# Salt Blocks for Deer??



## Old John (May 27, 2004)

I like to keep out Salt blocks for the deer because it keeps them around. I don't hunt them anymore and we are right adjacent to the State Forest. So, I get to watch them, some, all year round.

I have put out the plain white blocks and the brown mineral blocks you use for cattle. Should I be putting out the Goat mineral block? Or does it matter which one? The deer don't seem to mind either way.
I also put out the Deer block that is Apple flavored & has protein in it. But, they go through those in just a few days.
So.....Which is the better Salt Block for them.


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

The best for deer is to granulate or crush the salt. Then dig a nice hole and mix it into the dirtand put it back in the hole. Deer actually lick and eat the dirt as that is the way it is found in nature. I have several salt licks on my place, and sometimes its a year or so before they start using them but then they do, mostly at night.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Will the sulfur blocks help reduce the tick infestation on the deer?


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

I think Ray is correct,,,i set out blocks one year,,,the dear stayed away from them until the next year when the blocks were totally melted down....

then i started digging a little depression in the ground and pouring granulated stock (animal) stalt into. the deer go to it....now the depression is about 4 foot in dia. and one foot deep....

i have heard that minerals will help deer grow larger antlers, i don't know....i don't think suflur would have any effect on ticks...


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

The best mix for Deer is 

100# Stock Salt
50# Lose Mineral Salt
50# DiCal

Dig a Hole,pour mix in,cover with couple inches of dirt,pour some water over.Refresh every 6 months.

big rockpile


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I've read before to use mineral blocks during the summer. Supposedly helps to develope growing bones and antlers. Whether you bury it or just have it out there on top, doesn't really matter if your just helping the wildlife out. I always just left mine on top close to water. A spring or pond bank. After the block is gone they'll eat a big hole in the ground anyway and you can just throw another block in the hole.


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## volleypc (Jul 25, 2010)

The quality whitetail deer management books say to use a mineral block with a relative low salt content. I do not have the book in front of me now but I believe the suggest about 18% salt content. Salt makes deer drink more water than normal and flushes more of the minerals out of their system.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

volleypc said:


> The quality whitetail deer management books say to use a mineral block with a relative low salt content. I do not have the book in front of me now but I believe the suggest about 18% salt content. Salt makes deer drink more water than normal and flushes more of the minerals out of their system.


Just another example of humans screwing things up by trying to improve on millions of years of adaptation.
Feeding stations in northern Michigan created an explosion of TB in deer that spread to cattle. This lead to millions of tax dollars trying to solve the problem and a decade later, it remains a problem.

Baiting or feed stations with hay, grain, silage or minerals creates a site where deer can spread disease that natural browsing wouldn't. 

Since it isn't really a concern for the health of the deer, I'd suggest you just use plain white salt. Cheaper and the deer go after it more than the mineral blocks.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

haypoint said:


> Just another example of humans screwing things up by trying to improve on millions of years of adaptation.
> Feeding stations in northern Michigan created an explosion of TB in deer that spread to cattle. This lead to millions of tax dollars trying to solve the problem and a decade later, it remains a problem.
> 
> Baiting or feed stations with hay, grain, silage or minerals creates a site where deer can spread disease that natural browsing wouldn't.
> ...


think you have that backwards the cattle where the host. if I'm wrong please sight the natural infestation of the tb? 

seems to be prevalent in one part of the state we know as the TB area.

its called bovine for a reason,

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10319-99064--,00.html

if deer where the original carriers would we not see it state wide?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

It is believed that TB was brought to North America by early pioneers, from Europe. In Michigan, TB in cattle was wiped out many years ago. However, over most of the last century, an occasional deer was discovered to have TB. In northeast lower peninsula of Michigan, that happens to be an area of many Hunt Clubs, baiting became popular. A decade or so ago, deer were discovered to have TB. So, a check of the cattle was done and some herds had TB. After all the cattle in Michigan were tested, positive TB cattle destroyed, deer and cattle are still coming down with TB. They can clear the cattle out, but no way to control TB in wild deer populations.

So, if the cattle didn&#8217;t have it, deer are being found with it and a few new cattle herds are getting it and the herds with TB have lots of deer sharing the same feed sources, I say the deer are giving it to the cattle. But, if you want to go back 200 years, you are correct; the cattle gave it to the deer.

In an attempt (wow are we getting off track) to prevent more cattle from catching TB from infected deer snot and saliva, farmers are taking steps to limit interaction between deer and cattle. Tall fences help. Moving all your hay to the area next to the barns and putting out only a single day&#8217;s supply of grain or silage helps, too.

The point I was trying to make was that often, when we interfere with nature, we, unknowingly, do more harm than good. What you do with that information is up to each individual. 

In the past few years, TB has infected hundreds of deer in Michigan. Most discovered cases are in deer farms, where deer are raised for &#8220;Release and kill&#8221; Sport Businesses.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

you totally left out how supplemental feeding of deer and elk basically created Chronic Wasting Disease and then spread it.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Pops2 said:


> you totally left out how supplemental feeding of deer and elk basically created Chronic Wasting Disease and then spread it.


yup, ohhh my... kind of how the current bait ban was in placed?

I might go for that had the other states of shown a issue first??? or the rest of the state?
TB that is and we have yet to have awild case of cwd!

our problem is in the thumb, S.E. cornor??? again TB. cwd only in one county and in a commercial cervid herd and imported by the farmer?

yup deer must be spreading it...thats why its cervid TB rather then bovine tb?
and really only in one area of the state!
you know all the commercial importance of cervids over bovines.

I will now also point out the lack of cervids prior to conservation, you know the pro-market hunting years. 

again sight the natural out break, let me help there is not one.

Deer are herd animals, always have been and will be. if disease is there its there. bucks will be the point of spread. ever seen the behavior when they are rutting?
they all feed in the same areas pile or not, they leave a sent trail where ever they walk, scent=body secretion=infectious agent let alone any transfer of body fluid of licking and sniffing.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

||Downhome|| said:


> yup, ohhh my... kind of how the current bait ban was in placed?
> 
> I might go for that had the other states of shown a issue first??? or the rest of the state?
> TB that is and we have yet to have awild case of cwd!
> ...


Deer are not herd animals in the context of elephants or bison. Deer, in their natural state, are browsers. In their natural state, they do not eat, nose to nose, in piles of feed.
Do you see the connection to the recent development of a multi-million dollar deer feed/bait industry and the outbreak of a disease that is spread by nose to nose contact/saliva?

We are getting way off topic, but there was a low number of cervids prior to pro-market hunting years. Most of Michigan was covered with mature white pine and there wasnât much for deer to eat. After the decimation of our timber resources, lots of different species of wildlife flourished. Then, the market hunters had an effect in bringing down the total numbers, but still larger than pre-harvest days.

The hundreds of TB infected deer isnât a ânatural outbreakâ, it is induced by increasing/repeated mucus exposure from TB infected deer, by altering their natural feeding and movement habits.

The problem is not in the thumb, S.E.corner or the U.P. While there have been TB infected deer outside of that NE TB zone, most of the rest of the state hasnât had any major outbreak. Do you propose that we disreguard humanâs part in the current outbreak and simply bait deer until we do have an outbreak? That is as silly as âIâm only going to smoke until I get lung cancer, then Iâll work on getting rid of the cancer.â We know how TB is spread. We must stop activity known to increase the spread of TB. 

Bucks and does donât breed nose to nose. Google a picture if that helps.

TB bacterium is not found in the scent glands of deer.

Deer contract bovine TB. It isnât just cows. Just as humans contract chicken pox and German measles. It isnât just chickens and Germans. Bovine TB was discovered long before the Pilgrims landed. Originally, it was in Europe. :viking:

Cervids with TB is a concern because the deer are infecting cattle herds. :smack

Eradication of the entire deer population in a 21 county area (counties that have had TB infected deer) is nearly impossible. Allowing the deer population to revert to their natural eating habits is a method that seems to be working. The down side is that so called hunters will have to get off their bait pile and hunt. :Bawling:

CWD is yet another facet of our muddling with nature and even further off topic. Letâs save that one for another day.:duel:


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

haypoint said:


> Baiting or feed stations with hay, grain, silage or minerals creates a site where deer can spread disease that natural browsing wouldn't.


I wanted to ask a question about baiting when I started reading this thread. Is putting out salt considered baiting? I know that is illegal in this area. Is it legal to bait deer in other places? 
Farmers around here are very careful to not "bait" deer because they don't want fined. What they do is to put out food, lots of food, salt, and hay, in areas where they just keep one or two stock animals of some sort. And, well, if the deer happen upon the "stock's food", it just happens. That way they don't get fined for baiting deer.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Goin back to the org question Old John asked - my answer would be since the deer don't seem to mind which you put out (salt or mineral) I'd put out the cheapest; going to those speciallity blocks to me would be a waste of money.

May I also state that here in NY it is illegal to do this......... putting out salt licks/blocks for anything other than (normal) domesticated farm animals.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

Thanks for all the varied Replies........
Guess I'll just keep on doing, what I've been doing.
The deer don't seem to care, either way.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Goin back to the org question Old John asked - my answer would be since the deer don't seem to mind which you put out (salt or mineral) I'd put out the cheapest; going to those speciallity blocks to me would be a waste of money.

May I also state that here in NY it is illegal to do this......... putting out salt licks/blocks for anything other than (normal) domesticated farm animals.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

mekasmom said:


> I wanted to ask a question about baiting when I started reading this thread. Is putting out salt considered baiting? I know that is illegal in this area. Is it legal to bait deer in other places?
> Farmers around here are very careful to not "bait" deer because they don't want fined. What they do is to put out food, lots of food, salt, and hay, in areas where they just keep one or two stock animals of some sort. And, well, if the deer happen upon the "stock's food", it just happens. That way they don't get fined for baiting deer.


it is either expressly legal or simply not illegal. in most southern states is is legal. one of the problems w/bear hunting in NC is that baiting for deer is legla but not for bear and most of the small bears (50# is the minimum in NC) are taken by deer shooters shooting over their deer corn (which is why the NC bear hunters association asked the Wildlife Resources Commission to raise the minimum to 100#). bear doggers have been charged because of people baiting & feeding deer.


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