Why Do Deer Like ROCKS?

[Needmorebrush82]

As I have really jumped into my property improvements this year I can't help but notice all of the deer trails that lead to rocks. Most of them are on higher ground which I get why they are going to higher ground for bedding, but why do they choose to walk up the hill on boulders? They could walk a million different ways and avoid the rock. Is this the goat tendency? Is this possibly something we should be paying attention to? Anyone else notice anything like this?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I'll hop in here....

I have a feeling what you are observing is not what is happening (observer bias). I would highly, highly doubt if the deer are walking on boulders?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Here, the deer pick their way through and around rocks. We have more rock ledges than round boulders, but either way I've never seen deer travel over rocks unless in an outright panic. A good natural funnel in some of the Pa. mountains is to find large rock ledges where a sloping, open pathway goes between ledges. Deer will pick their way up to higher bedding grounds and use those narrow openings between large ledges to avoid walking longer distances to higher ground. Think cattle chute, only nature-made.

 

[Red Picqua]

do their horns do a curly cue? Might be a sheep. :) Yea.. tons of rocks at my place from the farm fields, never seen one one top like a goat.