that entices a buck to stay in your area.

Editor’s Note: Always be sure to check regulations in the area where you want to establish salt or mineral licks. Rules can change with little warning, and some states have different regulations for different geographic areas. Make sure you get permission from the landowner if you are using land you do not own.