Sonoma Coast Deer Fishing, Non Yak.

I got a hot tip that the deer were hitting on one of my favorite Sonoma County Beaches so my buddy and I headed out Monday evening to try and bag one or two. We got there at the beginning of the outgoing tide and baited up with half corn cobs and fresh picked greens. We saw some does near the boiler rocks (pic 1), some crashing near the surf (pic 2) and even one making its way on shore (pic 3), but unfortunately we could not buy a bite.

It was good to verify the rumor that they were out there, but I sure would've loved to hook up on one of these elusive creatures.

Thats funny  I've gotten into some good runs of deer at Lake Sonoma.

 

Too funny Rockhopper.  Great post and pics.

Stuart

Bow fishing 

Report of the year so far! 

Thanks, fellas.

Here's the real story.

Me and my buddy Jeff were fishing Blue Slide on Monday from about 5-8PM. We were using 'choves and squid. I used a 3-way rig and Jeff was using a Carolina rig. I got hit on all of my casts, but pretty sure it was perch, which I was not interested in catching on Monday. Anyway, that was it...just a bunch of missed bites.

While we were just chillin', watchin' our poles I look up and see this deer coming FULL SPEED down the side of an almost verticle cliff and right past my boy Jeff. Missed him by like 10 feet, and went full speed into the surf where she proceeded to get abosolutely hammered by the waves for a good ten minutes.

I honestly started looking for a big stick or rock as soon as the deer came charging down the cliff because I thought for sure a mountain lion was going to be right behind it.

Anyway the deer got CRUSHED in the surf. You can see how big the surf is in the first picture. It was really kind of sad to watch. She would try to climb up on the slippery wash rocks and get slammed around. Then she made it out of the rough stuff for a bit only to get rolled on the beach by the waves a few times. When she did finally make it up (picture #2) she looked at me and went right back out into the cauldron. I felt pretty bad, but there wasn't much I could do. I was still pretty far away and backing up to give her room when she darted back out. She got ****ed up (sorry but that's the best way to describe it) some more then finally crawled out of the surf a few minutes later and bolted off...probably to die after the beating she took.

I have no idea what would scare a deer so much for it to run top speed down a crazy cliff and into the rough ocean, but I think she may have been hit or almost hit by a car and just blindly bolted down the side of the hill and was in the water before she knew what was up.

Here's some more pics.

You can just barely see the deer between the two rocks in pic #2. Those rocks are about 75 yards out.

Pic #1 is the hill she ran down.

Great story.... and awesome you captured those pics!

great report and pics Mr Hopper!  I would have thought it was a big cat too that put her in the panic zone like that.

This deer is obvously freediving for abs

In fact on closer look at the second photo I think it might be my cousin who's an apple farmer up in washington state

Can't tell without seeing her legs

This deer is obvously freediving for abs

In fact on closer look at the second photo I think it might be my cousin who's an apple farmer up in washington state

Can't tell without seeing her legs

 

If the deer bolted off it probably will survive. They are a lot tougher than most of us give them credit for.
Great pics!
That is what I love about the outdoors. You never know what you might see on any given outing.

I thought you were pulling our legs or something with photoshop. I've never heard of a wild animal that would hurl itself into the ocean much less crashing waves. You gotta send that in to Nat Geo

I had a similar experience at Mendo.......these two were freaked, ran down the shoreline and swam to the other end of the lake. I escorted them all the way and I was truly amazed on how good they swam 


http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=4204.0

Great Pic's!!!  But be careful, I hear that the deer fish season doesn't open 'til the middle of August.  And you can only take them with a large caliber rod.   

Good luck,

Divndc