This is kind of a long story but it pertains to obstacles and I learned from it so I'll share a condensed version of this story.
I picked up the track of one of the biggest tracked bucks I've ever seen in northern Wis. He came from his bedding area and headed past his sign post rub and on into the hardwoods. He turned a headed into one of the thickest - nastiest blowdowns you will ever come across. I was sure he must be bedded just inside and was on guard. I was wrong. He jumped, crawled, twisted and turned thru that jungle like it was nothing. After clearing that blowdown area he hooked up with a doe. Sparce snow ended up ruining my track job so he got away.
Two things that I learned from that encounter:
1. There is very little that will stop a buck when he decides he wants to go somewhere.
2. I'm going to assume that the buck must have smelled the doe and thats why he went thru the blowdown area. That buck traveled at least 250 yds before hooking up with the doe so If he smelled her he must have done it from at least 250 yds away!
Side note: his bed was the neatest bed you would ever find. He bedded on this little point overlooking a big valley. There was a deep cut stopping access from the east. The valley was north of him. South and west were the edge of this massive blowdown. He had to exit down hill to the north, clear a few fallen trees in the valley circle around the cut east of him then turn back up hill to get to the hardwoods to the south. Standing in his bed you soon realize there is no way to get close to this guy without him knowing it. He disappeared after that season.