will deer bed in the water

fishhawkone · 09-03-2006, 06:18 PM

I hunt big cypress and it's pretty flooded this time ayear about knee deep water most everywhere, Will the deer make there beds in that much water?

uncle matt · 09-03-2006, 08:14 PM

Deer aren't stupid. They will not intentionally bed down in water. They may if they are injured or exhausted, but even then it would be for just a short period until they can move on.

But I think I know what you're thinking. Yes, they will find even the smallest of "islands" which will keep them from being below the water line and take advantage of the refuge thosecypress swamps present - especially when the hunting pressure gets turned up.

Just something about taking a nice cypress swamp buck with his bases all colored and imbedded from rubbing and eating or chewing the shavings.

first_time_hunter06 · 09-03-2006, 09:43 PM

I have seen a deer bed in water and stood there for some time till it saw me and ran away. This was in themiddle of summer and very hot! If it was rifle season and if i saw a deer in water, i might have just waited for the deer to get out of the water.

ktbearpaws · 09-04-2006, 06:17 AM

I don't claim to know for sure, But, I do know that a deer can freeze to death just like anything else. It just seems to me that if he was wet long enough, his body temp would drop so low, hypothermia would set in.

BDC · 09-04-2006, 06:32 PM

I found a fawn not more than two months old laying in the middle of the river last year. I have never seen this in my life. I was smallmouth bass fishing and walk within 30 yards of it. It saw me first then proceeded to scare the crap out of me as it was splashing and running toward the bank. I thought it was a beaver until I saw its spots. I immediately walked around so I would not scare the little guy any more. It just stood there, starring at me. The water depth was about ankle deep. I looked back when I was approx. 100 yards from it and it returned to where it was originally laying. I fished my way back toward it again later but it had left.

fishhawkone · 09-04-2006, 08:13 PM

Down here in south florida it's awlful hot right now, and the cypress we're hunting in is all flooded from what I've seen but we see does coming out to the road to feed. We have found shallow areas but no dry ground except for the road. I found flooded hammocks that look like they would be bedding areas if they were dry. Thanks for the replies.

ktbearpaws · 09-04-2006, 08:33 PM

Thats a new one on me!!...I guess if your in Florida, even the animals need releif from the heat.
In was down there in May and nearly roasted.

HuntingEd · 09-05-2006, 07:20 AM

Ive watched a deer walk into a river, lay down keeping just its head above water, Resting it on a patch of leaves/debris. This was in the middle of Nov in central VA. It stayed there for over an hour or so. The reason the deer do that is cause they run dogs in that area. The deer have figured out the dogs cant smell them if they run/hide in the water. Ive also seen them swimming down stream w/ the current. Just hop in and take a ride. They freqently chris-cross the river to avoid detection by the dogs...

Dog hunting puts way to much pressure on the deer and causes them to do drastic things... I despise it...

heeze gutshot shortee · 09-15-2006, 07:01 AM

never herda sucha thing....but they do adapt