Stella Decides It's Warm Enough To Walk

 I did not notice until I downloaded this picture of the field, all of the deer tracks in the corn field. Not a surprise but I am glad all of them were not out running around during the times the hounds and I were outside. Not only did I see a lot of deer tracks in this field across the highway there were many more in the field we walked through for the first time in a week.

We know the temps were going to get back to being bearable but even at 9:15am Stella decided it was still too cold. After we came inside I went back to looking at houses in a town I am keeping private for personal reasons. I can get more into that later on but it might be months from now.

With a demand for lunch much earlier than normal we were able to get back outside with hopes of doing the half mile walk without any shortcuts or interruptions, deer chases or Stella running off. It had warmed up considerably and with the bright sunshine the chances looked good.

Stella took the lead today but both hounds were everywhere chasing new scents their noses were picking up. I could see a lot of new tracks in the snow that were not from our previous walks. The field looked like it had been quit busy with deer, birds, and possible field cats.

Sadie decide something in the wooded area was too good to pass up. I had to change my tone of voice to get her to move and walk back out into the field.

Here are the first sign of deer tracks that going from the woods behind the neighbors house, across the field into the wooded gully where Sadie just stood.

Any ideas? It looks like deer tracks where they were walking so slow they were dragging their feet. Or is it something else?

Stella was feeling warm enough today to move in and out of the wooded area sometimes on her own and other times where I had to do some verbal herding.

Some more of those tracks where the deer were using snow shoes to get across the field. None of those tracks you see are from the hounds.

Near the back of the field we decided to take the "ATV path" ... more deer tracks that had crossed that path. It was a nice day to take a walk ... not too cold, very little wind and snow 5"- 6" deep.

Stella checked to see if Sadie and I were going to follow her lead or were we going off on our own?

I took this picture basically for reference when I take the same photo when it's 80°.

She wasn't cold but you can see she was walking slow enough that she was dragging her feet, barely getting them out of the snow.

Will the deer wonder what these 'new' tracks are when they come out later tonight?

I couldn't tell exactly what these prints were but I am assuming birds were finding some sort of food around the dormant hay.

This was another deer path across the field but closer to the house. Looking in opposite directions.

Here they split as they approached the yard. Those on the left facing the photo, walked by the edge of the yard along the brush and trees on the north side of the house then down across the highway into the corn field.

The single path on the right led to someplace interesting.....

That single deer had walked past the property pole, turning left toward the trees and was stopped by the fence. I saw no signs where it had walked down the bank around my house but I didn't see any signs of it turning around and going back out into the field.

Sadie wanted to make sure it was deer tracks I was seeing.

Maybe I am confused in my old age and those tracks are going back into the field instead of coming into the yard. It is the only way to explain where the deer went after they stopped at the old 75 year old fence.

Stella was warm enough today that she didn't want to come back inside. She eventually did but she was already training me to get back on bloodhound time in preparation for our future daily walks.

The undisturbed drifting snow was about to be walked on and walked through, shattering the smooth surface.

I'll wait for it to get a little warm today, then I will go out and shovel as much of this snow off the driveway to speed up the melting process before this weekend's rain washes it away.

We are all happy the temps are going to increase here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.