Using Salt licks and Attractants

[BradT]

I'm hunting a new area this year, my first time on private land. So my question is What kind of stuff to use to bring the deer to my stand. I put up a stand at what looks to be a good area. Now I just want to bring them in. I went to a sporting goods store and saw all the different licks, liquids, and the dog food looking stuff, that's suppose to provide minerals. just wondering what works for you guys? By the way, its an oak forest type area, and it hasn't been hunted in years.

[Bear55]

Forget all that junk, a waste of $$$ in my opinion. Find where the trails converge and hunt down wind of that area, also look for pinch points or topo features that the deer use for travel. Then just sit and be patient.

[B. Amish]

I agree. 99% of that stuff is made to attract hunters to the store to spend money.

Minerals and salts won't do much attracting this time of year anyways. And that's all that is legal in MN.

[UdeLakeTom]

If you have the time....read throught the deer, moose forum, the bow hunting forum....there is lots of information or misinformation on how and what to use....in most cases though it comes down to location, awareness and seeng the deer before it recognizes you. Cover-ups seem to be more important then attractants.

[Eskimoman]

The stuff doesnt work as well as it is supposed to and it can make the deer spookey. Ivf you are in a good spot you dont need anything.

[mrklean]

Like those guys said just save your money, they work good in the summer but in the fall focus on trails and food sources, i love to hunt fields right before a front moves in, its deer heaven

[Shack]

If you are going to gun hunt or late season bow hunt, I do not see any harm in putting down some minerals and salts now. I would not chance it, days before the opener or before you start to hunt. If you have an established trail, place it right off to the side of it in the area you are going to place the stand. Let it set up for at least 2-3 weeks or more. Place a trail cam and monitor how the effects are going in the spot. If it fails, by the time you go to hunt it, everything should be back to normal in the area.

The stuff only cost’s $6-8 dollars and a little area prep work.

I would concentrate on estrous, urine, placement of wicks and scrapes as an attractant if you plan to do something right before you go out hunting.

Good luck!

Good luck!

[mrklean]

Well said, on the wicks, right now the best thing you could do is use urines the next 3-4 weeks are the prime of the year

[fishinmajishin]

I have salt blocks out year round. I don't consider them a high-powered attractant and don't have them near my stands. I've just read that they are good to supplement a deer's diet.

All the other posts here are spot on.

[Tipup101]

I had four does working the trophy rock but I started them in may. If your hunting oaks find out if you have white oaks. If thats the case hunt around the ones with the most acorns on the ground. White oaks and swamp white oaks have the best acorns. They're not as bitter. That will be better than any mineral. Spend your money on fertilizing the white oaks to get more acorns next year.

[TrophyEyes]

Natural Forage is much better than minerals, and that expensive stuff. We have 340 acres of CRP so we have no food source or well defined trails so during the summer we have to use some apples and such to get trail cam pictures of the deer. We have now stopped as we are getting to close to gun opener.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't salt licks considered bait?

[Tipup101]

No there o.k.

[mrklean]

yea they are ok to use

[SORNO]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't salt licks considered bait?

There is a sketchy line in legality when it comes to salt licks. Fleet Farm sells salt licks that also have bits of apple and corn in them. Those would be considered illegal to use because of the food bits in them. The regular mineral and salt licks are legal. I asked my local game warden about this last year. Any type of block type material that has food part/bits in it would be considered illegal from what I was told.

[mrklean]

All of this stuff is sketchy if you ask me the rules i think are a little to open yea leaving corn piles and apples out during hunting is illegal but a lot of this stuff you can buy you dont really know sometimes.

[Wanderer]

I make a mineral lick on the trail my daughter's stand is set up on. I figure if they get to know it, they'll maybe concentrate on that spot a bit as they walk toward it. Then, maybe they'll stop to lick or sniff while conveniently standing in her shooting lane.

Maybe.

A spiker did it last year but she opted to let him grow up some. Maybe he'll be by this year and have enough points for her.

Maybe.

[paul pachowicz]

I don't know about all that stuff that is on the market now, fellas. For the past 30 years I've killed deer off my stand every year. I smoke, cough, blow my nose, spit, burp, expell gas, pee, drink coffee, take a nap (probably snore), crumple up candy wrappers & all of a sudden..."WHOOOOOP...there it is". One year a buddy and I killed 3 of em one morning off my stand 50 yards off the 1st one's gut pile. Maybe it's just the luck of the Polish.