Put a salt block out early spring and the Deer didn't touch it. Then the Fawns were born and the Doe is working it hard.

battue -

It's been my observation and understanding that animals need salt in HOT/dry WX to retain the moisture in their bodies.


Jerry

I've always put my mineral mixes out just after the rut. The timing of the use here can vary, but I keep it out until about Oct 1, then let it go, and top it off again in Jan. The soil soaks up quite a bit so its like making a mineral lick eventually.

My experience here in Arkansas is that they hit the salt in the spring when it starts greening up and use it heavy until the Acorns start to fall, and then use is slim to none. I put a mineral salt block and a sulfur salt block side by side, on the edge of the hole that they have made, and let them melt into the ground, which they eat and lick. I have been doing this for several years. miles

Perhaps for Yankee deer.


They hit the trace mineral salt HARD from late winter till early fall here

Only been out here since around late March and they didn't mess with it until July, the only time reference up till now that I have. I do know they work it in the fall and our December deer season.

I thought they would be on it when the Fawns were developing which is one of the reasons I put it out. They pretty much walk by it most every day or night.

I would bet they are using another source. miles

Are you using salt or trace mineral?

This is what I use, along with some blocks. It's reddish in color.

I've no use for 'straight' salt.

Trace mineral block. Until the fawns showed up a couple weeks ago it looked almost new, except for a little weather wear. Now this....

Most of those trace mineral blocks are just a glorified salt block. There's not enough mineral in them to really benefit the animal. Most likely they want the salt and are getting the minerals from a natural source.

I can believe that. Thing that makes me wonder is they didn't touch it or very little at best until after the Fawns started showing up. I also have seen one Doe on it hard recently, but I have watched off and on and the Fawns, although close by her side didn't mess with it.

One fawn is really up on it's game at an early age. It sees me on the porch and off it goes. The other looks up and goes back to eating grass.

It's biology. Talk to an OBGYN about what a nursing mother needs, and loses, and why they hit mineral and vitamin blocks hard after birth is pretty easy to understand.

The fawns, like infants, are basically little vampires. The mothers need to replenish not only the energy but the nutrients as well.

The little spotted buggers are all over here right now. It's great.

Pictures to he'p the hillbillies.

Pictures of how they eat the dirt, and my salt lick. miles

I have my recipe somewhere, mono or dicalcium phosphate, feed mix salt, and red mineral. Mixed together in a ratio and dumped on the ground.

If I stumble across it I'll post it.

IIRC its 50% mineral, 25 % phosphate and 25% salt.

You put that block in moist soil...and the deer will dig a six foot pit to get what dissolves in the soil. Learned that a long time ago. Maybe Southern deer are different.

Yep. Arkansas deer will do that.

I had Trace mineral blocks out for several years consecutively. Confederate deer don't use it much till the weather is warm to hot.

Jerry

I figure what is needed will vary from place to place. Here we have no natural rock for minerals to come from. Any rock found will have been carried here by someone. Natural gravel is found deep in the ground, around 50-70 feet, with clay on top. This is from drilling house wells and will vary from place to place, but deep enough that vegetation picks up little minerals from them. Again I figure that is why the big river bottom deer get bigger and have better antlers, minerals wash in from the mountains, and a lot settle out after floods. miles

I'd agree with ya. I've thot similar earlier in this thread from others' posts.

I had a M T block out w/in sight of a quad pod deer stand for several years. I only saw 1 deer mess w/it during season. After @4-5 yrs the hole the deer dug out was 6' across and deeper than the block was high (12").

I was spending a lot of time on that lease for a no. of yrs and the deer didn't disturb the salt/hole very much unless the WX was warm to hot.

It makes sense that different areas would have different soil content and that would affect how/when deer needed/used the salt-minerals.

Jerry

I have a friend that worked for the Arkansas Game and fish back in the late 1970's. He lived in their house on the Wrape plantation, that is a waterfowl rest area, and part of the Bayou Meto wildlife refuge. The house was built on a 15 foot high dirt mound of about 1/4 acre, with dirt hauled in from somewhere else, I think. Anyway the deer loved it, and would come at night, and eat it just like a salt lick. Lots of deer there as you could only bow hunt it for a limited time each year because of no access during the resting times for the waterfowl. miles

I helped ya out there a bit.


Jerry

Now the Fawns are on it and at least one Rabbit. The Rabbit was serious about it.

battue -

I have all sizes of deer tracks around my T M block. It is out in the wide open so they're only there at night.

I have a good rabbit population but haven't seen them on it. I see doves there frequently. My only livestock are 2 horses and they love it. They lick and bite chunks off.

Jerry

Jerry,

Saw the rabbit this AM from the second floor window before leaving for work. It was in the dirt and had its face down in it. Then it went up to the block and his face was up against it for the couple minutes I watched before leaving. At the time I thought it a little odd.

Always give it a look when I pass a window or door as it's only about 30yards away. The yard Rabbits are a constant worry for the new Dog Merlot. I mean he is constantly looking out the window for whatever may be in his yard. He will even stop halfway down the steps, so he can see out the front door glass for a narrow angle view. It's a howl.