What’s this guy doing?

[CP]

This small buck spent over 3 hours in this same spot digging a small hole and licking/eating what came out of it.  Including the dirt from what I can tell.  Why?  What is up to?

[BULLBLASTER]

He saw the camera and was searching for the salt in front of it. 

[Woodchuck]

Mineral deposit is my guess.
The spot where I had a salt lick some years back is now clean down to bedrock. 

[WapitiTalk1]

Wouldn't be surprised if a human whizzed there. 

[jackmaster]

a natural mineral deposit, unless you had pet something there before  there use to be a pic somewhere of a crater ate into the earth that deer elk and every other critter would come to and eat the dirt, it was a natural mineral deposit, maybe someone alot more skilled than i can find it

[james98520]

Mineral deposit. Have seen deer do the same thing in SE Alaska through the years. Interesting that's for sure.

[WSU]

I bet he found an especially delicious magic mushroom buried like a truffle.

[Watimberghost]

That's cool to see

[DOUBLELUNG]

Minerals - possibly high in phosphorus, bucks crave minerals during antler growth - you'll see them chewing on antlers and bones, eating mineral soil, scarfing down eggshells

[Shawn Ryan]

Wouldn't be surprised if a human whizzed there.

Photo below is from deer eating the dirt where I pee (at camp) during early archery elk season.  Pee in the same place each year. Some years they hit it harder than others. Some years I take extra vitamins during the season, some years I don't.