Discovering a Deer Bed

Jennifer Schlick's post about white tailed deer on her blog "A Passion for Nature", intrigued me and encouraged me to get out and make my own deer discoveries this morning. With a fresh snowfall providing me with a roadmap, I was able to follow the tracks of my local white tailed deer family and essentially walk right into their bedroom. The picture above shows the area of brambles where I discovered the deer sleeping area. Just yards from my house, but worlds apart.
The picture above shows the entrance to the deer sleeping area. I had to stoop way over and brush up against many brambles and thorns to gain access.
The sleeping area was comprised of a clearing surrounded by brambles on four sides- a very protected spot! From what I could tell, there were two places within this clearing where deer had slept.
The picture above shows the deer bed itself, a slight depression in the snow with cover overhead comprised of bent branches growing close together. I felt a bit uncomfortable spending much time in what obviously was a great place for deer to sleep and worried that my scent would keep them away. I took a few shots and then quickly departed.

Had I not read Jennifer's post this morning, I may never have known to look for a deer bed. That is what I love most about blogging. Learning from others and letting that knowledge guide you into making new discoveries of your own.