I really don’t have an explanation for this.  On 8 May, as Turkey Season was coming to a close, I took a 50 lb sack of mixing salt and went out to the Campground Lick and  refreshed it.  This is a lick that I have had in the same spot since 2003.  Every year I dig a trench and pour in a bag of salt and then cover it up.  Every year, the deer start pounding it within hours of my departure.

There is always enough residual salt in the lick that the timing of my refresh is really unimportant. I accomplish this chore anywhere from March to June, and it never makes any difference.  The deer are always working the lick when I get there.  They hit it hard until mid-September and then activity tapers until it hits bottom long before the start of Rifle Season.   The deer truly relish this lick, and  I have seen them go as far as standing their ground and defending it if I get too close while I am hiking around.

This year was unique for some reason.  I put out salt mid-afternoon, the last thing before leaving for town.  The doe group I refer to as the Soggy Bottom Girls came up from their beds in the 8 O’Clock hour and sensed something was amiss.  They spent a good long while examining the lick and then took off.  They did not reappear until 6 days later.  I have no idea what spooked them.   So here is their first visit to the lick after the refresh.  See if you can make out what is going on

I recovered the SD card from the camera on 5/30.  There have been several visits, but it is all still rather hesitant.  In the meanwhile, a couple of nice bucks with their nubby antlers beginning to sprout have been coming up to the lick.  I replaced the SD card, and we’ll let it sit for a month or so.  We’ll just see what happens.

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