They swing off the tracks well before the thicket and circle the high ground, staying downwind and out of sight. This may give the hunter an opportunity to catch the deer off guard long enough for a shot. Tracks in snow can tell an astute observer plenty. For example, when an anal-retentive type like myself follows fresh deer tracks, a shift in wind can give me an indication of how far the deer are ahead. Here's how this works.
Deer walking into the wind often change direction when it shifts.
For instance, let's suppose a westerly breeze swings to the southwest. Deer heading west will turn to the southwest. If the distance between tracks on an individual deer remains the same, that indicates a consistent speed. That indicates the deer are 38 minutes ahead, unless they have bedded down. Each time the wind shifts, it can give a tracker information as to whether the deer are increasing or decreasing their lead.