Deep snow makes it tough for the deer to move around. This is particularly true when the snow includes an icy crust that can scrape legs, and let the deer 'almost' stand on it but then drop away underneath them.
That can make life tiring, so this doe took the chance to snug down near Beaver cottage this morning after a snack of cedar twigs to rest up. Snow is very insulating, and with the deer's thick coats and hollow hairs, is suprisingly warm.
The deer, not stupid, will tend to follow established trails in order to make it easier to get around. Much as we do, following shovelled paths or beaten trails. Or ski trails. The deer love the ski trails, which make it simple for them to move around within our 20 km. network in the woods.This is one of the Deer Highways, coming down right across from our entrance to the Lodge. It's a good shot of it, showing clearly the well defined trail that makes scooting up that hill easy!
The deer are smart critters. They do learn quickly, and those ski trails will help them along well.
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