I bought some mineral salt blocks for deer. These are like 50 pound blocks.

Should I bury them in a shallow ditch or leave them exposed?

Any other ideas?

Thanks

Mike

Most folks just put them on the ground. Maybe on a high spot like a terrace. Critters will be coming back after the block is gone. The ground will soak up some of the salt during rains. I have also seen farmers put the block in an old car tire with a plywood bottom or 2 by 4s

If you are hunting on public land, bury them until just the top is showing.

Otherwise someone will spot them and start hunting over them.

May not be legal in some states.

BH63

I just set mine on the ground.

It’s private property so I can place it anywhere and not worry about any expropriating it other than deers.

I am going to put some shelled corn, salt and eat corn and a trail camera to see what comes to what.

Thanks for all the info.

With 400 pounds all stashed in one corner of my truck bed my f-150 does feel a little heavy.

Mike

I set mine in a depression I dug in the soil so when it rains the salt will stay pooled in that area. The deer eat the dirt more than they will lick the block.

I put mine up a little so the coyotes can't pee on them. might help keep them clean. I had pictures of coyotes marking them.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

With 400 pounds all stashed in one corner of my truck bed my f-150 does feel a little heavy.

Mike

With that much salt, all the critters on that property are going to have high blood pressure!

BH63

I use the brown mineral blocks and just sit them on wood to keep them off of the dirt and slowing down the "melting".
Deer seem to lick the block some, but dig up the soil more.
We have had positive hits for CWD not that far away so I no longer do anything to get deer to congregate any more that natural levels.

Mineral salt blocks

Shelled corn

Peanut butter

Was put out in 8 locations. With trail cameras.

Will known activity level in 2 weeks and then its hunting time

Mike

Everything loves peanut butter and shelled corn. The damn coons and foxes are eating the corn faster than the deer can. The mineral blocks I put out, not so much....

I started a salt lick about 15 years ago in a low spot. It is now about 10' across and 2' deep and stays wet most of the time. I replenish it every year or two. Every deer I see from the stand visits the spot, paws the dirt and drink the water...

Back in the 50's a rancher friend had a
grazing permit in the forest. Dry Lake Park
is a dead volcano and gathered water for a
pond. Yet the soil was porous enough it leaked
out. He dumped a couple ton of salt around the wet area and it sealed up til it stills holds water.

There's good sized spring half mile up the hill from there. We planted 3/4" black tubing to feed more water to it.
damned squirrels liked the plastic quite well.
Almost impossible to keep it repaired.

THEN about '67, Uncle Sam's a/holes decided the whole area right up to his fence line would make a dandy Wilderness Area. He sold out and moved elsewhere just in time.

First thing that happened: FS came in and blasted his 1920's headgate out so he couldn't
irrigate the upper field. That also put a stop to him driving up to the trees for firewood.

Check it out: Mineral Creek Wilderness Area CO

George

I have had much better luck using Selenium Blocks!!!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Everything loves peanut butter and shelled corn. The damn coons and foxes are eating the corn faster than the deer can. The mineral blocks I put out, not so much....

Yup. Same at my place. I am less than 10 miles from the Gulf. They could care less about the salt and minerals as well. I am convinced the proximity to the Gulf is the issue.

I like to put them on top of an old stump----holds the salt well and the deer really wreck the stump after awhile.

Hip

If its legal and its not in many states, pour about 5 sacks of salt in a clearing in a 10 foot circle, at some point it will rain and the salt leaches into the ground and it will be a salt lick for many years to come, especially good or Mule Deer and elk..

8 point whitetail in velvet shot by my hunting buddy licking the salt block I put down.

Feel validated and happy.

Thanks for all the info.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by 257 Rock:
I put mine up a little so the coyotes can't pee on them. might help keep them clean. I had pictures of coyotes marking them.

Damn...hadn't thought of that

Just saw something I never saw before.

Blocks of salt hung on fences about 5 feet up for cows in the Swiss Alps!

Makes it easier for them to get their daily intake of salt rather than licking the salt block on the ground.

Most of the year the ground is coveted in snow!

May be that is why they do it this way!