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Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Ranger91298 on February 14, 2010, 09:30:25 PM


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Title: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Ranger91298 on February 14, 2010, 09:30:25 PM
Just curious if BT's are known for swimming at all to find a place of solitude? I have an idea for next hunting season but not sure if it would pay off; it would be about a 50-100 yard swim for them. Thanks for any imput....Scott
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: jrebel on February 14, 2010, 09:31:56 PM
They are great swimmers.  Islands are some of the best places to hunt if you have access and they are not private.  Remember there are laws about shooting over bodies of water...
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: bowelkin on February 14, 2010, 09:34:25 PM
In s e Alaska they swim alot.  100 yards is nothing for distance.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Aneoakleaf on February 14, 2010, 09:35:40 PM
I've seen them swimming the Columbia a couple times :yike:
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: fishcrazy on February 14, 2010, 09:54:10 PM
They swim out to the islands on Rifle lake as well and the islands on the Columbia.  ;)


Kris
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: lokidog on February 14, 2010, 10:10:42 PM
They swim betwen the San Juan Islands.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Magnum_Willys on February 14, 2010, 10:51:03 PM
I've seen them swimming the Columbia a couple times :yike:

X2 - About a mile across in the area I've seen them crossing. 
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: 87Ford on February 15, 2010, 01:55:51 AM
Watched one swim across the Stilly in front of my driftboat once..
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: jeepasaurusrex on February 15, 2010, 05:45:48 AM
We were fishing in Lake Shannon up by Concrete once. As we were running up the lake we saw what we thought was a log. As we got closer, it was a BT doe. She was way out in the middle and getting exhausted. We shut the motor off and drifted closer. We could tell she was close to being done. So we came up along side of her and Dad grabbed her around the neck. As soon as he grabbed her, she just relaxed and almost pulled Dad in. I fired up the boat and we motored to shore where she was not able to stand for awhile. We backed off the beach and watched from a distance as she slowly got her strength back and finally wobbled into the brush. She was about a 1/2 mile from shore when we picked her up. We had wondered if she was just trying to get to the other side of the lake or had been chased by a cougar or something.

We also have seen Elk swimming the Skagit up river between Concrete and Rockport.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: let.it.fly on February 15, 2010, 07:08:10 AM
i have seen deer on allen island. its as couple miles north of deception pass. probly a mile swim from fidalgo island. could of swam but i have also seen yote poking around the shore of allen island so i duno. maybe someone dropped emm off out there. i would expect a yote to swim outthere. i also talked to a guy at the marina and he said he had seen them swimming around the jauns.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Ranger91298 on February 15, 2010, 08:53:54 AM
Great, thanks everyone for your input I think I am gonna give it a try next season. And no worries no illegal shooting across the water... :bdid:
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Sneaky on February 15, 2010, 09:07:49 AM
I heard a story about a black bear that was chasing deer into the lake youngs reservoir and making them swim until tired so they were easier to catch
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: washingtonmuley on February 15, 2010, 09:31:49 AM
I have seen them swim across bays on kodiak island.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: bobcat on February 15, 2010, 09:38:11 AM
What law is there that says you can't shoot over water ???  Never heard of that. Duck hunters shoot over water all the time.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: alecvg on February 15, 2010, 10:20:13 AM
What law is there that says you can't shoot over water ???  Never heard of that. Duck hunters shoot over water all the time.

Ya, but shooting a rifle over water and a shotgun is a little different...
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Alchase on February 15, 2010, 10:34:47 AM
A buddy of mine lived on Lake Samamish, they had pictures of four does swimming across the lake from east to west. They said they saw it quite often. I have seen them swim rivers a few times.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: elkaholic_74 on February 15, 2010, 10:48:19 AM
What law is there that says you can't shoot over water ???  Never heard of that. Duck hunters shoot over water all the time.
They are also shooting steel shot or tungsten
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: bobcat on February 15, 2010, 11:03:27 AM
What law is there that says you can't shoot over water ???  Never heard of that. Duck hunters shoot over water all the time.
They are also shooting steel shot or tungsten


Yes, but what law says you can't shoot over water? I would shoot a deer if it was on the other side of a river.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: bobcat on February 15, 2010, 11:30:17 AM
OK, that's what I thought. There is no law against shooting over water. I don't know where some of these rumors come from....
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: jrebel on February 15, 2010, 12:12:05 PM
I was taught years ago (approx 24) in my hunter safety course that you are not allowed to shoot over "navigable" bodies of water unless hunting water fowl with a shotgun.  They compaired it to shooting over a roadway.  Maybe they were making reference to hunters ethics more than they were a "LAW".  I will do some research and get back to everyone if I find something on the matter.   :dunno:
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Dmanmastertracker on February 15, 2010, 12:20:06 PM
 Hell yes they can swim. We troll for them off Pt. Defiance, flasher/ squid w/ Cmere' Deer jelly on it....
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: teal101 on February 15, 2010, 12:46:14 PM
What law is there that says you can't shoot over water ???  Never heard of that. Duck hunters shoot over water all the time.
They are also shooting steel shot or tungsten

An upland bird hunter using lead can shoot over water as well to kill a pheasant or quail.  Has nothing to do with it.

BS law.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Jamieb on February 15, 2010, 12:50:45 PM
Back when I was a teen, A freind and I were ancored up on the Chehalis just up river fron Cosy sturgen fishing. A 2pt buck that was swimming accross the river decided my 12' boat looked like a island and a good place to stop for a rest. He swam around us and to the other shore after I yelled at him.
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Curly on February 15, 2010, 01:13:21 PM
Back in high school we used to hunt a pond where we built a duck blind on stilts.  One day while out duck hunting, a deer swam right thru the decoys and past the blind.  It was pretty cool. 8)
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: Dmanmastertracker on February 15, 2010, 01:33:30 PM
 I looked everywhere, there is no mention of a no shooting over waterways that I can find in the State Code. Some States do have laws to that regard, mostly back east. As I recall the Makah's are using a .50 cal to shoot whales? :dunno:
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: madmack76 on February 15, 2010, 01:47:36 PM
i have a pic of a doe swimming across the chehalis i will find it and post it if i can figure it out
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: lokidog on February 16, 2010, 08:36:19 PM
Hell yes they can swim. We troll for them off Pt. Defiance, flasher/ squid w/ Cmere' Deer jelly on it....

 :chuckle:   :chuckle:   :chuckle:
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on February 17, 2010, 09:39:58 AM
One time a friend and I had anchored off the sandbar where the creek flows into Kapowsin and a deer jumped in the lake and swam out to us, swam around and went back to shore, I have some pictures here somewhere......
Title: Re: Are BT's known for swimming?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on February 17, 2010, 09:48:13 AM
i have seen them swim but i don't think they love to all the ones i have seen in the water always look so pissed off :chuckle:
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