sawdust piles
12-01-2004, 12:14 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Waldoboro Me. USA
Posts: 196
sawdust piles
Several of the spots I hunt have old sawdust piles. These piles always have lots of deer tracks on them. Does any one know what attracts the deer to the piles. I have a theory that as the piles decompose they become a mineral lick. Has anyone heard anything about this?
12-01-2004, 12:27 PM
#2
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: williamstown vt
Posts: 699
RE: sawdust piles
unfortunatly i'm not much help to your ?, but ive noticed same thing out bk of my house where i've cut down many trees, they have pretty much beat the snot out of it-over tha last couple of years. not as much of a pile anymore. be interested to see what others have say. srry no help.
12-01-2004, 03:48 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,846
RE: sawdust piles
Being you're from Maine, which i understand gets very cold, i think cardeer's point is valid. One other thing i think could be a reason is the smell. they could be attracted to the smell of that stuff. a pile of sawdust will eventually blow away in the wind and erode, so i dont think deer are directly responsible for this. i think maybe they like the smell of it, as some bucks have been known to rub on cedar trees because of the cedar smell.
slayer
slayer
12-01-2004, 09:30 PM
#6
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seagrove N.C. USA
Posts: 7,281
RE: sawdust piles
Several of the spots I hunt have old sawdust piles. These piles always have lots of deer tracks on them. Does any one know what attracts the deer to the piles. I have a theory that as the piles decompose they become a mineral lick. Has anyone heard anything about this?
The sawdust has a small amount of salt in it and the deer smell it.
That is what I was told by my uncle and old timers.
And maybe other minerals since the tree roots draw it up out of the soil.
And when it is cut up it releases it.
thats my 2 cents
12-02-2004, 08:59 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Waldoboro Me. USA
Posts: 196
RE: sawdust piles
I guess you really can't call them piles anymore. The area was logged probably 70 yyears ago. the 'piles" are the same level as thhe ground. They are also way past the heat generation stage. All that is left is a fine powder that no plants grow in. This makes me suspect high salt or acidity. Thanks for the thoughts so far