I believe that water (creeks, rivers, ponds, or lakes) will come into play if its a significant part of the habitat or environment. I say this because on one piece of land that we hunt as a club, running dogs, everyone will be begging for a stand near the creek. It never fails, once the dogs are on the trail of a deer, the deer head straight for the creek to either cross it or hide.

I have witnessed up close and personal deer making a beeline to the creek, and walking upstream and lay down under a log jam. I was on the bank of a fairly deep creek and watched as a doe swam 50 ft upstream and laid under a huge log jam less than 10 yrds away from where i sat.

If I am hunting another piece of land where there is only a small creek that runs through it, the deer will run to the thickest briar patches to hide. I believe the same goes when wounded. The closest, natural, obstacle will be the route taken if wounded. I do believe that if a deer is not mortally wounded, and has time to escape the immediate danger, the deer will find it soothing to go to water.

I think its rediculous to try and say this to be true in all situations, especially for those that hunt in mountainous terrain or fields where a creek is some distance away. I can only speak of my experiences on the terrain that I have enough data to fall back on. It is way out of bounds for me to disagree or agree with others who do not hunt where I do.