will a livestock (cattle) salt block be ok and work as a deer salt block?

is there any difference?

Yes, they work just fine!!  Used to use them every spring. Now, I mix up extra goodies with the salt....

1 part livestock rock salt
2 parts trace mineral salt
1 part Dicalcium phosphate

Cost is roughly $38 at the local coop or feed store. 4-50# bags total!

Mix your "parts" in a 5 gal bucket with a 3# coffee can right before application to prevent caking.  I turn the dirt over in a 3-4' dia circle, dump on mix, turn over again.  Noes the time to start or freshen mineral licks!!!

would you consider using something like this:

General Purpose Mineral Block

White Salt Block

Should work fine.  Be sure to check the legality in your state.
Edited for spelling.

I use something close, try this:
1 part livestock lime
1 parts trace mineral salt
1 part Dicalcium phosphate

I do 50lb bags of each.

you have enough salt in the trace mineral salt (red salt)

Why the lime?  
Me, I've put out Producer's Pride livestock block from Tractor Supply.  Has both of the types of calcium.  Thought about the bags but the blocks seem to tote a little easier.  I've put Deer Cane (I've used both liquid and powder in different spots) on the same spot I put the block.  Seems like the smell of the deer cane draws them but I prefer the big mineral block to really make the lickin hole.  I'm no expert though.  Only 1 of my 3 spots are noticeably hit by deer.  Very excited about the 1 because it's turning in to a hole and holding some water.  The other two spots are disappointing so far.
But I'm curious on the lime.

Feed grade lime is basically calcium, deer love it.  I believe deercane is primarily feedgrade lime.  Deer will maul baking soda too

My friends Dad put one out in a pretty secluded spot a few years ago. Only to find it completely gone
a week later. It was a 50 Lb cow lick. WTF he thought.  2 weeks later he saw a humongus black bear
waddle by and went to the lick which was moved about 50 yds away.  Who knew bears liked salt?

Sure it'll work . Illegal for huntin in some areas . Check your local listings .

We swithced to mineral licks

any of you guys use Gluten mixed with corn?  i was talking with a fellow hardcore hunter and he swears by adding Gluten to corn.  opinions?

I had this problem once. We put out these salt blocks that came with this weird concoction you put on top of it. You would set out the block, then dump this pack of powder on top of it, then pour this mollases mixture on top of that. The molasses mix and powder would react like vinigar and baking soda and form this foamy sticky candy coating on the block. The bears found it QUICK and the block ended up quite some distance from where I left it. The tracks around the area I originally left the block told the story. My buddy saw the bear from his stand a couple hundred yards from me and that confirmed it. Just a little guy, but he was putting on wait quick gobbling up our bait. Never did see any deer on that property that year.

That was actually the last time I ever bothered putting a salt lick out (about 7 years ago) until this season. I finally ponied up and bought a few trailcams this season and went ahead and set them up on a few mineral sites a couple weeks ago. We'll see how they work. I used a combination of regular salt blocks and mineral blocks from the local Feed & Seed. Sprinkled some treats around the area as well to get their attention.

I really wanted to use the Salt/Mineral/DiCal mix, just like mentioned above, but nobody around here carries the DiCal.So I just went with the blocks.

Adrock1

DiCal should be able to purchased at any Southern States or Tractor Supply, do you guys have em down there?

TS didn't have it. Not sure if there is an SS round here.

ive found here in the south, they are killing my mineral lick compared to the just plain salt lick....will just be sticking with that from here
on out

Trace mineral stock salt, plus a box of Arm and Hammer Washing soda.  This pic is from a few years ago, the lick is 8ft wide by 2 ft deep now.

I have tried just about all the "products" out there over the years, deer cane, black magic, come here deer, etc......



I agree that regular salt blocks work very well. I have also seen that deer in our area like the trophy rock, but the the real "winner" seems to be Lucky Buck. This stuff seems to really draw them in. Like the picture above, the deer have created a hole about 3 feet deep, and 5 feet around. There are different sites located around this one with some of the above products, but the Lucky Buck site is the most worked over. Now I do not follow their directions as it is a little costly. In fact I did not put any out last year or this year, and they are still hitting the site this year.



I did try another product a couple of years ago. The Apple Rage and the Acorn Rage. I did not have much luck with the Acorn Rage, (but that is probably due to the place I hunt is an oak forest), but the Apple Rage really drew them in, to the point that matriarch doe would stomp away any other deer that came near it. I ended up putting up another 2 in that view of trail cams. Got some great pics.



I believe, it is just a matter of having "something different" from what everyone else has out. Since the area I hunt is largely agricultural with thousands of acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa, wheat, etc..... The deer can be picky. Thankfully our wood tract is surrounded by all the above fields, and we have several small ponds in the wooded tract.

regular salt block and trace mineral blocks work fine.  Read your hunting proclamation, every state is different.