Winter Woods Walks – #2: Following Tracks, Not Assumptions
The Walk
I took another winter walk recently, this time with a little more snow than the last one. Enough to make tracks obvious, but not so much that everything blended together. I went in thinking I knew how deer were using this piece. I didn’t.
What the Tracks Said
The tracks told a different story than the map did. Instead of traveling the obvious routes, deer were:
Side-hilling below ridges
Skirting thick cover instead of cutting through it
Using subtle terrain changes I’ve walked past plenty of times
Some of the heaviest traffic wasn’t where I’d ever hung a stand. That one stung a little.
The Spots I Ignored
I found myself stopping at places thinking: Why didn’t I ever slow down here? Why was I always in a hurry to get past this? Nothing flashy. Just good, consistent movement. Winter has a way of pointing out blind spots.
What I Took Away
These walks keep reminding me that assumptions are dangerous. Especially on public land. Deer show you the truth if you’re willing to look — and willing to admit you were wrong.
Final Thought
Snow doesn’t care what your plan was. It just shows you what actually happened. Those are usually the best lessons. Also, don't eat the yellow snow. It's not lemon, trust me…😜
