Lots of Deer Poop

Have you ever wondered where deer sleep in the winter?  Well, I think I now know.  With all the snow in Northern Kettle Moraine last weekend and the limited number of visitors to Mauthe Lake State Park in the winter, it was easy to see. 

After taking a great hike on the Ice Age Trail from Mauthe Lake, the dogs and I diverted and took a walk around the Mauthe Lake campground which is closed in the winter to see what it looked like and to find peace and solitude.  It was so nice to know that the only footprints in the campground at that time of the year are from the wildlife and yourself. 

The wildlife take over the campground areas in the winter.  It's amazing to see all the trails in the snow from deer. rabbits, squirrels and who knows what else.  Makes you wonder what they do in the campground after you're asleep at night.  Thankfully for the wildlife the campground is mostly closed during the winter with only a handful of sites plowed out at the front of the park.  If the weather ever gets back to normal the dogs and I may just may have to do some winter camping to see if we can catch all this wildlife in action.

But back to all this deer poop. 

As we were walking the road back to the park entrance I diverted to the unplowed area that in the summer is the "dog" picnic area.  Letting the dogs run free they went directly to an area of trees next to where the parking lot usually is.  As I walked over there I saw all these patches of grass under the trees.  Knowing that I didn't see that anywhere else I went over to inspect. 

The snow in this area was fully packed down from all the deer traffic in the area.  Lots of deer footprints and when I looked at the ground lots and lots of deer poop.  The dogs and I had walked directly into an area where deer had made their home.  Pretty cool.  Not what you would expect to find. 

But better yet and probably really gross is the reason the dogs went directly to that area.  I guess in dog world, deer poop must be a delicacy.  Hopefully my dogs got their fill before I realized what they were doing and dragged them out of there.  Just Gross.