My lady and I were out on kayaks setting some lines early Sunday morning when I came across this floating in the open water.


After closer inspection, some rope and a LOT of paddling we pulled this beauty onto the bank... No open wounds or anything. I've never seen a deer that drowned in the lake before so thought I'd see if others had ever come across such a thing. Shame that this young buck had to go to waste.

No telling what happened there. He obviously made some mistakes. Nature can unforgiving.

He had potential too.

Have seen two out there in a lake crossing. Have even seen one go over a spillway and live to get out below shake off then walk away. Saw one driven off a cliff by coyotes and jump into a small lake swim across get out run off saving it's own life. I'm 70 years old so time on lakes has let me witness several deer in water. It's only reasonable that some must unfortunately drown.

I wonder if he was ran hard by something into the lake and he tired out mid way?

I have seen deer that are fevered get in the water. Might have happened here. Believe it or not they are pretty good swimmers. My guess is that he was sick and looking for some relief.

Interesting post

I kayak fish Lake Somerville as well.

That must have been one heck of work out.

I have seen deer crossing in water several times over the years but I have never seen one dead in the water!

I would agree on the fever diagnosis.

I honestly never thought of that.

forty years ago as a teenager, my dad and I went out to run our trotline we had set out between the bank and an island on the Ouachita river in Arkansas. we seen a doe swimming in the area of our trotline. as we got closer we realized she was swimming but wasn't going anywhere. she had one of our trotline hooks hung in her back leg. my dad paddled up to her and grabbed her by the leg and cut the hook out of her. she swam on to the island and took off.

On Toledo earlier this year I left Alpine and was heading out towards the main lake and saw something swimming. I got closer and it was a spotted fawn. When I got close I turned it back towards the other bank and followed it up. He/she climbed up, shook off and gave me a look!

Never know what we will see on the water.

About ten yeas go a deer was seen in the mouth of a large alligator in a lake in Georgia...

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/alligators/ss/Alligator-and-Deer-in-Cross-Lake.htm#step1

When I was in the Coast Guard stationed in Oregon & Washington they used to cross the Columbia River which is 4 1/2 miles wide. Some would make it and some would not. There was a very strong current they had to tackle as well. That is a shame as that is a pretty good looking rack. To bad you didn't find it sooner>>

I have seen Deer swim across pretty good size bodies of water. Especially during rutting season. Not impossible it winded somthing on the other side and the waves took him down.