Moisture Sources During Dry Years

[The Silence]

I was out putting up some trail cams recently and noticed that there were areas in standing corn fields that were about 3-3.5 feet tall.
At first, I thought they we just in areas that corn hadn't grown very well in, but on closer inspection, it looks like the corn plants have
been being chewed on. The areas are located in areas close to where the deer bed.

In past years, I have never seen this behavior. The area I hunt has been very dry and hot this year, so I'm wondering if the deer have been
using the corn more than usual for a water source. There is a shallow river 4/10 of a mile away but it is not located near their primary bedding
areas which would also offer them nice shade and cooler temps during all the hot days we've been having.

Any thoughts about secondary moisture sources during hot and dry times?