Deer's Day At Ortley Beach Vexes Authorities: (Photos, Video)

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A beautiful October day is enough to make anyone think it's a great day to hit the beach. Apparently, that includes deer.

A male white-tailed deer spent Wednesday hanging out on the beach in Ortley Beach, lying in the sun and taking swims in the ocean, vexing authorities who were trying to corral the wayward critter.

"We have spent the better part of today trying to coax a deer to leave the land of sun and fun and make his way back to the woods," said Ralph Stocco, spokesman for the Toms River Police Department. "We are trying our very best to get him home."

The deer had spent much of the day sunning itself on the beach and vexing police officers who tried to corral it, Stocco said.

"Right now he's at the ocean's edge behind CVS, bordering Seaside Heights," Stocco said about 3:30 p.m. "It's just sunning itself on the beach. Every time we get close he runs back into the ocean."

John Starace and his wife, Laurie, found the deer outside their home in Ortley Beach Wednesday morning and called authorities.

"We got up and I took some pictures, it is now 5.5 hours later and he is still here," John Starace said.

Laurie Starace said the buck appears to be confused and tired.

"He swims way out into the ocean then swims back in exhausted," she said. "He has been in front of our home all night and is still here." James Starace said police on the scene believe the deer somehow made its way over from the Cattus Island area.

Stocco said officials from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife have been consulting with police by phone, and the New Jersey State Police Marine Unit, the Seaside Heights Police Department, and Toms River Animal Control personnel are assisting.

He said authorities have been reluctant to tranquilize the deer out of fear it will go back into the water under the influence of it and drown, and out of concern the tranquilizer could kill the animal because it is so stressed.

"They advise us to keep people away and hope that it will eventually walk away on its own," Stocco said.

Photos by John Starace, published with permission

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct John Starace's first name. The Patch regrets the error.