RE: Late season hunting
GMMAT- You are half right- Deer burn a lot of energy staying warm but they do not stay warm by moving and feeding like you would think. I've stated this in several posts about cold weather hunting; deer move less because this conserves energy. They stay bedded more, move less and not as far. This keeps their metabolism down, burns less energy and they don't use up the stored nutrients in their fat reserves. Think about it, the more they move and feed the more energy they will burn, and they need all they can get right now.
Which brings me to where you are right. Like I said, they do not want to nor will they move very far to get to food sources. So deer are going to be closer to these food sources and setting up closer to the bedding area will prove to be successful.
Remember, deer move less when it is cold, however, they will move earlier in the day. Actually mid-winter warm ups spark deer movement just as early season cold snaps do. Does become more playful, bucks actually rejoin summer bachelor groups, let their guard down a bit, spar with other bucks and just appear to be more relaxed. When the cold weather returns, they return to their dormant behavior.