About animals in winter

Deep and heavy snow is indeed difficult for many animals, as it hinders movement, foraging (especially for birds like partridges and pheasants, which sink and cannot reach seeds), and finding shelter. It also creates icy crusts (hardpack) that injure the legs of ungulates (moose, roe deer) and deny foxes access to rodents under the snow; predators, on the other hand, gain an advantage.

Main difficulties:

For ungulates (moose, deer, roe deer): deep snow, and even more so hardpack (ice crust), causes them to sink, injures their legs with sharp edges, significantly slows their movement, and makes them easy prey for wolves; sleeping on the snow is difficult for them.

For birds (grouse, partridges, hazel grouse): it is difficult for them to forage for food (seeds) from under loose snow, and the alternation of snow and thaws creates icy traps where they can perish.

For predators (foxes): hardpack hinders hunting mice that hide beneath it, while wolves benefit as ungulates are weakened.

Human assistance: in case of heavy snowfall, people help birds by creating special shelter-feeders where they put grain so that birds can find food and shelter.

Thus, heavy snow alters the balance of power in nature, creating problems for some and giving advantages to others.