Posted on 04/04/2022 5:13:07 PM PDT by SamAdams76
Well it finally happened. After decades of commuting to work during the dawn and dusk hours of the day through heavily wooded areas, this morning, my automobile struck a deer.
I always looked forward to seeing the deer during my commutes, usually standing around in meadows and fields, sometimes crossing the road in front of me. Always took care to avoid them when I could, though I did have a close call here and there when one hurtled across the road right in front of me.
This morning was different. I was near the Easton/Westport line in Connecticut on a rural road when one leaped in front of me with no time to take evasive action.
At around 35mph, my Subaru Outback sent that deer in a total 360 across the road where it skidded on the pavement to a rather inglorious landing, leaving a skid mark of fur.
The deer was not killed (yet) but was rather angry. I came to a complete stop and that deer got up and attacked my car. That is to say, it hobbled, obviously in intense pain, and smashed its body against the driver's side of my car. I had to drive down the road a bit until the crippled deer limped away into the woods.
Unfortunately the deer is probably a goner. If it did not die later of internal injuries, it is likely being made a meal of tonight by the local coyotes.
The damage to my Subaru was surprisingly minor. The grille and front bumper cover was cracked pretty good in several places but no hood damage at all. Headlights fully intact and still working.
The local police had no interest in the matter as nobody was hurt and there was no deer carcass in the road to deal with. I called my insurance company and they told me that this happens all the time and that they are glad there was no other personal or property damage involved. I'm to take my car into a body shop tomorrow morning for an estimate but in the meantime, the car is totally drivable and other than the cracks in the front part, still looks brand new.
I guess I was lucky. Although I can't say the same for the deer. I wish they would not jump out in front of cars like they do.
Living in the Colorado mountains, I see the mulies literally every day. Luckily, they’re a bit slow and plodding, unlike the (presumably) White Tail you hit. Those things are psycho and come out of nowhere at full run!
My brother tells a story about a guy he knew that took his wife and kid to pick up the mother-n-law around Christmastime. They were driving back toward his house when he spotted a really nice buck by the road. Instinct took over, and he rammed the deer, knocking it some distance. He then jumped out if the truck, ran to the buck, took the knife from his belt and delivered a series of blows to the animals ribcage. When he finished, he looked up, satisfied, and noted that the kid was crying and the wife and MIL had looks of horror on their faces. Oregon redneck....
Perhaps the liberals should think about opening mental health clinics along the road for the deer.
And the foxes.
I have seen three dead foxes along side the road in the past week.
Don't know what is up with that.
The deer I hit this morning was definitely very angry. It was attacking my car and would have gone after me if I had gotten out of the car.
That was the strangest part of the whole incident. That deer was out for revenge.
It’s always deer season in your car.
Sometimes they don’t jump in front of you. Sometimes they run headlong into the side of your vehicle at high speed. This happened to a local gardener here last fall. Her almost-new Toyota Tundra had two HUGE dents in the sheet metal behind the passenger door. The dents were in the corners where the metal is strongest, too. She stopped and saw the deer get up and dash into the woods.
We are absolutely overrun by deer here in North Idaho. Our neighbors across the street feed the pests and every day we have 10 to 15 coming out of the woods, strolling across our lawn, and heading to our neighbor’s house. Quite often, they stop on our property for a natural appetizer before heading to the factory food. Most of the buds on one of our rhododendrons are gone, sad to say.
It all happened so fast I was far down the road before I came to my senses, so I just kept going. When I got home, I found a deep conical dent in the half door right above where my lift hip was. I figured that was made by an antler, and if that Jeep had canvas doors, or the antler was just a little higher, I would have spent my last few moments on this earth gored, with my mouth full of deer head, and wondering what just happened.
I nearly hit a wild turkey here in northeast Florida today. With its wing span it was probably bigger than the little bitty Florida “deer” we have here.
I hit an Elk in a F150 on my way home from work on a swing shift at midnight, it was foggy out and it ran in front of me, full on body shot at 55mph, crunched the entire front end, all airbags deployed, ended up with just a scratch on my thumb from the airbag. The worse part was the elk was suffering in the middle of the lane, so I put it down but then had to drag it off the road so nobody would hit the carcass and mess up their rig, then walk the last four miles the rest of the way home.
When I was much younger, I got pulled over in some North Mississippi mountains doing 85 in a 70. Cop didn’t ticket me, but said, there were deer crossing and I was going to kill myself if I didn’t slow it down.
I did slow it down thanks to his warning, and within 5 minutes there were deer in the road.
I was taking my wife to the emergency when a deer jumped out in front of my car.
Fortunately for both us and the deer, it happened as I was pulling out of the driveway onto the road and I was able to stop immediately. But it was still a very close call.
Had a fella last week hit an 11’ gator
Both he and the gator didn’t make it.
The deadliest animal to humans? You guessed it if you also said it was the dumbest animal on earth. The deer!
I totaled my Corolla 18 months ago on a deer. I had 2 deer whistles but this one bolted out from the left side of the road just as my car was passing.
I got another Corolla and installed 3 deer whistles. They have varying pitch and effect but are inaudible to people. They seem to work. The deer seem alert when I approach instead of zombie-eyed staring.
Traveling Through the Dark ~ William Stafford
Traveling through the dark I found a deer
dead on the edge of the Wilson River road.
It is usually best to roll them into the canyon:
that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead.
By glow of the tail-light I stumbled back of the car
and stood by the heap, a doe, a recent killing;
she had stiffened already, almost cold.
I dragged her off; she was large in the belly.
My fingers touching her side brought me the reason—
her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting,
alive, still, never to be born.
Beside that mountain road I hesitated.
The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights;
under the hood purred the steady engine.
I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red;
around our group I could hear the wilderness listen.
I thought hard for us all—my only swerving—,
then pushed her over the edge into the river.
Funny!
Fortunately my bill is capped at $500 as that is my deductible and deer accidents are covered under comprehensive.
I bagged an 8-point buck a couple of days before deer season with my Ford Ranger about ten years ago. Ran straight into my side while I was doing about 50 MPH. Should have had it processed, but I was too upset about the damage. Still have that truck. It still bears souvenirs from that deer.
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