This is strange...

[TheMadCatter]

I was walking down to our pond to check out a Pelican that's been hurt and fish a little. I was walking down there and as I was about to the trail I mowed a while back on the property I notice a patch that hasn't been like this before and deer tracks all around. Why would deer do something like this? Lots of deer tracks around it, no dog prints around it. Are they eating something? My first thought was badgers but there's no holes around.

It wasn't like this 3 days ago. Basically it's a 10yardx10yard place where dirt has been kicked up.

Dug up a ton of these things

 

[mswaldo]

Rhubarb???

Almost looks like Rhubarb. Maybe they like the roots.

 

[HorseDoctor]

I dumped a bunch of compostedhorse manure on a spot that had been a salt lick so that I could ethically move a stand a little closer to it this fall and had a similar resesponce. Badgers digging grubs out of thecompost makes sence, but why all the deer tracks? I put up a trail cam. I'll let you know if I learn anything.

 

[sureshot]

Looks like rhubarb to me Beibs....

 

[Rich77]

If it is near water I have seen muskrats go crazy over wild rhubarb and sometimes deer are just attracted to freshly dug dirt. The deer very well could be eating it also.

 

[JNRBRONC]

That is NOT rhubarb, it is burdock.

As to the digging, I can only guess yotes digging for gophers or the gophers/mole tearing the area up on their own.

 

[TheMadCatter]

Hmmm, I have 3 cameras on the place I'll throw one on it and see what's going on.

 

[muddy]

Might have you some wild hogs.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Might have you some wild hogs.

Didn't think about that. High probability, I'd say for where he is located.

 

[bowhunt44]

Might have you some wild hogs.

Exactly what I was thinking. If you are not used to seeing hog tracks then you could mistake them for deer tracks. My first guess would be hogs. We have them all over the place here and they can cause a lot of damage and run the deer off.

 

[JOSHBRNDT]

Hogs is what I was thinking. I actually found a dead hog out in the middle of a timber on the last day of Turkey Season. It had about 1 inch tusks.

 

[bowtech150]

Maybe raccoons digging up bugs and the deer were just taking advantage of the exposed plants.

 

[Earnhardt]

Skunks looking for grubs, or cicada larva.

 

[muddy]

Ever check the camera TH?

 

[TheMadCatter]

Just about to right now.

 

[TheMadCatter]

Wasn't hogs, no idea...got a picture of a big buck pawing at the dirt then nothing else. My other cameras had over 400 pictures of deer though