How kind of you to leave water and a salt block for the deer. It always amazes me as to what wildlife will survive on.
Years ago, I had a poster listing the native plants that deer would forage on. Of course, it stimulated a number of discussions. What I learned was deer will eat anything to a nubbin if it has been fertilized. They are simply after the nutrients, not necessarily the forage. A game biologist said if you have an invasive stand of something you wanted to eliminate like honeysuckle, just fertilize it well and they will eat it to the roots and kill it. That makes me wonder if he fertilized the ivy. Either way, good for you.
As a result, that is why they come to folks gardens, flowers, etc. for any nutrients.
In this area, many feed the deer year around by planting wildlife forage crops to keep them out of gardens and farms. It seems to benefit everyone.
