Salt?

[huntnnw]

I will clear a area and sometimes dig it up and mix it in the dirt

[jackmaster]

Most guys I know and myself buy loose salt..it will seep into the ground and deer and elk will lick the dirt for sometimes years depending on activity and soil

sent from my typewriter

or i just buy bags of water softner pellets, way cheap, way cheap.... i have a spot that i put out a couple bags of pellets and nothing grows in that spot and the elk and deer still go over and kick and lick the dirt, i think the reason the bucks dont visit you salt as much in the later months is because the antler growth is pretty much done, a good mineral deposit really helps with antler growth  atleast thats my beleif from what i have seen over the years 

[Bean Counter]

Hmmm..... It sounds like you guys are saying I should get out and nail trail cams up NOW, instead of waiting until July or August....

[vandeman17]

I will clear a area and sometimes dig it up and mix it in the dirt

Trace salt with selenium works the best for me and I prefer to mix it in with some dirt to make them work at it. I also like to find old rotting stumps or things like that and put some at the base of those in the dirt. I have went through 50 lb bags in under a month for elk. One of my spots, before it burned, the elk torn every blade of grass to pure dirt in probably a 30 foot by 30 foot area.

If you are in a more traveled area I would also consider mixing it in with the dirt to make it look as natural as possible. If you just let it lay on the ground, it is obvious to people who walk by and could make them look around for a camera. 

[baldopepper]

I just put out a regular block.  They use it very heavy right now, but right now I have 200-300 deer in the immediate area.  They still use it in July and August but there aren't nearly as many deer still around and they don't use it as often. We put it out simply because we like to see the deer come in (funny to watch, some come in at a dead run, slam on the brakes and start licking.  Others sneak in take a couple quick licks and are gone.)  I put the trail cam on it, but frankly it gets so many hits it fills a 2G card in a week.  It's only about 60' from our back door. We have both mulies and whitetails but seems the mulies use it more often. Block seems to work better for us, they don't stomp and kick it around like they do the bagged stuff.

[jackelope]

Before



After

[jackmaster]

damn jackelope, they tore that up, i read in a huntn magazine, dont know which one, but the deer and elk and all other critters found a natural mineral deposit, it looked like a bomb crater they had eatn so much of the dirt, it was a cool picture, maybe it was even a thread on here, thats the problem when you get old, you cant remember where it is that you see stuff

[Bean Counter]

Is it bad (unhealthy) for elk and deer to eat this much dirt? 

[vandeman17]

Is it bad (unhealthy) for elk and deer to eat this much dirt? 

I wondered the same thing and they naturally eat dirt, lick rocks and such to get their minerals so it is no different then their natural diet, just easier for them to get to.

[jackelope]

That little rock looking thing just to the left of his right front foot in the picture is the salt pile. I assume it rained on it, which turned it into a rock. That salt rock thing was still there until the snow covered it. I haven't seen it since so not sure if it's there or gone.

[huntnnw]

My cams are always up by late April . By mid to late June you know which bucks are going to be shooters . Then it gives me the rest of the summer to scout the areas and figure out the bucks on my list. If your relying on salt to tell you what bucks are in your area in late July and August your going to be missing some . Using feed or even just apple scent on wicks will get almost every deer in the area to come and investigate.

[grundy53]

http://youtu.be/g_s2ATPyJ5c

Here is a couple blacktail bucks on one of my salt piles.

[grundy53]

another video of the same bucks a little more finished out horn wise...

http://youtu.be/mrSl5WCc3_w

[jackelope]

We killed 1 buck that was on my cameras and 2 bulls got killed and maybe a 3 rd. not positive on that one. I'm definitely not relying on them but more just doing it for fun.