# Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethical?



## bloodtrail

I have often heard from other hunters and even a wildlife officer once that attracting big game with salt licks and other attractants like stump licker is illegal in Utah. Out of curiosity, I just spent a few hours researching the proclamation, the wildlife administrative rules, and the State wildlife code and I can not find any rules or prohibitions on any form of attractants including feeders.

Does anyone know if salt licks and other attractants are legal in Utah and if not, can you provide any legal references? 

I don't think baiting with feeders are ethical and have not yet fully developed my option on salt licks and similar attractants. At this point, I am just wanting to know what the law actually says? I am also curious to hear what other hunters think of attractants?


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## klbzdad

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

I use both Salt and Stump Licker. They both work until bulls rub out and big muleys sniff them but avoid them is they've had a human encounter near either. That said, I don't hunt directly over any kind of "bait" because they come in on high alert so its best to ambush or watch them go to their bedding area. My two pennies....


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## Yahtahay

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

Definitely not illegal. I use trophy rock's exclusively and will not hunt without them ever again unless they become illegal. I notice they continue to come into the rocks even after human interaction klbzdad. Best thing is to put them in early and let them get accustomed to licking them daily and sit their entrance/exit routes and/or use a treestand near either or. I'd rather have a trophy rock than my trail cams but use both extensively now.


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## bloodtrail

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

Thanks for the comments. The owner of Trophy Rocks (Redmond Minerals) lives in my neighborhood so I like supporting local companies. They also sell this produce for sheep in a pea gravel (or a little smaller) sized. Does anyone know if the rocks are better than the gravel type?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*



> They both work until bulls rub out and big muleys sniff them but avoid them is they've had a human encounter near either.


Must depend on the individual deer. I watched a group of mule deer licking some salt blocks just off of a 4-wheeler trail last weekend. I came driving by and the deer startled and hopped up the hillside. I continued up to my destination, then turned around and came back down the trail. The same group of deer was back down licking those same blocks less than twenty minutes after I had scared them off the first time.


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## swbuckmaster

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

This was gone over 3 weeks ago on this forum. Baiting is legal for big game. Illegal for fowl.


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## klbzdad

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*



BirdDogger said:


> They both work until bulls rub out and big muleys sniff them but avoid them is they've had a human encounter near either.
> 
> 
> 
> Must depend on the individual deer. I watched a group of mule deer licking some salt blocks just off of a 4-wheeler trail last weekend. I came driving by and the deer startled and hopped up the hillside. I continued up to my destination, then turned around and came back down the trail. The same group of deer was back down licking those same blocks less than twenty minutes after I had scared them off the first time.
Click to expand...

With my 148 cameras (kidding).....its been my experience that younger animals will definitely return and so will some mature does. Its the mature and wise old bucks that will associate the mineral station with human interaction. For instance, one of the thickest, widest, and tallest bucks we see year after year will return to most of our camera locations except for those he has busted us going into and with the large cattle mineral boxes, he NEVER shows up there. But, it also depends on the encounter I suppose too. I've gotten close to deer in jeans and a flannel shirt. Just depends on what kind of threat they recognize you as.


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## Squigie

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

Part of the confusion may come from the fact that it USED to be illegal in Utah. When the change was made to allow natural attractants, the wording was to the effect of "...artificial attractants and baits may not be used..."
So, many people interpreted that as meaning "if it isn't natural to the area, it's artificial; and there's no baiting".

Now... there's nothing in the proclamations, regulations, or ethics guidelines. That's because it's perfectly legal.
(So long as you're not violating some other regulation about littering, dumping, using weed-contaminated feed, etc.)


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## bloodtrail

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

Thank you everyone for the responses. I guess that it just goes to show that it pays to research the actual laws and never trust the "common knowledge".

Should licks be placed near water or are they any good rules of thumb where they work best?


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## klbzdad

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

NOT BY WATER! Especially uphill or upstream of water! I find several blocks ABOVE water holes every year and while it might seem like a good idea for attracting wildlife, they are going to come to that water anyway (or at least most likely). Putting salt near or around water will serve only to contaminate that water source and it takes a long time for that mineral to leave the water source again. Most attractants will suggest you do not put it next to water. Instead, find a trail leading to a water source and place is a short distance off that trail. Quite often, I've watched big bulls come in to my salt licks that are well established and they will munch for a long time and suddenly find a freshly downed aspen tree and eat part of the bark. I'm guessing it helps with the moisture in it or something but its interesting to say the least. Please, don't put salt right on or near a water source. My opinion is all.....


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## STEVO

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

I know your going to think that im full of it, but the best elk bait I have found is mushed up avacado. Put it on the ground, on near by stumps etc and the elk seem to come running to it. Ive got many elk pics on my trail camera's in the past and thats all ive used.

I use to use the salt licks, but my camera's got thousands of pictures of beef cows, and only a few of elk. Seems like when there is a salt lick, the cows take over. Never had a picture of a cow on my camera when using an avacado, just elk!!!


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## WarYak

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

Who doesn't like a fresh batch of guacamole - throw down some Tostitos and get out of the way!


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## bloodtrail

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

Stevo -

I will try anything once.

How many avacodos do you use on a spot? I assume that it only works until they eat the avacodo?


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## elkfromabove

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*



bloodtrail said:


> Stevo -
> 
> I will try anything once.
> 
> How many avacodos do you use on a spot? I assume that it only works until they eat the avacodo?


Yet another use for zucchini?


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## Yahtahay

*Re: Salt licks, Stump Licker, other attractants- Legal? Ethi*

I'm gonna follow Stevo with my bag of Tostito's man! J/K Stevo!


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