black hole in the ice

black hole in the ice –

deer drawn by open water

tread thin ice to drink

I keep wondering which comes first, the ice melting into a hole or deer breaking a hole in the ice. Often on the trail I see places where deer have pawed the snow away to grab snatches of grass, so I suppose their sharp hooves could break through thin ice. But perhaps the hole was made when a deer, walking on the frozen creek, accidentally broke through, and then the hole somehow got enlarged. In any case, once the hole is there, tracks show deer coming down the banks, crossing the ice and standing around the hole to lap up the cold water.