What the Buck? Deer Take Swim Far From Nantucket Shore
What the BUCK? Two deer took a swim far off shore, about a mile from Sankaty beach in Nantucket. Two fisherman took the video about a mile away from the coast.
It’s kind of amazing.
Island fishermen spotted a somewhat unusual sight off Sankaty on Monday: a pair of antlers poking out of the water. Two bucks were swimming together in open water about a mile off the east end of #Nantucket. pic.twitter.com/hdOp8ekUR8
— Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) September 16, 2022
“We were racing out to go fishing that day and we were five to 10 minutes from where we wanted to be, and one of the guys said ‘slow down!’ Right away he recognized what it was. We circled back around and tried to guide them to shore,” one of the fisherman told the Current.
The guys were part of the 19th annual Nantucket Slam to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, according to the report.
“I’ve never seen anything like that on the water. It was a good mile out, and they were definitely struggling,” the fisherman added.
WARNING: MOVE OVER, BAMBI. THIS HAS A SAD ENDING, TOO.
Unfortunately, there was no way they could rescue the animals. Bringing them on the boat was impossible and the fishermen didn’t want to injure or frighten the deer.
Ultimately, they left the scene.
There is no word on what happened to the deer.
Apparently, deer are REALLY good swimmers. They have strong leg muscles. And hooves and toes help them, too. They can reach speeds up to 15 miles an hour, according to World Deer, and they can cross lakes, rivers, and even ocean water in search of food.
Wait! There’s HOPE!
Anyway, how the heck did deer get to Nantucket?
Fun fact: “When English settlers arrived in 1659, there were no deer on the island, and no moose, bears, wolves, foxes, coyotes, skunks, or squirrels either. Nantucket’s year-round land-based animals consisted of voles, bats, snakes (and not many kinds of them), and the Wampanoags’ dogs. Today squirrels have made it to the island, apparently in shipments of lumber. The island remains free of the other critters that are now such a worry to our mainland neighbors, with the notable exception of the white-tailed deer,” according to the Nantucket Historical Association.
Then, in 1922, fishermen rescued a buck that was swimming in the Nantucket Sound and brought him to the island.
Another resident bought two does from Michigan three years later and released them on the island “to keep the buck company.”
GOOD LORD. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
After that, more deer were brought in 1935. That same year, the island established its first deer-hunting season. Despite that, the deer population flourished.
Boston.com reported Massachusetts wildlife experts estimate there are about 2,000 deer currently living on Nantucket.
Here are some other videos of deer swimming in the ocean:
