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Post by binnylou on Jul 24, 2021 20:52:36 GMT -5
We have a stacked wall of limestone rock…it used to be the retaining wall, but the wall failed because of critters burrowing. So, when hubby removed the rocks, he stacked them as a wall and we like the visual.
A doe has been visiting the wall daily. She doesn’t mind if we watch her from the deck. All she does is stand and lick the wall. We saw some of this “wall licking” last winter, and more deer were involved. I’m guessing they are missing minerals in their diet and that limestone wall fill their need.
I bet somebody has the answer.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 24, 2021 22:07:13 GMT -5
guessing they are missing minerals in their diet and that limestone wall fill their need. Limestone is calcium carbonate CaCO3, so I am guessing they may need calcium. May also be that there are other minerals mixed with the limestone like salt, which many animals need. Found an article that describes the minerals deer need, especially for antler growth. Calcium and phosphorus, but also magnesium and sodium. Other minerals are needed in smaller amounts. www.deerassociation.com/minerals-for-whitetails/
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Post by Wheelgarden on Jul 25, 2021 16:31:17 GMT -5
There are many places here and elsewhere named Salt Lick, along streams and branches among limestone hills and mountains. All kinds of critters take advantage of them for the minerals. Many farmers put a block of salt and minerals for their livestock, too.
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Post by binnylou on Jul 25, 2021 16:42:40 GMT -5
Wheelgarden, we used to put out a mineral block, thinking that if they got what they needed from the lick, they might leave our trees alone. Then Tom brought up wasting disease. I’ve since read that the licks help spread the disease. Where the lick used to be is now a deep depression as they continue to eat the soil. I’d be glad to put out the mineral block again, but don’t want it to be detrimental to their health.
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Post by binnylou on Oct 4, 2021 23:47:14 GMT -5
Last item for yesterday’s yard chore included cleaning the birdbath and filling it. Got that done and headed back to the under deck area just in time to see a doe crossing the yard, headed for the birdbath. I might have been 30 feet away. She stopped…her nose was doing double time. I assume she could smell me, but she really wanted a drink. She almost got her nose wet when something startled her. There’s a pond on the far side of the back four, but I could hear Neighbor Dave’s grandkids doing what kids do when they visit the pond. I assume she came back to get her drink. By early afternoon today, it was only about 1/3 full. I flushed it out and topped it with fresh water. Keeping the critters happy.
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Post by binnylou on Nov 14, 2021 19:18:11 GMT -5
On another thread, breezy asked if we had deer. Tonight there was three on the yard…as daylight diminished, they seemed to pour out of the area where our walking path is. Ended up with eight total…three, possibly four bucks. There was aggression between the bucks, they would get chased away, circle around the path, come back and try again. The males are amorous, the females were interested. I spotted one of the does chewing on one of the windbreak trees. I stuck my head out the bedroom window and yelled at her. They are too comfortable.
Hubby fired the shotgun in to the air, just to startle them from the yard. I could hear them running across the corn ground and see silhouettes against the setting sun.
They’ll be back. Thank goodness for the electric fence around the veggie garden.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 19, 2022 21:38:07 GMT -5
Eight deer on the south yard at dusk…a mix of does and younguns. One of the does must have been tired because she laid down and looked like she was planning to spend the night….just keeping watch and “chewing her cud”.
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Post by emmsmommy on Feb 21, 2022 2:39:16 GMT -5
Two nights in the past week I've been awakened by a scraping on the siding. In both instances it was a buck pursuing the area against the house where they constantly mowed down my comfrey last year.
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Post by binnylou on Aug 28, 2022 18:02:16 GMT -5
. This is war!!! Somebody ate most of my three Casa Blanca lily stalks. Rabbit or deer…I’m putting my money on deer. I had fencing around the lilies until bloom was done. My mistake, I should have left the fencing in place.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Aug 29, 2022 14:52:15 GMT -5
binnylou, I can feel your frustration and can sympathize. It's that time of year here, too, the deer have been getting to the moringa and okra. The grapes are almost ripe, so I'm sure the turkeys and deer have eyes on them as well.
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Post by breezygardener on Aug 29, 2022 17:09:56 GMT -5
Rabbit or deer…I’m putting my money on deer. Yes - unfortunately, except for a few natives, the majority of lilies come under the heading of "Deer Candy". I'd love to grow them, but except for a few wild "Ditch Lilies" - which the deer also dine on - I don't bother. This year & last we've had a LOT less deer than ever before thanks to CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) hitting our County. While normally by this time of year we'd have large mixed family groups of does & their fawns frolicking around, last year & this we've only seen one doe with a single fawn, & one with twins. While I could live without their predation, I do miss them when they're not around at all.
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Post by binnylou on Nov 17, 2022 20:14:47 GMT -5
Eight deer on the yard late this afternoon…seven does and a buck. It’s that time…the does were romping around like a pack of puppies.
Turkeys came through this morning. Twenty birds, two of which found their way to the roof of the house. Gotta put a stop to that. They seem to think our house is a big tree.
No shortage of wildlife in our area.
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Post by Mumsey on Nov 18, 2022 5:24:31 GMT -5
Saw several groups of deer yesterday on my way to dentist appt in nearby town. I saw one group from a distance, pretty near the road, so slowed way down. Very windy and snowy, they just stood there watching traffic. No shortage of deer around here.
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Post by binnylou on Dec 21, 2022 18:30:02 GMT -5
Deer were on the yard yesterday, with one of them close to the house near the deck. He was small in size with no antlers. He was watching something near the south side of our house. He had spotted a feral cat that was snuggled up to the house, warming in the sun. The young deer took a step forward, stamped his foot, took another step and stamped his foot again. He did this a couple more times, but the cat wasn’t bothered. I’ve never heard of a deer challenging a feral cat.
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Post by binnylou on Dec 26, 2022 18:01:23 GMT -5
Ten deer on the yard this afternoon…mostly passing through to the timber. They’re probably looking for cover for the night.
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