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.
The next day, I went to the Ford dealer. Parts department. We were lucky. There was a replacement in stock. It cost $99 plus tax for the plastic. It took me about 30 minutes to remove the remnant of the original mount and installed the replacement. We got off cheap.
Back Strap is the best.........
Didn’t the kid like venison?
That said, the thing to do is slit its throat, though I imagine that if its just been hit by a truck it won’t be that obliging. I’ve heard two stories of guys who were spotlighting and slit the throat of deer that they thought they had stunned.
The county my parents have moved to in Ohio has the highest density of deer in the state. They know a guy who has a “hunting car.”
FWIW—Douglas only has one S—Dad grew up there. I grew up in Coos.
I'm still trying to figure out who it is goes around training the deer to run clear of the road at the sound of the whistle, but only if they're already standing on blacktop. And NOT to run toward the road if they aren't already there.
Because there's a lot more "not road" than there is "road," so if every (untrained) deer within earshot of the whistle is incited to run, it's statistically more likely to cause more deer to run ON to the road than to run AWAY from it.
Unless they've been trained.
They attend public school, what would you expect?
They attend public school, what would you expect?
Glad you are okay and car drivable!
Surprised the air bag didn’t engage. My husband hit a deer one evening driving a Ford Ranger. It then got nailed by an 18-wheeler which we were fortunate didn’t hit us! BUT, the air bag exploded so the impact was made much worse with that sound of a gun going off inside the car. AND, the horn started honking continuously making it really annoying. We hobbled back home about 80 miles and could only make wide left turns without tire rubbing. Totaled the truck cause the air bag needed replacing and other damage. My husband used the tractor to straighten the bumper back and nine years later it’s still in service!! It was an ugly night for us...!!!
Oh my God do you take 136 to work?
There is a support group for us. If course I no longer do it but I remember the meetings we had at this breakfast joint in Westport.
I love that road but my God. To commute on it makes you legendary.
I live in mule deer country, yet haven’t yet hit one. BUT, a couple of them did hit my Subaru just last week. There must have been 20 or so does in some sort of stampede right-to-left on a two-lane road. I braked and swerved into the left lane (dangerous as it was on a curve). Still, one deer slammed hard into my passenger side. She pushed my side-view mirror to the stowed position. There was a large amount of fur in the air. In my rear-view, I saw two deer down in the road, but both managed to get up and rejoin their herd.
I got off easy. The mirror lower trim pieces was missing ($18) and both window deflectors were busted ($75).
Couple of months ago my son’s truck was gored by a buck who shattered the driver side window with his antlers. That one, too, got up and continued on his way.
I got my coffee at rt25 in Monroe before taking 59 to 136. Some mornings all the way to Saugatuck where the breakfast was. Mostly to the Merrit, super 7 interchange and into the depths of traffic hell.he’ll.
Sometimes to switch it up I hung out on 7 and took it all the way to Danbury and then 84 to swing in to visit my dad. My commute was half my damned day.
I was at the bike shop (yeah, Moe’s) a number of years ago, and the owner said ”You just missed it. A guy pulled in with a cow elk crushing the roof of his car.” I later called a friend that works for BLM, and started relating the story. He said “I know this story.” Apparently one of his coworkers came across these guys with a cow down by the road. They muscled it into the bed of the BLM truck, then over the side, onto the roof of a crossover SUV. Small town....
That’s completely a matter of perspective: whether you are seeing it from the human’s or the deer’s perspective.
Clearly a problem of deer literacy. If they paid more attention to where they are supposed to cross the road, accidents like this would not happen.
My uncle had a deer jump into the bed of his pickup. The deer died on impact. He drove it to the meat packers.
Talk about a lucky catch.
How is it that aircraft ( looks like an f18?) has its vertical tails on the flip side of the cockpit windows?
Not trying to photoshop us are you?
I hit a flying deer a couple years back.
It flew off the front of a semi going the other way.
It was more like hitting deer burgers.
I’m sorry about your car, and any injuries incurred by you, but you did the world a great public service. Deer are just rats with hooves. Hopefully, yout insurance covers the damage and any injuries.
My Dad hit one a couple years before he passed away. The thing pooped on his car when it ran into him, too.
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