hunting on a lick??

[okieshooter]

went to set my stand for youth season on a lick I found and had to wait for 5 does to leave before I could hang it. My have to scout this more with my bow before youth gets here. Anyway how late in the year have y'all had good fortune hunting over licks. This looks like it has cattle trails coming to it!!

[Empty Quiver]

My own observation as well as what I've read indicates that the later in the season the less important licks become.

[okieshooter]

I have heard also they eventually quit them I just don't know when. use as long as it is warm? quit first frost? quit when rut starts? Maybe they will quit it when arrows start flying at them next chance I get to sit in it . Anyone have an opinion on when or why they quit using licks?? Any luck on bucks in licks??

[Graybeard]

Waste of time. Hunt food or travel routes don't waste your time where it's highly unlikely a deer will be seen during legal shooting hours.

One of the very best hunting spots I had for many years was in easy sight of a very active lick. Never not once in ten plus years hunting there did a deer ever venture near that lick while I was on stand.

[blacknwhite]

If you are seeing deer at it...hunt it. My experience has been very similar to Greybeard's. I hunt in an area with a very high deer density and I rarely have a deer visit licks. Yet I always put them out just for any possible benefit that they may bring. Deer eat at my feeders every day and I would say I see a deer wonder over to the lick maybe 1-2 times a season at the very most. As for what time of year they are most utilized, I would think the less nutrition available naturally (late winter) would be the most useful time for a deer to use a lick.

[okieshooter]

run 5 out at 3:30 when I hung the stand and one the next evening around 5 when I went to hunt it. About 20 minutes before dark it sounded like someone trying to get my 4 wheeler out of my truck so I headed that way. When I got there I saw a bear about 50 yds behind my truck running up the road. Have to be careful I guess. Anyway I think they are used in hot weather and quit in the winter but licks are what I usually use for youth season as a good guaranteed shot at does but not many bucks in daylight.

[mattmillerrx]

Sounds like you have got a good plan.  Never messed with lick myself.  I am going to finally make out to bow hunt over the next three days.  Don't even care if I see anything at this point just looking to get away for awhile.

[Cecil]

I used to put in my own minerial licks and hunted over natural licks a lot only shot 1 deer over a lick in several years of trying. I still put in minerials at times but seldom hunt over them anymore. Good luck

[teddy12b]

I've never hunted over or near a lick/slat block/mineral block (I think those are all the same?).  I did buy one this year and tossed it out in a woods.  I put three pieces of firewood around it and poured stump licker on the wood.  Maybe it'll attract them and maybe it'll make them run away.  I don't know now, but I'll find out. 

[alsaqr]

Salt licks sometimes work well in areas where there are no cattle and, therefore, little salt for the deer.  Have killed several hogs and a few deer at salt licks on an huge place where there are no cattle.