Today I am going to talk specifically about mineral supplementation for black-tailed deer in particular.
Many hunters across the black-tails range have or are supplying some sort of mineral/salt lick for deer during the spring and summer just to get pics of the deer they want to shoot during up coming season. But salt or mineral licks do a lot more than just getting deer in front of your camera.
1. Deer need salt!
First off I'd like to make it clear that all deer across practically the whole world need salt. It's a fact. You may already know that from other hunters and research you have done but you may be wondering why? Why do deer use salt licks? Is it because they are craving minerals? or do they just like the taste of salt?
These are probably the most asked questions about mineral licks that I can think people ask regarding mineral licks. First off I'll explain why deer use salt. Deer drink about 2-3 quarts of water a day depending on weather circumstances. During the early spring and throughout the summer months deer consume a lot of native browse which contains a very high percentage of water. Since native browse during the growing season tends to be high in potassium, deer end up with a sodium deficiency. Deer need to have equal amounts of potassium and sodium (in the form of salt) to help their bodies function correctly. This is why salt intake tends to decrease during the winter because deer aren't consuming as much potassium rich forage.
Salt also plays a very important role in helping the kidneys of a deer be able to get rid of excess water that they take in through their daily consumption of forage. During the spring and summer, a deer's diet consists of forage with a very high water content due to the annual pattern of spring green up. During spring green up plants are growing rapidly to expand their foliage. During this time the new growth is young, tender, nutrient rich, and bursting with a large percentage of water content. Because of this, deer are very attracted to this high protein content forage. As you might expect, deer eat about 4-7 pounds of food a day. During the growing season, especially here in the Pacific North West, that amount of food is pretty easy for a deer to come by due to the amount of rain we receive in this part of the country. With all this food deer are receiving a lot of water and most of the time more than they actually need since they are also most likely drinking from a creek or other near by water source. This is where salt comes into the game. Deer need the salt to help their kidneys be able to get rid of that excess water. This process is hard to understand even for me so won't write out exactly how the process works but just make sure to walk away with this in mind: deer across the world need salt, whether it's from a natural salt lick, from the forage they eat, or from a man made mineral lick deer need salt!
2. Location, location, location!
Now that I have made it clear that deer need salt PLEASE don't run to the store and buy a whole bunch of expensive deer mineral and expect an amazing response from black-tails. Since Black-tailed deer live along the West coast, the soil is already relatively rich in minerals and salt. But if their was too much salt plants would not be able to grow like they do here. You may be wondering now, "So there's already salt in the ground so why on earth would I need to give it to the deer?" Well first off let me say the black-tails that live along the coastline require less salt then inland deer. You can try to get black-tails to eat salt on the coast but the likely hood of them using it is slim. Mineral/Salt supplements really depend on the needs of minerals and salt for the deer in your area. Here in the western side of Washington state, there's little lack in the availability of minerals through the forage deer consume. But salt is one mineral that may be the only one deer require in your area. You see, deer can get some sodium from the food they eat but in order to get all that they require, they will likely do better if given access to a mineral supplement.
2. Timing
The time you put out your salt licks is important. As I have said above, deer need the most salt during the spring and summer months depending on how much water content is in the food they eat and how much is in the soil already. If you live more inland off the coast you will most likely have some success with a mineral site for black-tails but never expect as much action as you would see for white-tailed deer.
If your mineral licks get use year round then that's great! Just remember if deer are using salt licks that shows they need it.
3. Overall benefits of mineral
One last benefit of using a salt lick is the minerals that are typically present in any mixture. Minerals are vital to deer for antler mineralization and fawn development. I will do another post on the benefits of mineral supplements in my next post and go into deeper detail on how to establish a mineral site specifically for black-tailed deer.
Thank you for reading this post! I hope you have a great day,
-Jeremy
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