Interesting experiance

[Deposit]

So I had an interesting experience on my vacation this past week. My wife and I camped down on the Shenandoah river in Virginia with some friends and family. We canoed and tubed the river over the week. We also went and visited Washington DC (which the wife and I have never been), checked out a horse farm (for my wife  ) and went on a tour of the Manassas battlefield (bull run). After the tour, which was really good, we headed back to camp. Some friends were using my canoe so I grabbed a kayak. After some fishing, I heading down stream to see how the other were doing. I saw a fawn standing in the water on the far bank. Apparently the near by farmer was mowing and this poor little thing came charging through the woods and fell down the bank into the river. The bank is at least 25 ft and steep. The river in that part is a bit deep so the fawn thrashed and swam down stream until it found a rock it could stand on (this all happened when we were still driving back from the tour). It had stood on that rock for almost an hour. I paddled back and forth looking at it and that was when I noticed it swaying and it stumbled off the rock. It tried to swim but its head kept going under. I could not sit by and watch the poor thing drown so I got over there and grabbed it by the back of the neck to keep its head above the water. I had to use my right arm to swing the Kayak paddle back and forth to get to the shore, a very tiring endeavor that took 20 minutes to do. Once to the shore the fawn was to exhausted and tired to even try and climb up. I got out and tried to help it but it would not move. I picked it up and it tried to kick me (all I was wearing were shorts). I managed to set it a bit up the bank in the sun. It was clear hypothermia was taking hold, the poor thing was shaking like crazy. The whole time mama was no where to be seen or heard. Feeling better I got back into the canoe and went fishing again. A bit later I noticed the fawn had fallen back into the water and was curled up into a ball laying in 5 inches of water. I went back over and tried to get it back up the bank, but it was to steep for the thing to lay down safely. Twice I tried to carry it up the bank to find a better spot and twice it tried to kick the hell out of me. I knew the thing was to week to do it on its own yet the bugger was strong as hell for the size of the animal when I tried to pick it up and it flailed and kicked. Finally I grabbed both hind feet in one hand and both front in the other and hugged the fawn. I walked it up the bank , all the while the fawn was crying...and that was much louder than I expected it to be. I found a nice sunny spot under a low tree on the edge of a near by field to place the fawn. I gave it a few pats on the head and walked away.

Now, I don't know if that poor thing made it or not, especially never seeing its mom, and believe me I was looking when I was carrying it. Later that afternoon we all spied a doe with 2 fawns walking the bank on the opposite side of the river. I'd like to think that one of them was the one I pulled from the river. All in all it was a good vacation and being able to get that close to a fawn, which is a first for me, made it better.

[hesseltine32]

wow that's really cool hope the lil feller made it.  good work!

[hunts2long]

Great story. You did your best. You never know how those things work out, but I am sure the doe was close by. A few years ago a fawn run into the side of my brothers truck that was parked in his driveway. He thought it had broke its neck, but after a few minutes it tried to stand and with his help it got up. About then Phil heard the mother calling from across the road, so he went back into the house and the doe and fawn got back together and took off....hunts2long

[Deposit]

Oh ya...did I mention we made a Cabelas stop on the way back to NY....yep $330 buck later  I got a new Wild Game camera (another one with the flex time) and ammo, ammo and more ammo

[hesseltine32]

Did you take a look at the trophy room. It's impressive.

[Deposit]

Yep..that is what I call the hall of dreams 

[adkRoy]

That's a really awesome story. How many animal rights activists do you hear of trying to help a deer like that? 
Good job!

[chuckrudy]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[stka]

Cool experience. You're lucky that thing didn't tear your leg open.

[Deadeyez]

Great story man!

[Green Mountian Hunter]

Awesome ordeal hope the little one made it ; Sure the little one will thank you latter in life , Did you hit the Bargain cave ?

[Deposit]

Yep I checked it out, just did not find what I was looking for

[30-30]

             Great story, you got some balls, the little guy could have cut you open w/it's hooves.  Cabela's  the store that a outdoorsman needs a million $$$ to shop with.

[Deposit]

             Great story, you got some balls, the little guy could have cut you open w/it's hooves. 

Let me tell ya, that was all I was thinking about when I was trying to move the poor little fella, that and where was mama going to come from to pounce on me LOL