Outdoor Truths
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:54 pm
This time of year deer are craving salt and other minerals. The bucks need this during the time when their antlers are growing and they will literally eat the dirt if it contains traces of these raw materials. I have also seen huge holes dug deep in the ground where the deer have pawed and scratched day after day in order to reach any remnants that may be left. But it all happens within a small window of time. In fact, while they may dig for one small morsel in the spring and summer, they won’t even smell a salt block in the late fall and winter seasons. It’s pretty remarkable how complete the reversal really is and it’s one reason why in many states putting out salt for deer during the season is not illegal. It really doesn’t do any good unless your season opens in August or early September. Kentucky is one of those seasons that do, so it is not unusual to see this scenario lived out as you sit in a tree stand. One time I remember watching a doe so intent to get a taste that she literally ignored anything or anybody that was near. Her head was so far down in a hole, I could have walked up on her and she would have never known it. But again, this window of time is short-lived. What occurs to me when I am reminded of this is how this short timeframe is not due to the lack of the mineral’s availability but to the deer’s lack of desire. The craving simply goes away. The desire that was once singularly focused has now been satisfied - at least for a time. Gary Miller
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