# Mule deer and salt licks



## Elkaddict

I was woundering if salt licks actually attract mule deer and elk for that matter, or is it just a rumor?

I am thinking of putting some out on the property I hunt for deer and were I go elk hunting.. is it worth it or will I be wasting my time and money.. 

What do you think?


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## goofy elk

Oh yes,,,,,They work.


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## JuddCT

+1. They work well.


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## #1DEER 1-I

They work, but from my experience, the elk are the ones that really thrash them.


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## SLCMULEY

I agree they work. Are they legal in Utah?


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## TAK

#1DEER 1-I said:


> They work, but from my experience, the elk are the ones that really thrash them.


And that is the reason I tie mine to the Tree!


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## bigbuckhunter64

Its more difficult to get a good buck to come into them than elk but it does happen. I have had elk tear the tar out of everything around my sites.


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## Riverrat77

#1DEER 1-I said:


> They work, but from my experience, the elk are the ones that really thrash them.


Hmmmm perhaps an investment in some salt blocks is in order.... 8)


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## jht

Would this be any different than baiting?


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## MadHunter

I asked the "Trophy Rock" guys about theirs and asked if they were legal. His response was that YES they are legal and it is not baiting. He stated that since they were a naturally occurring mineral rock and it was not processed or modified in any way it was legal and not considered baiting. He told me that if I cook some formula up at home and set it out there then that is baiting and is not legal.

Maybe he was just pushing his product....maybe he was right. I would ask the DWR just to be sure. I see a lot of those trophy rocks on the path of trail cameras. I guess they do work.


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## Windage

I've found placement is key and the obvious location is not always the best. I've put them in areas where I thought they would do awesome only to get little activity. I've also put them in areas I didn't think would get hit very hard and have had them pounded.


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## Treehugnhuntr

Baiting is LEGAL in Utah for big game. You can put a pile of cheeseburgers next to a tree stand if it's to your liking. One caveat is that though it may be legal to bait them according to state statute, the various land agencies may see it differently. Before placing them on public land, you may want to contact BLM, state trust and Forest Service field offices.


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## GaryFish

On BLM or Forest Service lands, the most they would do is get you for littering. Ranchers put out salt licks for their stock all the time. No big deal.


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## elk22hunter

I have spoken with the Forest Circus and they said that if I cleaned up after I was finished, that they didn't have a problem with putting grains out. You just need to be sure that you are using pure grains and not weeded seeds.
I have seen deer that love grain and I have seen them that will not touch it and let it rot while they lick the salt block. 
It is however Illegal to bait Turkeys.


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## WasatchOutdoors

you know, the only thing that keeps me from trying out the salt lick for elk is the thought of packing a couple 25# blocks far enough in to be of use. 

I will say though, on our lot below monte cristo, I don't ever see elk (too low of elevation until winter) It's been great for attracting moose and a few of the local deer for the kids to see while we're camping.


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## Brookie

The Forest service watches our salt licks and if we don't remove them after the livestock are gone then we can get fined. I'm sure it would be the same for hunters and such, remove it once your done.


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## HJB

Treehugnhuntr said:


> You can put a pile of cheeseburgers next to a tree stand if it's to your liking.


Mmmmmm... Cheese burgers...

Where is it that you hunt again? :lol:


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## TAK

elk22hunter said:


> I have spoken with the Forest Circus and they said that if I cleaned up after I was finished, that they didn't have a problem with putting grains out. You just need to be sure that you are using pure grains and not weeded seeds.
> I have seen deer that love grain and I have seen them that will not touch it and let it rot while they lick the salt block.
> It is however Illegal to bait Turkeys.


I guess it is just who you ask... Be warry of this. I just talked to a couple of Forest Service people and both said they would fine there own mother for taking grains to the mountain!!! Unless it was Certified! They cited it is just like certified hay or alfalfa.


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## Mojo1

JuddCT said:


> +1. They work well.


that is until you get a ton of them in one small area, then your targets have just too many to choose from! :shock:

I know one area probally a few hundred arces on FS land that has over 25 that I have actualy found, who knows how many I haven't. :lol:

They also seem to work best during summer months, not as well during the fall.


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## sunshine12

they work very well. i never have to worry about cleaning up after the hunts cause my licks are usually gone by the time the hunts are over .hell i ve even had to put more salt out. ive actuall had elk and deer digging holes wear the salt use to be.


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## nickpan

sunshine12 said:


> they work very well. i never have to worry about cleaning up after the hunts cause my licks are usually gone by the time the hunts are over .hell i ve even had to put more salt out. ive actuall had elk and deer digging holes wear the salt use to be.


Everytime it rains the salt and other minerals in the rock go into the soil. I've seen deer and elk lick the dirt for a few years after a lick has been gone.


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## Nor-tah

So where do you guys get your licks? And for Mulies what ones seem to work best??


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## nickpan

salt is salt. IFA has em cheap for the horses. Like 5 bucks for a big chunk of salt/mineral lock. The sheep and cattle herders have em all over where we hunt and they get attention like you wouldn't believe. They aren't any differnt than a normal IFA salt block special


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## middlefork

honkerfool said:


> salt is salt. IFA has em cheap for the horses. Like 5 bucks for a big chunk of salt/mineral lock. The sheep and cattle herders have em all over where we hunt and they get attention like you wouldn't believe. They aren't any differnt than a normal IFA salt block special


+1 Straight salt seems to work better than the mineral IMHO.


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## adamsoa

I've used ice cream rock salt and they love it. They will eat all the dirt around to get any that might be left.


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## Riverrat77

Mojo1 said:


> I know one area probally a few hundred arces on FS land that has over 25 that I have actualy found, who knows how many I haven't. :lol:


Reading this thread... thats kinda what came to mind. Its left me wondering how many folks are just going to saturate hard hit areas with salt blocks and then just leave em. If you're going to use them, please be responsible with them... don't just leave em lay knowing you're supposed to get rid of them when you're done. I think the last thing we can afford is for us to get even more of a "slob" image because we don't do the work to clean up after ourselves, even with something as seemingly harmless as a salt block.


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## jahan

Since there are so many salt licks out there, my technique is to cover myself from head to toe in salt and go stand next to a tree. Then I let the elk and deer lick for a little while until I feel content then I shoot them. :shock: :mrgreen: :wink: Parts of this story may or may not of been fabricated. 8)


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## Riverrat77

jahan said:


> Since there are so many salt licks out there, my technique is to cover myself from head to toe in salt and go stand next to a tree. Then I let the elk and deer lick for a little while until I feel content then I shoot them. :shock: :mrgreen: :wink: Parts of this story may or may not of been fabricated. 8)


I knew you were a little odd.... but I don't need to hear about your mule deer fetishes. God, what a sicko. _/O O-|-O :O---: 8)


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## swbuckmaster

elk22hunter said:


> I have spoken with the Forest Circus and they said that if I cleaned up after I was finished, that they didn't have a problem with putting grains out. You just need to be sure that you are using pure grains and not weeded seeds.
> I have seen deer that love grain and I have seen them that will not touch it and let it rot while they lick the salt block.
> It is however Illegal to bait Turkeys.


elk your comment has me a bit concerned. would you go out in your pasture and dump a 50 lb bag of grain on the ground to your horses or bison?

I know if i did I would have dead pack goats!! I would assume deer are the same. they can tolerate a hand full or so of grain but if you give them more then that they will blote and die!!


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## Yahtahay

Go here for proof if they work or not...
http://utahwildlife.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9001

I've never had a salt lick last more than two weeks once its found.


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## Moostickles

I have found quite a few places like that, and have thousands of stealth-cam pics animals using salt blocks including deer, elk, coyotes, purcupines, bears, chipmunks, even a couger. Once a salt lick is established the animals will continue to return to that same spot for years.


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## ktowncamo

+1 for Trophy Rock

I ended up carting one rather large rock about 3000' and 5 miles to an area where we set up cameras last year. We smashed the rock so it'd break into 2 pieces which it easily did. Got some impressive results and like others more elk than deer despite the area being heavier populated by deer. 

I also have some sweet photos of a cow herd (a full SD card worth) that laid waste to a little meadow where I set up a salt rock and a camera. I felt horrible to see how much those cows decimated the area because of the salt rock I put there. **** cows. :evil:


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## Elkoholic8

So how do the animals find these blocks? Do they smell them or just have to stumble on to them? I guess maybe the different kinds of blocks give off an odor? 
For those of you who have put out blocks, how long does it take for them to be discovered? A few days, or weeks?


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## elkfromabove

Elkoholic8 said:


> So how do the animals find these blocks? Do they smell them or just have to stumble on to them? I guess maybe the different kinds of blocks give off an odor?
> For those of you who have put out blocks, how long does it take for them to be discovered? A few days, or weeks?


They find them right away if you dump some anise oil (licorice) on them! Apples and/or juice also work! And once they discover the salt, they continue to return even without the attractant smell. And they bring others with them.

Also, use the smaller blocks or break up the large blocks and use only smaller pieces so that they're gone by the end of the season.

The females tend to use them more than the males, but that could be because there are more females to begin with.

And baiting is legal for big game and furbearers, but illegal for upland game and waterfowl, so you can't shoot turkeys or grouse that come to your salt lick, even if your primary target is deer or elk or moose or bear.


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## Califbowmen

First off, what ever happened to hunting, finding your game , stalking and taking the shot. When I hunted Arizona, baiting was illegal and included placing a ground blind or treestand on a waterhole. If you have to hunt over bait to get an animal, why not just pay the money and hunt behind the tall fence on a game ranch.


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## Elkoholic8

Adapt and overcome! Maybe you don't hunt here in Utah on a regular basis, but almost everywhere you can hunt on a general season open access hunt there are tons of people out and about. If you can find some kind of food or water source where the animals like to visit, then that will be your best bet for success. Sometimes you just have to help your success rate any way you can. Hunting in Utah is not like you see on TV, where you can get out and hunt all day without seeing people (there are a few places but they are very few and far between), and hunt non wary animals.


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## hunter_orange13

how much do you guys put out at a time? the whole block?


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## elk22hunter

swbuckmaster said:


> elk22hunter said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have spoken with the Forest Circus and they said that if I cleaned up after I was finished, that they didn't have a problem with putting grains out. You just need to be sure that you are using pure grains and not weeded seeds.
> I have seen deer that love grain and I have seen them that will not touch it and let it rot while they lick the salt block.
> It is however Illegal to bait Turkeys.
> 
> 
> 
> elk your comment has me a bit concerned. would you go out in your pasture and dump a 50 lb bag of grain on the ground to your horses or bison?
> 
> I know if i did I would have dead pack goats!! I would assume deer are the same. they can tolerate a hand full or so of grain but if you give them more then that they will blote and die!!
Click to expand...

I can appreciate your concern and it made me think of an important point. I have had a horse DIE from too much grain. It was pig food that was processed and the reason that it died is because it ate so much "processed" grain that had been ground up into small powder and then formed into pellets. The horse ate it and then the grain absorbed the moisture from the horse and it split his gut. If I use a grain, it is only whole or rolled. If you spread it out a bunch, they can only nibble on it and can't get too much. I have seen though, deer take in 20 lbs of corn and have it have no effect on them. I know a guy that has fed deer all winter with corn and oats. They were eating 3-6 bags a day and they all kept coming back day after day with no ill effects.


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## Mojo1

Elkoholic8 said:


> So how do the animals find these blocks? Do they smell them or just have to stumble on to them? I guess maybe the different kinds of blocks give off an odor?
> For those of you who have put out blocks, how long does it take for them to be discovered? A few days, or weeks?


I usually put mine out next to a well used trail, or wallow. They will find it quickly.


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## Mojo1

UtahHuntingDirect said:


> Once a salt lick is established the animals will continue to return to that same spot for years.


My Grandpa made one back in the 60's and by the time I got into my teens (late 80's) the critters had licked out a hole about 10 feet around by 3 foot deep :shock: All he ever used was rock salt to refresh it.

I prefer using those brown mineral blocks or just get it in the loose granular sacks for my licks. I tried Deer Cocaine once, deer largely ignored it, but man it drew in hogs like you wouldn't believe.


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## swbuckmaster

elk22hunter said:


> swbuckmaster said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> elk22hunter said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have spoken with the Forest Circus and they said that if I cleaned up after I was finished, that they didn't have a problem with putting grains out. You just need to be sure that you are using pure grains and not weeded seeds.
> I have seen deer that love grain and I have seen them that will not touch it and let it rot while they lick the salt block.
> It is however Illegal to bait Turkeys.
> 
> 
> 
> elk your comment has me a bit concerned. would you go out in your pasture and dump a 50 lb bag of grain on the ground to your horses or bison?
> 
> I know if i did I would have dead pack goats!! I would assume deer are the same. they can tolerate a hand full or so of grain but if you give them more then that they will blote and die!!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I can appreciate your concern and it made me think of an important point. I have had a horse DIE from too much grain. It was pig food that was processed and the reason that it died is because it ate so much "processed" grain that had been ground up into small powder and then formed into pellets. The horse ate it and then the grain absorbed the moisture from the horse and it split his gut. If I use a grain, it is only whole or rolled. If you spread it out a bunch, they can only nibble on it and can't get too much. I have seen though, deer take in 20 lbs of corn and have it have no effect on them. I know a guy that has fed deer all winter with corn and oats. They were eating 3-6 bags a day and they all kept coming back day after day with no ill effects.
Click to expand...

about the corn: 
this happened this year with one of my goats. My dad feeds my goats on his property. He has never cared to learn what you can feed them or how you can feed them. He thinks goats will eat anything. So my goats are always over weight because he thinks a fat goat is a happy goat. Well a few months ago he got some kind of turkey feed. it looked like it was mostly cracked corn but is also had other crap in it. He let the goat eat a bunch of it out of a can. Well it was dead the next morning. So I don't know if the corn killed it or what ever grain was in it.

I realize and I know you realize if you spread it over the ground in the dirt a goat or a deer wont spend two much time trying to pick it up. Its two much work and they really prefer to browse with their head up unlike a sheep which prefers to browse with its head down.

there are a lot of guys out there that have no idea if they put a bucket/pile of that hot of feed out it can and does kill. They will also have no idea they did kill the game that was coming into their bait.

have a good one


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## Mojo1

:lol: If grain killed deer we wouldn't have any deer back in the grain belt (In case you haven't noticed, we are overran with deer) :shock:  

Only grain that I know of being bad for wildlife is the treated seed you buy, those chemicals can and will make them sick. We routinely feed corn, wheat, soybeans, and milo to the deer around our place with no ill effects. We usualy use motorized feeders instead of dumping it out on the ground, because it will mold and the animals will not eat it (I would think that molded grain would make them sick anyway.) Or we just let them eat it out of the field. 

Scott, I've heard the same story told about those processed pellets down in OK by the horse breeders. 

We used to have a pet deer when I was a kid, we feed it with a bottle when it was little, one day it got ahold of my Grandpa's coke bottle and sucked it down, it was dead within 2 days! Vet said the coke caused it kidneys to stop working! Something about the cabronatization in it. 

Just thought I would share that story, I was 9 years old and it devastated me when Scooter died, he followed me around just like my lab.


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## swbuckmaster

Mojo1 said:


> :lol: If grain killed deer we wouldn't have any deer back in the grain belt (In case you haven't noticed, we are overran with deer) :shock:





Mojo1 said:


> Mojo I don't think this is a laughing matter. feeding deer/goats and other live stock can be deadly if done incorrectly. educate yourself by reading this article on the matter.
> 
> 1 This condition which is also called ''acute carbohydrate
> engorgement'' or ''lactic acidosis'', is life threatening and must be
> handled as an emergency. Treatment must begin as soon as it is realized
> that the goat has eaten a more than normal amount (as little as half
> again as much) of grain or other sources of readily fermentable starch.
> The longer treatment is delayed, the more difficult it is to reverse
> the progressive chain of events that will end in death in 2 to 4 days.
> The underlying problem is the rapid fermentation of starch in the rumen
> with the resultant production of lactic acid. This acid is picked up by
> the blood stream in dangerously high amounts that disrupt the normal
> body chemistry.
> 
> 2 Clinical Signs
> The severity of the signs depends largely upon the amount eaten. In
> the first few hours, a full rumen, restlessness and crying in pain may
> be all that is seen. There are mild forms which do not progress beyond
> simple indigestion. However, in severe forms there may be evidence of
> extreme pain (crying and getting up and down) which will become
> intermittent and then be predominated by depression. They will often
> stagger and even appear blind. The appetite will disappear during the
> first day as will rumen contractions. The fecus may become soft.
> 
> 3 The temperature will become sub-normal unless the animal is exposed
> to hot sun. As the acidosis (lactic acid level in the blood and body
> fluids) increases, circulatory collapse (shock) will begin; this will
> increase the heart rate. In cattle, animals with a heart rate of less
> than 100 will much more likely respond to treatment than one with a
> heart rate of 120-140. It seems likely that a similar prognostic aid
> would be valid in goats. Respiratory rate becomes fast and breathing is
> shallow. Diarrhea usually develops and is profuse.
> 
> 4 The excess lactic acid in the rumen causes a large amount of body
> fluid to be transported into the rumen. This is a dehydration process
> which is detectable by an increase in the hematocrit (the percentage
> of red blood cells in whole blood). This decrease in the amount of
> fluid in the blood and the acidosis cause circulatory collapse. The
> shock is best detected clinically by a paling of the mucous membranes,
> a fast heart but barely perceptible pulse. As long as the hematocrit
> stays normal (30-40) the prognosis (outlook) is favorable. A
> hematocrit above 45aids in the diagnosis of grain overload and
> indicates a less favorable prognosis.
> 
> 5 The rumen may feel full and doughy; if less grain was consumed, it
> may feel resilient because of increased fluid and gas. The rumen will
> have no contractions but one may hear a lot of gas rising through
> fluid.
> 
> 6 Usually after two days the animal will lie down and not voluntarily
> get up. They will be extremely depressed.
> 
> 7 Tissue Changes
> In animals dying within two days; the cornified rumenal epithelium
> is soft and easily removed; there is hemorrhage of the underlying
> surface. There may be abomasitis and enteritis. There is an odor
> suggestive of fermentation and, if the necropsy is conducted within an
> hour of death, the pH of rumen contents will be 4 to 5.


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## swbuckmaster

the last thing we need is a bunch of tards ditching their salt block and dumping piles of various grains out to attract game. :evil:


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## Califbowmen

Elkoholic8 said:


> Adapt and overcome! Maybe you don't hunt here in Utah on a regular basis, but almost everywhere you can hunt on a general season open access hunt there are tons of people out and about. If you can find some kind of food or water source where the animals like to visit, then that will be your best bet for success. Sometimes you just have to help your success rate any way you can. Hunting in Utah is not like you see on TV, where you can get out and hunt all day without seeing people (there are a few places but they are very few and far between), and hunt non wary animals.


This will be my 7th year coming to Utah to Deer and Elk hunt and so far I have 6 deer and 1 elk to my credit. I'm not telling anyone not to use bait and if that is the way to get your game so be it. I park my vehicle, put on a pack and head for the canyons and backcountry and hardly ever see anyone out walking and hunting. I do see those individuals who drive their trucks and ATV's along the closed trails and who won't go after an animal if it runs off very far, they simply drive on until they spot another. So I guess that I am hunting wary animals with some luck.


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## JuddCT

I am willing to be that the majority of the people on this forum that use ATV's use them correctly and don't make their own paths and such (I'm hoping this is the case and I don't use them). I see no problem with using atv/trail cameras/mineral licks as long as they are used in a manner that is conforming to current regulations. We all get out and hunt and we all will say we hunt harder, hike further, and get off the beaten path more than the next guy. It is too bad a select few go overboard when using these items as it gives a bad name to the guys who use them correctly.


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## Mojo1

> swbuckmaster said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mojo1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> :lol: If grain killed deer we wouldn't have any deer back in the grain belt (In case you haven't noticed, we are overran with deer) :shock:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mojo1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Mojo I don't think this is a laughing matter. feeding deer/goats and other live stock can be deadly if done incorrectly. educate yourself by reading this article on the matter.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

:roll: The only laughing matter around this joint is how everyone seems to want to bash whatever they perceive as being bad.

Since I have co-owned livestock with my father-in-law for around 13 years now and regularly feed grain with no problems, or as I mentioned how the deer eat vast amounts of grain back home, again with no ill effects. I don't think I need to take an article as the gospel truth when I don't even know who wrote it or even what motivations may have influenced the content of said article.

I learned to take a deeper look into an authors meaning and motivations that may have influenced their article in college.


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## Mojo1

swbuckmaster said:


> the last thing we need is a bunch of tards ditching their salt block and dumping piles of various grains out to attract game. :evil:


Too Late, they are already doing it.


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