Swimming deer
06-08-2004, 11:49 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 634
Swimming deer
Was fishing yesterday in an inlet creek from Lake Ontario, in NY. This creek, swamp, land borders one of my favorite bow hunting sites. I was just about to cast once and I caught some movement and noise to my right and upstream. Turning slowly I saw some of my herd swimming and frollicking at 200 yds.. I just put the pole down and had a good lesson in whitetail activity. After about a 10 minute swim the 3 deer ambled out and grazed for about 30 minutes amongst the cattails. It sure was a nice way to pass the time and dream of the coming fall. Buggers just love the swamps with their great potential for water, feed and great cover. Only thing I don;t enjoy is hauling the bloody brutes outta there 2nd home.
06-08-2004, 06:57 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Norwalk, CT
Posts: 599
RE: Swimming deer
I live in CT on long island sound & theres a bunch of small islands off shore. Theyre between 1/2 & 1 1/4 mile out & deer swim across regularlly. Found it hard to believe untill I saw it in person.
06-08-2004, 07:10 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Swimming deer
At this time of year with all the bugs... I've seen them just lay down in the water. In Colorado one summer a few years ago I caught about 8 elk just standing in this mountain pond. They were in deep enough that their backs barely broke the surface. Got them away from the biting critters and cooled them off.
06-09-2004, 09:10 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 634
RE: Swimming deer
That reminds me that I witnessed one once before swim directly across a nearby lake. It was about 15 years ago and my only other encounter with swimming deer. In that instance I saw him swim about 3/4 of a mile, amble off and into the woods.
06-09-2004, 12:08 PM
#7
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southeast Central Illinois USA
Posts: 6,969
RE: Swimming deer
My hunting partner witnessed a huge buck swim across the Wabash River from the Illinois side to the Indiana side a few years ago. 2 years ago I was on stand not far from the river bank and 7 does came up the bank and shook the water off like a dog.
06-09-2004, 08:38 PM
#10
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 178
RE: Swimming deer
On a lake by our house there are 3 islands and they are loaded with deer. In the winter we chased like 25 off. And fishing in the summer we see deer and their fawns by shore. They just swim back and forth.