With season curtailed, deer trekking northwards scatter (8)
I believe the answer is:
sprinkle
'scatter' is the definition.
(sprinkling is a kind of scattering)
I don't understand the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sprinkle that I've seen before include "Spatter liquid around" , "Scatter finely" , "Scatter, pour in drops" , "Disperse in small drops, like water on garden" , "Spatter, liquid say" .)