Parsing tracks in the snow: a little help, please

This afternoon -- last afternoon -- I took my usual walk in the back woods (about 50 acres).

Everyday, I see deer tracks out there. Many of them. I live on the edge of a town,
where they are protected during season. (No firing within X feet of houses, etc.)

Every 3rd or 4th day, I see the deer leaving them.
In past weeks, I saw tracks that looked like they're dragging their toes as they walked.

But today, walking in a larger, older section, downhill from where I live, in older growth,
I saw something I've not seen before. No tracks -- not surprising since we got a dusting today --
except for patterns through the trees (north woods) that looked like X-country ski tracks,
but clearly were not. Dozens to hundreds of them. Snowmobiles on the trail, but not this many skiers.

So I assume these are deer tracks, but I've never seen anything like this.
It's like they're dragging their feet as they walk in mostly linear fashion.

Can any of you hunters from the north help me parse what I'm seeing?

Do deer drag their toes when they walk?

Context: mid-Maine, early February,
18" solid snow pack after repeated thaw/freeze, thaw/freeze..
I walk on top of it w/o snow shoes -- not even deer sink in now.

 

<laughter> And we're off to a fine start.

 

Huge nut sacks?

 

I've considered that they're just hungry, weak, and tired of winter.

I'd drag my toes or ... other appendages, too, if I had to live out there without bacon, beer, cheese and eggs.

 

Except some of them -- even most of them -- are does and young males.

 

I don't think so. The dusting today -- about an inch -- is on top of the thick base.
It erased a lot of what happened before today.

That's one cool (cold) aspect of snow: it totally changes the look of the landscape.
In spring, none of this will exist.

 

Now we're on track, so to speak.

I've thought of a similar hypothesis.

 

Me too. I was told years ago that they do that to conserve energy . No idea if it's true.

 

Of course it could be ridge gators, too.

 

<laughing .. more laughing ..>

 

When you think about it, it makes total sense.

Imagine having sleds on your toes in deep snow.
That toe/hoof is effectively a sled. It's smooth.
Drag it instead of lift it. Save energy.

Nature's wisdom often fascinates me.

 

OK, great start here. Time for bonus points.

First person to identify this knife stuck in the snow (for scale) wins a can of spam.

 

RB3. " Don't let your dingle dangle drag on the ground......"

 

Right! Mr. Anrkst wins a can of spam.

"Pick up your feet when you walk!", said the teacher.

 

dragging feet? oh lordy Stone, you need to visit MetroTown Mall in Burnaby BC and witness the fascinating peoples shuffling....(dragging feet )

every day they're shuffling...

 

Now we've got music tracks from the upper left coast.

It must be Friday night ...