Winter Woods Walks #1- 1'st Snow, Clear Signs
I took a walk the other morning after we got a fresh snow. Nothing deep, just enough to show tracks and slow you down a bit. The kind of snow that makes the woods quiet and honest. No bow. No plan to hunt. Just boots on and time to burn. I parked where I normally would and walked a little farther than usual. Not because I meant to — just because I didn’t feel like turning around yet.
What the Snow Showed Me
Snow doesn’t lie. It shows you where deer actually move, not where you think they should.
I found:
Trails cutting across side hills I’ve walked past for years
Tracks skirting thick cover instead of diving into it
A crossing I never noticed because there’s no sign without snow
Most of it wasn’t dramatic. No monster tracks. Just consistent movement. That’s usually the stuff that matters.
Old Sign Hits Different in Winter
I walked past old rubs and scrapes I remembered from the season. Some lined up with what I saw while hunting. Some didn’t. A couple spots made me stop and think: Why didn’t I sit closer? Why did I commit to the obvious tree instead of this? Hard questions are easier to ask when there’s no tag in your pocket.
Slow Walking Teaches You More
I moved slower than normal. Partly because of the snow, partly because there was no rush. I paid more attention to:
Terrain changes
Where trails came together and split
How access really works once the leaves are down
Winter strips excuses away.
Final Thought
These walks don’t feel like much when you’re doing them. No adrenaline. No shot opportunity. Just cold air and quiet woods. But come fall, this is the stuff that makes spots feel familiar instead of rushed. One walk at a time. Winter’s good for that. And it helps to burn off some of that holiday food fat you gained from all the punkin pie and PBR you consumed… 😂
