In Wisconsin with family for the holiday and while driving saw a buck swimming down the river. My FIL and son are amateur wildlife photographers so I pulled over to get them some pics.
Initially I thought the buck was just swimming from one side to the other but that didn't turn out to be the case. He was swimming/floating downstream. Obviously in trouble my FIL tried pulling him ashore before he got swept down a small waterfall, but he wasn't able to and the buck went over. He did pop up again but was visibly weak and now out of reach.
Later that evening at the local bar my FIL was telling the bartender what had happened and where, and turned out it was very near the bartenders home. He said he'd go searching for it at daylight. And his search was short. He found the buck dead behind his house on river edge and was able to get salvage tag. Turned out the deer had both an arrow and bullet wound, so he was suffering from archery season when he got shot by a rifle and still had strength to get to the river.
Initially I thought the buck was just swimming from one side to the other but that didn't turn out to be the case. He was swimming/floating downstream. Obviously in trouble my FIL tried pulling him ashore before he got swept down a small waterfall, but he wasn't able to and the buck went over. He did pop up again but was visibly weak and now out of reach.
Later that evening at the local bar my FIL was telling the bartender what had happened and where, and turned out it was very near the bartenders home. He said he'd go searching for it at daylight. And his search was short. He found the buck dead behind his house on river edge and was able to get salvage tag. Turned out the deer had both an arrow and bullet wound, so he was suffering from archery season when he got shot by a rifle and still had strength to get to the river.
