Deer in the Lake

[The Real BigGuy]

On Wednesday 8/11 my wife and son were at our place on Little Bear. About 3 PM my son heard noise between our place and the house next to us. Out of the middle of the island came 3 deer at a full run. Three deer came down the hill and ran straight into the lake and started swimming towards Cow.

Unfortunately, a boat was coming thru the Hole-in-the-Wall and the deer were scared and swerved out towardfs the No-Wake sign and then back towards Little Bear out around the corner beyond our neighbor's place. My wife ran next door to see how they were doing and saw that someone on Little Bear got in a boat and got between them and the island and were, I prepfer to believe, unintentionally hearding them towards Long Island then towards Sandy Island. She yelled at the person to leave the deer alone but either they didn't hear her or they ignored her.

About 3/4 of the way there the people in the boat appeared to finally understand what they were doing and backed off but placed their boat to turn the deer back toward the closest point, Long Island. Then a Captin Bonehead in a crusier comes along and puts his boat between the deer and Long Island. The smallest deer starts to thrash and things don't look good.

My wife runs back to our doock to get in our boat to try and get the people to leave the deer alone. As she gets to the dock an MP boat comes thru the Hole and my wife tells him what is going on. He heads over and gets the boats away from the deer so they can safely make it to Long Island.

After hearing the story, it makes me wonder how some people can be so oblivious or uncaring about what they are doing. How about just observing from a distance and enjoying.

I'll post a couple of pictures. I've heard about deer swiming but never actually seen it.

[RailroadJoe]

Thanks for the great shot of the deer swimming. You are right, most people do not understand that they fear everything. Just leave them alone and they will survive.

[blitz]

Great picture! Thanks for sharing. We had a similar situation on a busy Saturday afternoon (of all times!) 2 weeks ago between Meredith Neck and Bear Island. We live in the area. Four deer began swimming from Black Cove headed east for Bear; it was a great sight! It appeared they were trying to swim directly across which would allow them the shortest swimming distance. However, boats slowed to watch but never stopped completely as you would for say, ducks crossing a road. They ended up guiding or "herding" them in a southerly direction down the length of the island to a much more populated area with barking dogs etc. It was a very long swim!!! The deer then had to turn and swim even further to avoid the dogs, etc. All the while they're being followed by 3 or 4 boats!!! I was so upset watching this and don't understand it at all. I got so worked up I had everyone around me upset and yelling for the boaters to leave them alone but they didn't get it. Now that I'm on a roll, I've also seen snowmobilers (I love snowmobiling by the way) deliberately separate the straggler deers in the herd crossing the ice from Bear to the Neck and chase them back to the island. Not a thing I could do! So sad and frustrating!! I agree - how 'bout enjoying from a distance?

[rick35]

We were there to watch the deer swim over to Bear on that Saturday afternoon. While some boats were pretty close to the deer the fact that several boats had stopped brought traffic to a stop. Its dangerous to go through that part of the lake on a Saturday afternoon in a boat let alone to be swimming. The outcome could have been far worse for the deer if traffic hadn't stopped.

[secondcurve]

Don't worry deer are like rats. There are far too many of these disease carrying varmints in the area. A few less won't hurt anything.

[blitz]

You're right Rick35, it was a dangerous swim and maybe could have had a worse outcome. My point was nobody actually stopped. The first few boats that came upon the deer blocked them from making a straight path to Bear. It's a bummer to see people so unaware of their action's effects on nature.

[rick35]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Don't worry deer are like rats. There are far too many of these disease carrying varmints in the area. A few less won't hurt anything.

I'm sorry but I disagree. Deer are beautiful creatures. I always get a special feeling whenever I see them and frequently go walking on the trails on Bear Island looking for them. If fish and game determines that there are too many for them to remain healthy only then would I support having fewer of them.

[rick35]

Originally Posted by blitz

You're right Rick35, it was a dangerous swim and maybe could have had a worse outcome. My point was nobody actually stopped. The first few boats that came upon the deer blocked them from making a straight path to Bear. It's a bummer to see people so unaware of their action's effects on nature.

I was trying to get closer to get a photo of the deer but backed off as soon as I realized that the deer were getting spooked from the on-lookers. So I didn't get the shot I wanted and had to crop in close for a grainey photo.

View image in gallery

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by rick35

I'm sorry but I disagree. Deer are beautiful creatures. I always get a special feeling whenever I see them and frequently go walking on the trails on Bear Island looking for them. If fish and game determines that there are too many for them to remain healthy only then would I support having fewer of them.

They are beautiful but they carry lots of disease and it is well known that there are too many for the region. Further, be careful of assuming that the government will appropriately manage the problem. Government is highly inefficient and rarely does it get things correct.

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

They are beautiful but they carry lots of disease and it is well known that there are too many for the region. Further, be careful of assuming that the government will appropriately manage the problem. Government is highly inefficient and rarely does it get things correct.

I'm honestly not sure whether I agree or disagree with your "too many for the region" statement. It's apparent from rule changes (no does with a bow until October) that NH F&G does not agree with your statement.

[ishoot308]

NHF&G does a great job of managing the deer population. Yes at times some islands / smaller sections of land can be over populated with them. This is when F&G will determine if further culling of the herd is required either through special or additional tags, extended area season or in some instances surgical area culling.

As far as deer being disease ridden animals...hardly the case. I have never heard of anyone getting sick eating deer meat or handling deer hides / carcasses. Yes very small numbers of them carry "brain worm" AKA "chronic wasting disease" (similar to mad cow), but this number is extremely low at best and only affects other animals not humans.

Dan

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

NHF&G does a great job of managing the deer population. Yes at times some islands / smaller sections of land can be over populated with them. This is when F&G will determine if further culling of the herd is required either through special or additional tags, extended area season or in some instances surgical area culling.

As far as deer being disease ridden animals...hardly the case. I have never heard of anyone getting sick eating deer meat or handling deer hides / carcasses. Yes very small numbers of them carry "brain worm" AKA "chronic wasting disease" (similar to mad cow), but this number is extremely low at best and only affects other animals not humans.

Dan

Took the words, right out of my mouth. Thank you.

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

NHF&G does a great job of managing the deer population. Yes at times some islands / smaller sections of land can be over populated with them. This is when F&G will determine if further culling of the herd is required either through special or additional tags, extended area season or in some instances surgical area culling.

As far as deer being disease ridden animals...hardly the case. I have never heard of anyone getting sick eating deer meat or handling deer hides / carcasses. Yes very small numbers of them carry "brain worm" AKA "chronic wasting disease" (similar to mad cow), but this number is extremely low at best and only affects other animals not humans.

Dan

Have you ever heard of Lyme disease?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Have you ever heard of Lyme disease?

Yes I have, but deer are NOT the starting carriers of lyme disease, rodents are, deer are not rodents. Deer supply the tick that transmits the bacterium with a place to mate and provides the blood for the female tick prior to production of eggs. Again, deer are not the primary lyme disease carrier they are the dead end host of the bacterium.

Dan

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Yes I have, but deer are NOT the starting carriers of lyme disease, rodents are, deer are not rodents. Deer supply the tick that transmits the bacterium with a place to mate and provides the blood for the female tick prior to production of eggs. Again, deer are not the primary lyme disease carrier they are the dead end host of the bacterium.

Dan

Dan:

It isn't important if deer are the starting carriers of the disease. What is important is that deer are often the carriers that spread the disease to humans.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Dan:

It isn't important if deer are the starting carriers of the disease. What is important is that deer are often the carriers that spread the disease to humans.

O.K. final comment on this as this is about a beautiful picture someone took not lyme disease... Deer are NOT the carriers of the disease!. It is nearly impossible if not impossible for humans to get lyme disease from deer. An infected tick which got the disease from a RODENT may be piggy backing on a deer for mating / egg laying purpsoes but that's about it.

If you want to think that deer are some terribly diseased ridden animal that should be avoided at all cost, have at it.

Over and out;

Dan

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Dan:

It isn't important if deer are the starting carriers of the disease. What is important is that deer are often the carriers that spread the disease to humans.

Wow,you are one anti-deer person.Did you get beaten up by a deer when you were young?

[secondcurve]

There was a time when Lyme disease was mainly a concern if you were going hiking in the woods or taking a trip to the Cape.

No more. As the Boston Globe reported this week, the tick-borne illness is surging across Massachusetts. Last year, there were more than 4,000 diagnosed cases, compared to 1,200 in 2000.

And the disease appears to be making inroads into the state’s most populated areas, into the suburbs surrounding the Boston area.

So what’s going on?

Experts say a big part of the reason is — sorry, Bambi — deer. They’re the main hosts for the tick that carries the bacteria that causes Lyme disease — and they’re flourishing in the wooded areas that surround Boston’s suburbs.

[Coolbreeze]

Secondcurve, although you are correct in being concerned for deer carrying the lyme disease, you also need to be concerned about mice, rats, groundhogs, Foxes, squirrells, red squirrells, dogs, cats, domestic livestock...and any other warm blooded critter that lives or spends time outside.
With that said, preventative measures to not get Lyme are taken by those of us who spend a majority of our lives outside the house. Reading and experience have taught us to be aware of the risks of the environments we are in. Most of us educate ourselves on how to spot and identify a tick on us. We know the high risk areas that they are likely to be and we protect ourselves as much as we can. Moreover, we know how to treat the problem early if we get it. I agree that good herd management practices are a must, but one must be compassionate with the balances of mother nature and understand that simply killing off a carrier of a problem, what ever it may be, will cause potetially greater problems than we were trying to cure. If you still feel that passionate about killing the deer and if you already haven't done it, take a hunters safety course, get a license, buy a gun or bow (practice shooting it, alot) and come and enjoy the great outdoors with the rest of us later this fall.

[Lakesrider]

Great pictures of something not seen everyday.
I believe secondcurve is somewhat correct in the concern expressed. Hunters are on the decline in NH. Just go and take the hunters course. There were only 5 last year at the course I took. The instructor told us there used to upwards of 15 to 20 in the course only 5 years ago. Add this to gun and ammo control that will make it too expensive to hunt. There is already a big push to get rid of lead tipped ammo. So this alone will cause ammos cost to go up. It already has actually. The sales of guns is way up...but not for hunting purposes. So the population is bound to spiral upwards until the F&G decide to increase the number of does that can be taken.
I still stop and take pictures of deer when I see them. I guess the nature lover in me just gets going when I see them out in a field or standing by a rock wall.
However, deer control in the near future will be a greater concern as more and more car accidents involving deer will be seen.

[webmaster]

Here are some pictures of a moose swimming near FL1 at Weirs Beach from this thread posted last year:

[tis]

I haven't read this whole thread so I might have missed it, but does anyone know if it is true that hunting has been banned in NH this year? I heard that. It is supposedly because the deer population is in such tough shape -mostly from the ticks.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by tis

I haven't read this whole thread so I might have missed it, but does anyone know if it is true that hunting has been banned in NH this year? I heard that. It is supposedly because the deer population is in such tough shape -mostly from the ticks.

Completely false!

Dan

[tis]

Thanks. I did hear from my friend today that they ARE going to have buck season only. The were thinking about not allowing any hunting. But according to him, this still may be coming in the future. I can't imagine a no hunting season! This info came from an avid hunter who usually knows what is going on.

[Yosemite Sam]

Originally Posted by tis

I haven't read this whole thread so I might have missed it, but does anyone know if it is true that hunting has been banned in NH this year? I heard that. It is supposedly because the deer population is in such tough shape -mostly from the ticks.

That is sooooooooo funny!

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by tis

Thanks. I did hear from my friend today that they ARE going to have buck season only. The were thinking about not allowing any hunting. But according to him, this still may be coming in the future. I can't imagine a no hunting season! This info came from an avid hunter who usually knows what is going on.

There is no way they would cancel hunting season. They (the state) would lose way too much money. Plus the population is not in that bad of shape. The major factor with the reduced herd is the Winters we had two and three years ago. With the Winter we had last year I would expect to see the herd recover a bit.

The major change this season is for the bow hunting season, which starts September 15. Normally either sex is fair game. This year it's buck only until October 1 and then becomes either sex.

[tis]

I also found it hard to believe. I had never heard of such a thing. However, according to my friend, it was actually considered in Concord. I

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

They are beautiful but they carry lots of disease and it is well known that there are too many for the region. Further, be careful of assuming that the government will appropriately manage the problem. Government is highly inefficient and rarely does it get things correct.

Were you talking about tourists? or deer ?