Two Guys with Hovercrafts Save Deer Stuck on Frozen Lake

by Michael dEstries February 13, 2014
Categories: Animals, Causes.

Hovercrafts and animal rescue, together at last. From the description:

“James saw a Facebook post about some deer stuck out on the ice in the middle of Albert Lea Lake, so he called up his dad and they broke out the hovercraft. It’s a father son rescue mission unlike anything you’ve ever seen. ”

Love it!

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →

Cindy

Love the kindness of these guys… thank you for helping some beautiful, helpless creatures <3
Linda Richey

Thank you, you are my heros
Parkerfamily7

Nice story! Great men to save those deers! <3
- TheChipster91
  
  Deer*
Deanna Bromirski

Thank you never seems enough for those that help those who can’t help themselves.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Suzanne-Noel/100002212598974 Stacey Noel

Good guys!
josiehampstead

THANK YOU
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelby-Hooyenga/160617917304349?ref=hl Shelby Hooyenga

Love this, we need more people like this in the world
Bill Kauffman

Wow.
pipercat

poor little things are like “it took us 2 days to get half way across the lake, now we’re back where we started…lol, just kidding, very wonderful they were found by these kind men instead of a hunter…
- CoyoteNW
  
  Those men probably are hunters.
  - Eric Francis
    
    Yep, most likely. This is the type of people most hunters are.
  - AnObserver
    
    The are most likely hunters. No other reason to be out there.
  - Luan Salmon
    
    They went out purposely to save the deer. They read on FB that the deer were stuck and went on a rescue mission.
  - DMac
    
    not likely hunting on a frozen lake,
  - fuxationsucks
    
    Getting a head start on that little-known February deer season?
  - anobserver
    
    Not saying they are actively hunting. Probably scouting the territory and preparing for the fall hunt. I hunt sometimes and for me, hunting is a year long activity.
    There is the trail scouting. Herd watching. Stand/blind building. Then all the nature to look at.
    Just because I labeled them as likely hunters is not a slam on them in any way. It was a hats off to the hunter. We do more to preserve mother nature than the lot of you city dwellers.
  - Shootwithacamera
    
    Someone shooting them wouldn’t be a hunter, they would be a murderer.
- Magister Mundi
  
  Most hunters don’t shoot animals in situations like that. They actually tend to respect wildlife greatly, and all of the ones I know would consider it frankly dishonorable to kill an animal that doesn’t have a chance to get away.
  - pipercat
    
    doubt it , but we will agree to disagree.
  - Dumb sheep in the Store
    
    Pipercat is an example to us all of people who have never hunted before. There is no honor in hunting an animal in need of help. But for someone who goes to the grocery store for your veal im sure you wouldn’t understand
  - Magister Mundi
    
    Well, I’m speaking from experience, having grown up in the Rocky Mountains where hunting is a way of life. Are you?
  - Guest
    
    Funny, because as I was watching I was thinking these guys probably are hunters. Hunters want to support healthy forest and healthy animal populations. If no deer and no forest than no hunting, right? I know it’s all a little ironic and I tend to not agree with hunting as a sport, but being a hunter does not make some one evil and hunting is a respectable way to be a omnivore.
  - Sparrow254
    
    Except those who participate in canned hunts. That is a disgusting “sport”
  - JK
    
    They are hunters! And so am I. Doesn’t stop me from helping animals in need. I’ve unlocked antlers on deer, picked up half dead baby birds, to raise them by hand only to release back to the wild. Released and bandaged animals caught in poacher traps. Worked with the humane society, wildlife refuges. Don’t be so closed minded about people you don’t understand. Just because you are a hunter doesn’t mean you like to just kill for the sport of it. Granted there are people that kill just to be killing, but true hunters dislike them just as much as you do.
  - Neva Burgess Crawford
    
    some people are just ignorant. Most people don’t realize that if an animal runs after you shoot it the adrenaline in the system makes the meat gamey. there also is a deer season and its illegal to shoot them when it’s not in season and when you don’t have tags in some places …also if they have been struggling on the lake for that long, more than likely there’s a lot of adrenaline in their system. But a real hunter that hunts for food would not kill an animal in need unless of course it was suffering and then they would shoot it to end the suffering.
  - deer hunter
    
    Pipercat, it’s evident you don’t know any hunters
  - AnnaMMH
    
    I don’t think it’s fair for anyone who eats meat or has eaten meat in their life to judge hunters in any way shape or form. It’s blatant ignorance and extremely hypocritical. Seriously it is ignorance in the extreme to judge hunters for getting their meat through hunting animals allowed to roam in the wild and their natural habitat but conversely NOT judge people who (much more cruelly) walk calmly into their supermarket/fast food joint/five star restaurant and purchase meat that comes from animals raised in sickeningly inhumane conditions (CAFOs). Which one is worse? Obviously my opinion is clear. If you’re going to spread hatred and hate on anybody, please don’t do it on people who get their meat from hunting animals living in their natural habitats. The people who eat meat raised in CAFOs (ie. people who eat supermarket beef, McDonalds (or any fast food), & virtually all restaurants) are much worse. Just because you don’t see the animal you’re eating when it’s alive doesn’t mean that animal doesn’t matter or how it’s raised doesn’t matter. CAFOs exist, are incredibly cruel, and are much more deserving of any judgment anyone feels they have the right or need to dish out. Just my opinion.
  - Diane
    
    I hunt. I would have never killed those deer. It’s not deer season where I live. Other actual hunters (not the yahoos we dread encountering) would have NEVER killed those deer. Stop judging people by only your inflexible and only half-way informed bias. This vid and its story are wonderful and you had to make some snark (and not very accurate) remark about someone else who is not even IN the story. You are wrong, and hunters like me do not like being slandered. We are filling freezers seasonally. Do you eat meat? If so, someone else is killing animals for you. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you still live in a world where other people kill animals for you — and you WILL find some attachment in your daily routine to the death of an animal. The paper you use, for example — or any supplies in your life that cost us trees. Animals lose their habits every day due to too much lumbering and deforestration. Do you drive a car? Air pollution hurts other species besides man. Hating hunters with a very poorly informed set of “facts” in your head, which you just will not let go, is wrong. It is just plain wrong.
- Todd Chamberlain
  
  Obviously there are kind people and cruel people in ALL facets of life, including hunting. Saying ”kind men instead of a hunter” makes those two things mutually exclusive, which is certainly NOT the case. Most hunters care greatly about wildlife – most of them LOVE animals, and most o them abhor animal cruelty.
  
  Certainly hunters do kill and consume animals – and if you’re a Vegetarian or a Vegan, and if you oppose hunting – then I can certainly respect that. However, if you buy a cheeseburger, eat pepperoni on your Pizza, or even eat Gummy Bears, then you’re causing the death of those animals just as surely as if you pulled the trigger. Again, if you oppose hunting AND you are a Vegan or a Vegetarian, then I can respect that. Otherwise, you’re a hypocrite.
  
  Wildlife management, winter deer feeding programs, fish restocking programs, wildlife preserves, poaching enforcement – these program are paid for by hunters.
  
  I know of no HUNTER that would go out on this ice, and shoot these helpless deer. And, if you know someone who would kill these helpless deer for ‘sport’, then they are NOT a HUNTER.
  - randi54
    
    Thank you.
  - Jessica V33
    
    exactly!! thanks
- LynnT
  
  lmao… First I cried when I watched this.. then I read your post, thanks you made me laugh again.. Glad they are ok..
- jim
  
  I hunt because its natural, better for you and tastes much better. There is no way I would have shot these deer.
- John S. Harris
  
  Sorry to break it to ya, but those two guys “are” hunters. They have other videos.
  Not every hunter is cruel and has no sense of moral.
Alan White

I would save em alright. Save em for dinner! :-p
Bob

Thank you guys! Such kindness & care!
ScubaSue

I needed a tissue when I saw this….thank you so much for saving them.
Scott Evans

Hovercraft. Not “hovercrafts”.
- Maxime Blahr St-denis
  
  there were 2 -.-
  - TriniSimSim
    
    Actually Maxine, Scott is correct. Hovercraft is both singular and plural.
Carol Batten

You are what we women call “real men”.
suzy

How the hell did they get out there in the first place? They couldn’t get back but could get in?
- Erin
  
  Exactly. Does not quite add up. They were placed out there. Deer do not go on to the middle of the lake. They cannot as you can see.
  - boom
    
    Please. Educate yourself. Deer routinely use frozen water in winter time to cut travel distances. They walk slowly and carefully to avoid the situation these deer found themselves in. Something could’ve spooked them, they tried to run, they fell. I watch deer walk out into frozen bodies of water every year. And just for the record, these guys probably ARE hunters. As hunters, we probably do more for species conservation than anybody else in the world
  - AnObserver
    
    Exactly! Hunters and fishermen do more to preserve the ecosystem than any of the tree hugger crowd ever will. They have no clue how much we enjoy the wilds.
  - Todd Chamberlain
    
    Exactly – wildlife management programs, winter deer feeding programs, habitat enhancement programs, fish restocking programs, wildlife preserves, poaching enforcement – these program are paid for by hunters and their licensing fees. PETA isn’t using their money on Wildlife enhancement.
  - kitten
    
    Idiocy… really. It happens all the time. Animals wander out and when they can’t get their footing they panic trying to make their way back, also it’s not just deer this happens to either. Why don’t you go do some research before saying something stupid next time. I’m going out on a limb and assuming you don’t live in an area where we get snow and ice. It’s happened on Lake Eerie since I moved here years ago.
marni

WOW! God bless you for your kindness!
TraceyM

Heroes! *Happy tear*
MMAVeteran

Real heroes for these Animals! God Bless them!
BOHwriter

Thank you for sharing this. It was another amazing example of the best of human nature, and caring humans.
Kim Wells

Amazing job!!! thank you so much for helping. You are truly wonderful guys.
Kathleen

Yes, deer do get stranded out on frozen water all the time. All you have to do is Google the subject and see that it is a common problem for them. Thankfully, there are compassionate humans around to rescue them! Bravo for this father and his son.
- Ben
  
  frozen water is most commonly referred to as “ice”
amo

awwww that all some
Debhra Mannett

god bless yea ..put a tears in my eyes
tommy

how did they get there in the first place???
Loryn

Before humans had boats, hovercraft, etc, these animals would have died out on the ice. We wouldn’t have known about because predators and the ice melt would have disposed of the evidence. Now we can save them.
- Maxime Blahr St-denis
  
  its called natural selection, you know, the way nature worked perfectly fine before we evolved and starting destroying everything to create our habitats. FYI the human race is the only human being to destroy his environnement in order to construct his
  - Adam Vance
    
    Re-read your last sentence, it makes no sense.
    
    Humans are the only species that step in on natural selection and protect the ones that would have died out otherwise. If we didn’t, the world would be void of the weak, handicapped, and just just plain old stupid. So go ahead and chastise us humans, but that is what separates us from the beasts. Some of us anyway.
  - Maxime Blahr St-denis
    
    HAHAHAHAAH OH MY GOD ! You really are retarded, poor you ! Do you actually realise what you just said lol ? By doing what you said we’re doing, we are unbalancing the natural way of things, you know, the food chain. If the population of a specie is plumetting down (without us being the reason of this plumetting), it’s because those animals were not able to ”evolve” enough to keep a place in the life-cycle of their habitat. That is natural selection. By stepping in on natural selection we unbalanced the natural order of things and permitted invasive species to dominate and screw up the ecosystemic balance of that area (i.e. rabbits in Australia, Extremely high headcount of deers in Eastern Townships and About a gazillion tree eating bugs we introduced in our forests to save another specie and then realised we had lost control and now need to find a find a way to stop those bugs and save the trees.) Go read a book Vance, maybe you’ll learn how evolution works and how it was perfectly fine until we came along and started interfering with it.
  - Maxime Blahr St-denis
    
    and about my other post, what I meant is: humans are the only animals who will destroy everything that keeps him alive in order to build his concrete-filled environnement. We destroy the real-living habitat of over a thousand species just for us to build a road, etc. if you can’t understand this, well like i said earlier, OMG you are retarded
  - Patrick
    
    If you hate humans so much, just die. Thanks,
  - Maxime Blahr St-denis
    
    that is such an inteligent comment you’re amazing
  - imo
    
    So is calling someone “retarded” Maxime. Why don’t you both just stop.
  - Pascal Henry
    
    my two thumbs up for you bro !
  - Maxime Blahr St-denis
    
    Thx !
  - Andrew
    
    He meant that we take care of other humans who are weak, handicapped, or have some other sort of disadvantage. Are you saying you are opposed to that?
Ben

they couldn’t have put something like a blanket underneath them? I feel like it would have been very uncomfortable to slide across a frozen lake
- Bob Price
  
  Well done Ben, was that you heading out there with a blanket to help with the rescue. It would be nice if you had just said thank-you.
  - ali
    
    There’s no need to be narky…I noticed where the rope had pulled the hide away – did you? It was great thing they did and I guess it came down to finding the easiest least stressful method possible. Ben, had they put a blanket on them or manhandled the deer onto the craft they could have caused greater injury and more stress. Hands off is usually best with wild animals. But, unlike grumpy Bob here, I appreciate what you are saying.
  - Tired taxpayer
    
    The hide was not pulled away, the fur was in reverse, winter coat for deer is longer and denser than summer and will lay back like that. Those deer were not harmed in any way.
- Marsha
  
  Have you ever tried picking up a frightened deer? lol
  - fuxationsucks
    
    Obviously not!
Brad

There should be more people out there like these two guys that will help wildlife not to slaughter them
Maggie

Love you guys with such big hearts! :’)
Cynical Bastard

leave it to capitalism to turn this into an advertisement
http://www.msemilymarie.ca Ms. Emily Marie

We need more people like you in this world! Thank you
Daniel Savio

Great video. Could have done without the music.
Leslie LaVenuta

great job..
jvmila100 .

very very happy for those beautiful animals and very very proud for those real man …
watching this video gives me goose bums , you know… the kind we all like
love you all 5 of you guys
missykitty345

Praise God , What good men they are !!!
Madison Schalk

I am greatful they did that and to the people who are against hunting well guess what we need to kill animals for food also they have hunting season to keep the animal populations from growing to big and for us to have food!!! So if you are eating a turkey sandwhich guess what YOU ARE EATING AN ANIMAL THAT GOT HUNTED!!!!!!
akraised

what the fk. a starving student like myself could have use that to stock up my freezer.
Lily Walker

I’m so happy there are people out there like these. Thank you for saving these beautiful animals who so desperately needed help.
Pam Williams

Admire these guys, down here in the south they would be in the freezer by now……
Pam Williams

the deer, not the men:)
Emily

True heros indeed
Marilynn Hession

Now that’s what I LOVE to see… rescued instead of shot.
Joe N Jamesiepooh

Love it…very kind of u both.
knitgirl

Wah!! Tears. You men are beautiful.
Kevin

Deersies talk funny!
https://twitter.com/jeffray2010 Jeffray

this remind me a video so incredibly wonderful of a hunter who met a young dear about this age and he wasn’t even afraid at all, indeed the dear walked to meet the guy who couldn’t even believe it and I think from that very moment he gave up hunting for good because he was so amazed and to see how wonderful it was to befriend one of theses amazing creatures instead of killing it!
Debbie Zeidman

god bless them may good things come your way ,you both did a great thing saving the deer
Wanda

Brings tears to my eyes, Thank you so much for saving them, you are an inspiration to mankind.
Rollie

I would say likely these guys are hunters and like others have said already most outdoorsmen have a great respect for nature and wildlife. You can be a hunter and still have a soft heart too when it comes to any animal in distress. Maybe those who think otherwise should look inward and try and understand why they can’t comprehend this.
Tired of stupid

Tired of trying to view acts of kindness only to find uncalled for attacks on groups like hunters in the comments. Won’t be back to this site either.
Lee

James and his father saved 3 deer that day…and ate one of them
Philip Marinakos

This is the type of world I dream of. I’m glad that, in some places, it really exists. Peace and God bless.
Carolyn VanZorge

LOVE IT!!!
Enforcer

and how did the dear make it all the way out there but not back? hmmmmm I’m slightly skeptical
centefire

Don’t try it in Liverpool! Ice is too thin.
Pants

So beautiful. Just what I needed to see.
alma gonzalez

you guys are awesome
Maria Luisa Moreira

THANK YOU ALL FOR SAVING THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATURES!!!!!!
Helen

I think it’s weird they didn’t pull the first one right onto the bank. And left him there flailing around. Part of me worries this one was killed and the other one yo can see being shooed off into the forest lived.
Fran Lloyd-Allen

They are HEROES, in my eyes.
Nappyboy

Deer: 1 Natural selection: 0
JANN

WHAT A GREAT THING THESE HEROS DID. MADE MY MORNING. GOD BLESS
Éireann Simpson

Thankye thankye thankye so so so much for saving them <3
Anne Nixon

That was just beautiful
Mitch

These guys did more in a few hours than PETA does all week!
Becky Figueroa

Priceless moments!!! Brought tears to my eyes! Beautiful!
tennillebenton

awesome guys thank you
jaymey

Awesome, great job guys!
Nicole B.

You guys are awesome! We need a lot more people like you in this world!
Michele

Love
lance

you should have put the first one on the shore instead of leaving it helpless at the edge, in your own words ‘it was exhausted’.but still I admire your compassion and effort.
Agnes

HEROS
Amanda Little

there is small difference. a predator animal would take advantage of the fact of distressed prey animals as an easy dinner. a humane human hunter, would help get them off the ice and let them go.
George

Most likely hunters like myself. During hunting season I would love them on my plate. Not in a hunting season I would help them like I would help anyone else in trouble.
roger

Sad thing is that these deer probably became easy prey for natural predators because when they do the splits like that they severally tear tendons and ligaments, which renders them crippled. Nice to help them, but only prolonging their pain unfortunately.
CC

You both are the BEST! Thanks for caring.
jennleec

Great job!!
D’Arcy L. Demianoff-Thompson

Simply the best human ethic towards animals ever!
Shang_Tsung

They should have had a TON of dear meat!!!
Pamela

TRUE HEROES!!!!!!!!! So proud to know there are still real men out here in this crazy world!!!!!!!
Marquette Sammy

Bless you guys for rescuing these animals. You have made my day!
KAWA

Love to watch…… and read about men with hearts full of love and compassion!
freebird44

OMG – I LOVED this-real men indeed! I was born in MN and miss it so much, living in TX now. I drive or fly up there any chance I get…and these guys made me even more prouder of my home state – bless you both and I’m very sure those deer were grateful as well!
Joe

Would have saved them too… but my reasons would be to improve the game situation come next hunting season.
Toni Hoenicke

Good men, good idea to use a hover craft too!!
Meagan Hauteclocque

Thank you for helping these little ones. I’ve seen quite a few dead deer on lake Ontario. This year I saw that coyotes trapping on on the ice…. Glad these sweethearts are safe!
Deb

Awesome…Karma will repay you 3 fold for this good deed
Carolina Italia

REAL men indeed!
Quiera

This is 1,000,000 times more attractive in a man than a guy that takes pride in shooting them for fun..
SL Abrin

Absolutely beautiful. Random acts of kindness. Wow. I bet those deer have some stories to tell, too.
Guest

I bet these dumb animals eventually ended up walking right back out onto the ice lol
Sarah

Minnesota NICE!
Max Harris

That was amazing. Those guys are absolutely heroes
debra loeppky

yup we need a lot more guys like this real men happy to see this guys
@CdnPanda

Really hope they weren’t trying to get to the OTHER side. It does kind of look like they were pointed that way. Probably wouldn’t have used all that energy to get that far if they wanted to just go back to the beginning. That’s probably why they didn’t move when back ‘on land’ – devastated!
guinho

yes help the deers now, so they can go hunt later, stupid hobbie
bobbymike34

God watches how we treat the lesser creatures of the earth.
brody

Unfortunately the deer were found shot a couple miles away….
Just kidding! That is an awesome story. Love stuff like this.