I'd take it.

I cant say I've ever read anything in the regs about it being illegal to shoot a deer in the water.

My buddy shot one a couple years ago that jumped into Lake Michigan (after being hit, bowhunting). Everyone made him strip down to his shorts and swim out and get it. Wouldn't want it to go to waste.

Why would you shoot any defensless animal?

The only ok time to kill a defenseless animal is to put it out of its misery...like one year I found a half-eaten fawn while pheasant hunting, it was in horrible shape and was bleeting and screaching at the top of it's lungs. I felt horrible for it and so I felt the need to end her painful horrible death. I'm sure we pushed a coyote off of her while walking a thick slough.

Guess I don't understand how they're any more defenseless while swimming vs. running away. Either way they're moving fast & either way they're not carrying a gun & going to be firing back at you. I would agree if you were going to boat up to them with a motor while crossing a lake, not too tough, but swimming across a pond or a channel vs. running out of the woods from a drive what's the difference. It's the escape route they chose.

"Babe" did a show a few years back called Island Hopping bucks in the LOTW and the legality was that the deer could not be harvested while swimming but when supporting its own weight with land it's fair game.

mr

I believe that picture was in the Duluth Tribune Outdoors earlier this summer. (?) Get a lasso!

No offense againts Babe but he may not be the most ethical hunter out there. Deer are defensless in water because they are so much more vulnerable in the wide open, people could just get up at night a wait to see swimming deer then shoot them. That would be real fair!!

Where in the regs does it say its against the law to shoot a deer swimming in the water? This photo looks an awfully lot like the pics I snapped of a bruiser swimming out to an island on Kab 2 years ago. Concidence??? I know I never posted those pics!

I don't believe there is anything in the regs about shooting a swimming deer. Shooting from a motorized boat may well have been the issue in the above referenced matter of fines.

HOWEVER, shooting at a deer swimming in water is beyond unethical its down right dangerous. I was always taught when I was young never to shoot at water under any circumstance due to the possibility of bullets ricocheting...

As for the buck, the second he got out of the water, I'd smoke him! He's a dandy.

In the regs book there is an ethics page that says it is unethical to shoot deer that are swimming or restricted do to large amounts of snowfall. None ever said it was againts the law, just unethical. U shouldent even have to qustion why its wrong.

seen a doe swimming one time and it was about 3/4 mile to the closest island. whenever she wanted to take a break from "dog paddling" she would just quit and kinda float along and let her legs dangle. nice pic by the way!

what if i get in the water swim with one hand while aiming and shooting...that would make it fair wouldnt it?... JK guys just hoping to get a few laughs.

fishinfey8-I would have done the same thing.

That buck is nice but after the velvet is off, it won't look that large. If thats not velvet, then that buck has some huge mass and it would be shot the second it hit the shoreline.

Maybe another season if in velvet.

Isn't the first pic of it in velvet and the second with the velvet off?

That show could have taken place on the Canadian side. Big enough deer where most would think real hard about it.