WTHELLO Are They Eating?

I think it's a combo platter for them. Worms will be not to far down, lots of grubs, and fugus.
It is loaded with all kinds of vitamins and minerals

I've made licks that the deer and elk have totally kissy ate the the red clay and uprooted juniper
 
So I have a mulching decomposition pile in backyard for leaves. Deer are tearing it apart! There were 6 deer on the pile tonite that is at most 40 yds behind house. Obviously there is something there they are wanting big time. Mostly oak leaves but some leaves from bradford pear trees.

So what do you think they are after?
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You mentioned pears...a little too late or early but maybe the smell of the leaves. They love pears and apples & whatever protein they can scavenge. They are great to watch in my small orchard over the years. Enjoy the view & so fun to watch.
 
So I have a mulching decomposition pile in backyard for leaves. Deer are tearing it apart! There were 6 deer on the pile tonite that is at most 40 yds behind house. Obviously there is something there they are wanting big time. Mostly oak leaves but some leaves from bradford pear trees.

So what do you think they are after?
View attachment 340036
They're after the worms that feed on the mulch. Super active jumpers, unrelated to earthworms. Great bait.

Unlike many earthworms that burrow in the soil, jumping worms feed on or near the surface of the ground, consuming large quantities of leaf litter and leaving only castings (earthworm feces) behind (Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7). They can also feed on mulch. Because of this behavior, jumping worms can disrupt natural ecosystems and home landscapes (see Impacts and Management, below, for more information)

The most common species of jumping worms in North Carolina are parthenogenetic, meaning they reproduce without mating. This may be why they can attain high densities in an area. Jumping worms are considered annual species, only having a single generation per year. They produce dozens of small, round structures (referred to as cocoons) containing eggs in the fall, which overwinter as the adults die out (Chang et al. 2021). These cocoons are dark brown and about 3 mm in diameter, about the size of a mustard seed. The cocoons / eggs hatch in the spring and the worms grow throughout the year. Thus, adults and their activity may not be seen until later in the year.
 
As someone who's studied and worked with Ruminant nutrition for decades, I'd guess compost is a good mineral source. Microbes digest the leaves, mostly fibrous, low digestability carbohydrates and make the minerals more digestable and concentrated. Same with vitamins, protein. The carbohydrate would be more digestable too.
The microbes themselves might be the most nutritious part of the meal.
 
I run Reveals in backyard and the antics I capture are eye opening. I have been deer hunting for at least 55 years and still get a laugh at what I get on camera. I've had them up in landscape a foot from window munching on wife's plants. That went well. Use bird bath as water hole. Up on patio checking out patio swing! I have 100 yd range in yard snd have to be really aware they will and can step into range. They can do things that just makes you scratch your head. I hope to get out to look over the leaf pile but been down with creeping crud for past few days. Just crud not Chinese flu. Tested several times cause wife is severely compromised so no screwing around in making sure.
 
Pretty sure it's not the worms. Deer are herbivores.

I know they eat oak twigs and seedlings, which makes it really difficult to regenerate oak in areas of elevated deer populations. If the oak leaves were green, they might be eating those.
 
So few minutes ago they were in front yard. Should I be afraid? 😂 I feel like they are tightening the noose around the house!

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