Hoof Prints

"When out in the yard there arose such a clatter...." Alas, I didn't actually hear any noise at all. I put out an apple a night for the deer, there are a lot of deer that wander through the neighbourhood and while we are not supposed to feed the wild animals, they have been coming to our yard for almost 25 years now and eating my shrubs and flowers, thus I don't think that an apple a day will hurt them (as a matter of fact, you know what they say about "an apple a day") Anyhow, I never see them eating the apple, and I have always wondered if just one solitary deer walks by and takes it, or if it is indeed the doe and her babies that we often see. Anyhow, this morning, after the fresh snow fall last night, I looked outside and saw all the hoof prints...obviously it's more than one deer! I wonder if they all come at once and race for the apple, or if one deer came by first and then others check it out during the night? There is a whole community of deer living their lives in front yard when I sleep!