deer swimming across Rancocus Creek

suresue592003

Explorer
Apr 4, 2004
372
1
Browns Mills, NJ
All my years in the pines, I have never seen deer swim across a body of water. But today I went hiking the Amico State Park in Riverside, NJ. On the way home riding on a road which runs next to the creek, I seen a herd of deer running about over on Hawk Island in Delanco. Stopping the car, to my amazment the deer leaped into the Rancocus Creek. We watched them for five minutes making their way toward Amico Park. With car turned back around we went back to the park, got out and ran towards the area we figured the deer would show up. We made it just in time, only a few yards away we seen nine averaged size deer run and leap across the dirt path and into the park. This area was an inlet where the Rancocus Creek meets the Delaware River. Funny, I came all the way to Riverside to see such a sight I never had the privileged to view in the pines. What a day! The inlet is quite large yet the deer climbed the embankment and ran effortlessly into the forest. I wish I had a camcorder.
 

oji

Piney
Jan 25, 2008
2,107
498
63
Browns Mills
About 30 years ago I saw deer swimming across the lake in New Lisbon(when there was one). I was riding in my buddys boat while he was duck hunting. We heard deer walking through the woods,there was splashing noises and then we saw two heads float across the water,they got to the other side,their emerged and they hopped off into the woods. If anyone told me that deer swim before then I would have thought they were nuts.
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,341
327
Near Mt. Misery
I once had a few cross the basto at the forks while I was fishing. It was very cool. I remember canoing out to one on a huge lake in Maine once when I was a kid.
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,966
3,142
Pestletown, N.J.
It's amazing how well they can swim with the skinny legs and narrow hooves.
I have seen them swim many times.
I used to think they had to be pushed to do it but I have seen them cross streams for the same reasons chickens cross the road.

I hunt an area where they would cross a wide stream nearly night to get to some oak woods.
Hearing that first ker-splash would get my heart racing because you knew they were coming.

Scott
 
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