I find a lot of deer beds in the snow, and a bed is a bed is a bed, right? Or is it? You find big ones, small ones, clusters, singles... But is there more to the story? I always look for that little extra clue, whether it be a reclusive single, a family unit, deer bedding near certain types of feed... You know, the how and why of what's happening.

Last year, I noticed something:You'll walkthe hillsand find a couple dozen deer beds. All are pretty much the same, with one weird exception: Whydo some deer insist on kicking most ofthe snow out of the bed before lying down in it (exposing the bare dirt), while others are content to lie down right in the snowpack?

Is it a time thing? Is it a ground heat thing? Does it have anything to do with the underlying ground moisture (trying to keep a dry belly)? Could it be related to the way they each individually position their feet while bedding (lying down on all fours vs. laying more on their side/belly)?

Weird question, but my buddy and I were arguing about it last night while we were doing some work on his roof. He says it's totally random. I say there's probably a reason.