Hunting Natural Mineral Licks?

[Buckmeister]

Was out on the snowmobile today cruising an area where I hunt Mulies and it is also a place they winter at. Didn't find any sheds but I now know where to look when the snow is gone.
I came around a corner and saw that about 4 or 5 game trails converged on an exposed, steep bank of dirt. My buddy with me observed that the deer and moose had been pausing there to eat some dirt. A natural mineral lick we guessed. A neat find to say the least.

A few questions.
The bank is obviously moist right now, but I recall that same bank being all dry last fall. Do deer frequent licks all year round? Do they lick at only moist ground? Or do they lick dry as well? Would it be a good idea to set up a stand or blind nearby during the open season?
Just curious.

[bridger]

they normally use the licks year around. set your stand up along one of the man trails back aways from the lick so you dont leave a lot of scent in and around the lick

[Dirty]

Goat and Sheep will use mineral licks too. We watched around 11 goats come every night to the same lick on a rock face.

[bowhunterbruce]

Goat and Sheep will use mineral licks too. We watched around 11 goats come every night to the same lick on a rock face.
its my understanding that most mineral licks are sodium or salt based and as we know most animals we hunt need water .some retain the water by useing the minerals to help hold water in thier systems as we humans do.
critters like sheep,goats,tend to eat plants that typically do not have alot of moisture in them so the retainment of every drop of moisture that is accuired from planets would be held within thier system much easier.
moose ,deer,caribou tend to always be around water and thier food sorces have a much higher water content so thier need for minerals is much less as they are getting thier water from thier food.
during the winter months valley type animals will travel along the road of least resistance and minerals like salt are sometimes exposed when roads are built as well as salt trucks depositing thier loads,and the way salt and minerals retain water within the system is natures way of helping us all out so we dont shrival away to dust.
i believe that this is one of the main reasons we all tend to see alot of animals on the side of the roads in the early spring because anyplace there are certian minerals will not only aid in moveing the snow away exposeing the grass's and clover first and those plants are higher in mineral content.
water is held within the bodys fat and muscle move slower through the system then water that is drank hence why in the early spring you see alot of bears trying to put thier weight back on by eating those same plants.
anyways this is my theory thats its all about the water.

[Charger440]

Buckmeister,
Would it be possible to set up a trail cam or 2 close to this lick?
Some recon photo's of the animals using the lick in summer might be very rewarding and could be a good project. Perhaps, it could provide incentive for a well hidden blind at this site too.
Good luck and nice find.

[wolverine]

Go in there this Spring and build a stand and haunt the hell out of it during the hunting season. You, my friend, have discovered a "honey hole". Just don't tell anyone where it is because you won't have it for long.

[Piperdown]

Hey Buckmiester, where was that lick again :biggrin:

[kyleklassen]

[quote=Buckmeister;431266 Do deer frequent licks all year round? Do they lick at only moist ground? Or do they lick dry as well?.[/quote] hmmmm.... i wonder if deer are like the average human male?

[hunter1947]

I found a natural lick in this area I hunt in the EK.

I do know that they do lick the natural lick in July ,Aug ,Sept ,Oct ,Nov not sure of the winter time.

[jml11]

Depending on the type of lick, the animals may use it all year long or just for a season. A typical bank lick or mud hole lick, used by moose let's say, is primarily used in the spring, and if exposed in the winter. It is thought that this is due the lack of forage vegetation. They will use it less once the forage and browse vegetation flushes.

I have observed sheep and goats utilizing licks through most of the summer. On a sheep project, we even had a group come into our camp to lick the horse salt blocks. Serioulsy had 15-20 Stone's within 15 feet and some as close 3-4 feet, it was a neat experience.

There is a good paper in press (maybe out now?) that arose from some work in the MK.

Ayotte, J.B., K.L. Parker, and M.P. Gillingham. Use of natural licks by four ungulate species in north-central British Columbia. In press. Journal of Mammalogy.

Or you can read his thesis...if you have a lot of time....it is in PDF on Kathy Parker's website (UNBC).

Ayotte, J. B. 2004. Ecological importance of licks to four ungulate species in north-central British Columbia. MSc. Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (Biology), University of Northern British Columbia, 120 pp.

[jrjonesy]

We've witnessed animals using dry licks year round. They definitely don't seem to get hit nearly as much as wet licks though....seemingly every week to 2 weeks as opposed to wet licks that seem to get much more action due to the added draw of the water. Obviously depends on the species using the lick too.
Never a bad idea to hunt them. We also found that the animals come in in an extremely wary state...
Like is so common, our trail cam pictures have show most daytime activity by cows and does with buck and bull activity being at night or early morning.

[Shed Hunter]

HHMMM. Good be a spring close to the surfs, melted snow, with all the snow we had, it x supposed the feed. Did you taste the it or smelt it. was there mos there. I think you should show me, And get sum advice on the find. HHmmm

[Buckmeister]

HHMMM. Good be a spring close to the surfs, melted snow, with all the snow we had, it x supposed the feed. Did you taste the it or smelt it. was there mos there. I think you should show me, And get sum advice on the find. HHmmm

Did'nt see any moss. Could be possible surface spring though as it had that kind of apperance, will have to check back during the dryer months. No tastee, no like eating dirt, not sure what mineral lick supposed to taste/smeel like anyways. I could take a picture and show you:smile:. When we go shed hunting, if you let me keep all the big sheds, I might think about pointing you in the general direction of the lick:p.

[quadrakid]

just as a side note,mr grizz will frequent licks as well.i don,t know if its for the minerals or because of all the ungulate traffic.