Deer mineral lick blocks

[ca11um]

Afternoon all,

Anyone use or put out mineral lick blocks for roe deer? Have you had much success with them? Do you find the deer use them? I got give a couple from a lad who's wife bought them by mistake, she has horses. These are from bushwear 10kg aniseed mineral blocks. I've stuck them out where I usually see the roe hanging about.

Any advice or suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

[VSS]

I would put it on top of a post, personally. Deer like to lick what runs down the post, rather than the block itself.
Like this:


There's a metal spike hammered into the top of the post, and the salt lick sits over that.

Within a year or two the deer will have polished the wood clean by repeated licking.

 

[ca11um]

Ok thanks, I'll get that done and see how it goes

 

[VSS]

Same post, a couple of years later:

 

[AGR]

Remarkable!

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Find some small old/used pottery plant pots of a diameter say of 4 inches the ones that have a hole in the bottom only then a bit of thin rebar bashed into the top of a tree stump about 2ft 6inches tall, break the lick block up into bits and fill the pots that way you can cover more area. That's what we do all the time.

 

[JockStalk]

 

[VSS]

View attachment 349960

I don't think that's what you're thinking it is, but I'm going to have to go and have a look now, just to be sure!
Back in a few minutes.......

 

[VSS]

@JockStalk, no it's knot what you thought

 

[JockStalk]

@JockStalk, no it's knot what you thought

View attachment 349963

Haha! I should never have doubted

I had never heard of salt blocks being used on a post like that, thanks for sharing. You learn something every day!

 

[MountMeru]

As per VSS above...put the block on top of a post. Wood becomes saturated over the years and becomes a "natural* lick without the need to keep adding a new salt block.

 

[willowbank]

I would put it on top of a post, personally. Deer like to lick what runs down the post, rather than the block itself.
Like this:

View attachment 349948
There's a metal spike hammered into the top of the post, and the salt lick sits over that.

Within a year or two the deer will have polished the wood clean by repeated licking.

I’ve done the same with pink salt blocks but cut a downward spiral with the saw, occasionally I dribble liquid molasses over the block and that too runs down the spiral cuts. Cams show deer are attracted to it.

Willowbank

 

[tozzybum]

Done the same with the blocks on top of a fence post ,they love it.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

Another benefit of putting it on a spike on top of a post is that there is no loop of rope or wire for a buck or stag to get tangled in.

 

[davelloyd91]

Some stalkers i know the highlands use them for 1. In an attempt to keep the deer from the roads in winter licking the salt spread and causing RTA’s. And 2. Because it makes shed antlers easier to find

 

[zero]

We just leave the mineral blocks in the field after the cows have been moved out. Deer prefere the high magnesium and blocks with more salt in them. They aren't too keen on the Phosphorus blocks we sometimes use pre calving.