Now I think the big buck has returned with his herd.
(Then again maybe just big hoofed)
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Lots of disturbed areas from eating the acorns laying about.
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Maybe it's time to set up a few cameras again.
Got tired of looking at thousands of pictures of a raccoon. 🤣
More of the tracks followed can show foot dragging in the shallow snow and duff.
Chest width. And stepping into front tracks by rear feet , or not doing so.
Out of which more speculation can be made.
But following tracks enough to find a deer standing in them can be another!
Great stem density in your picture. With maple a great winter browse.
But acorns (and whites are a bonus vs reds but both great for deer) are as indicated the draw at the moment. While they last.
Deer tracks followed about one near knee deep snow day found deer entering an area of recent oak blowdowns and crawling around in them. Not to lay low or bed but to scavenge acorns on the downed tops.
All tracks had to drag in that much snow , vs a buck dragging without it.
But the wider track and not stepping in fronts kept me on one set of slots through those tops until finding antler imprints in the snow from working lower than limbs off the ground.
Your pictured tracks look interesting.
If a doe she's a biggin.
But the borealis strain are bigger than others too.
If I could see detail I'd look for more wear on inner toes up front than on outers.
Yours are trying to show that but might have melted a bit also.
Got those cameras up yet? You had an hour or so already!
