I've noticed that, too. :tu:
Yes, Catman, why do you dig such holes?
Actually, Scubacamper, it's the deer themselves that are making those holes. As they paw & lick the ground to get the salt, the holes form and get larger, deeper over time.
For the most part, salt is salt, and the deer don't seem to mind which "brand" you're giving them. I use a lot of red trace mineral salt, which I get at my local Farmers' Co-Op in a 50-lb bag, cheap.
However, I also use quite a few of Saltman's Trophy Rocks annually as well.
I do this mainly for two reasons:
1) The Trophy Rocks can be less noticeable to a passing human in certain locations.
There's simply "spots" I'd prefer the salt lick be less noticed. The deer will lick the rock, instead of the ground, except as rain washes that rock's salt into the ground, you may ultimately still end up with a big hole in the ground. But it typically takes longer to happen.
2) There are places I simply don't want an atv-swallowing hole to develop, but just happen to also be the most ideal "spots" for a salt lick.
To make your lick "spots" less noticeable to a passing human, simply use the Trophy Rocks, but try to never let them come in contact with the ground. Eventually, there will be salt washing off the rock to the ground, but you can minimize the deer making the hole by periodically replacing the rock.
My preference is to use a slightly elevated tree stump, so the deer are ultimately digging a hole inside or kinda under the side of that stump, which can greatly camouflage the hole. And someone walking by may not notice the Trophy Rock sitting inside the stump, as the stump sides will often camouflage the rock.
But once there is a large hole established, it just makes good economic sense to purchase 50-lb bags of red trace mineral salt.
