Several years ago my wife and I ran across a very friendly elk cow. This cow had visited us at night while we were sleeping and then followed us quite a ways the next day. The reason this story is worthy of this thread has to do with what we learned later that day. This elk was "chewing her cud" but it wasn't cud that she was chewing - it was athletic socks. She would spit one up until it was hanging by its toe and then slurp it back down and chew it. She did this repeatedly. I thought she shouldn't be doing this so when I had an opportunity I startled her into dropping the sock which I then discarded. She then immediately spit another one up and began chewing on that one.

I have heard that animals like the salt on our clothes and maybe this is proof of this?