Hit my first deer today!

ArmyStrong

No, not on the Bird, but in the cage--and yes, we have deer in Gotham. Actually, I was north of the city doing about 40mph, rounding a steep curve on the parkway between two clumps of woodland, and this thing runs straight into the front of the passenger side, smashing the headlight and leaving a big dent in the right fender! Stunned and confused about what just took place, I pull over off the road and start dialing the boss (company car), who didn't answer at first, so I thought let me go see what this thing looks like. I walk back not thirty feet, where this thing was laying on the side of the road, and it was gone!! Then I thought, "oh crap, nobody's gonna believe this isht", but luckily it left a clump of hair in the headlight to confirm it's existence. THEN I'm thinkin, "damn, what if I was on my bike?? I would've been thrown straight across the median to the other side of the parkway! Question for you boys in the wilderness: ARE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT *@%%&$ DUMB?? I've seen city dwellin animals smart enough to know how to cross a street w/o getting ran over (mostly), and I thought deer were "scary" animals, in that they run from strange smells, noises, humans, CARS ON THE HIGHWAY. Geesh. I mean...suicide maybe? Thanxx for letting me rant. Cheers.

btw it was a little after dusk when it happened.

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Murphys 6th law of combat operations:
If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid.

firenspeed

That time of day is when deer are on the move. That and dawn. They're moving from hiding to feeding areas. I grew up in PA. Our county was Bucks County. Guess where it got its name.

I've come close to hitting a deer on the bike. Could have slapped it if I hadn't had a death grip on the bars. Startled a cow and two calves crossing the road in the Sierra National Forest. Wasn't ready for that either.

Hit a deer in a van. Scared the crap out of me. I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I was admiring Christmas lights on a house. I thought I had drifted off the road and hit a pedestrian. My heart was in my throat. The impact sent it way off the road and killed it. My dad has hit many, and several have bounced off and kept on going.

As for death wish, they're just usually crossing an open, exposed expanse as fast as they can to get to the next safe place. The don't really comprehend the whole road thing or the closing speed of a vehicle. They also don't understand that there is something behind the headlights. I've seen people pass the deer as it parallels the road and then it turned and ran into the side of their car.

DragonXX

YES ! Kangaroos just stand there mesmerised in your headlight until you put it's head through the radiator

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insomnia01

same here in NZ with possums, many moon's ago I had small duck fly in MY flight path & hit me square in the chest. .... I don't know how I managed to pull over to the side of the road without falling off, but when I did manage to pull over the pain started to flow

Strek

Deer. Stupid. Yes. I ran into one on my bicycle. The dumb a$$ was looking right at me for at least 10 yards. I kept thinking it would move and only applied the brakes with about 5 yards to go. Also saw a group of about 15 bounding across a busy 6 lane toll road one evening. That was a mess. Only a few made it across and I think that was only because the cars that starting hitting the first few had started skidding to stops and such. I have a friend who drive locomotives. He tells me that in winter they will roam out onto the tracks. In heavy snows the sides of the tracks will get built up with snow and create a small valley. He told me that one night he plowed through about 30 of them. They had no where to go and he couldn't haul the train down to stop it soon enough.

Catenaccio

"Question for you boys in the wilderness: ARE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT *@%%&$ DUMB??"

Oh yes, they are. Add to the mix here in Nevada's mountains: elk, pronghorns, turkeys, mule deer, desert sheep, and mustangs. All of which I've killed with various cages (except the desert sheep which are very shy...) and it makes you pucker at night when riding.

Fortunately, my insurance company has always considered such "accidents" as "acts of God." I think that means the rates go up invisibly.

ArmyStrong

my...God.

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Murphys 6th law of combat operations:
If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid.

Bornagain

I hit one in my 4x4 a few years ago about 300 yds from the house. I almost went off the road as it was snowing. Anyway I stopped and got out and it was standing there, stock still an dthen just fell over. I put in the back, took it home and gralloched it, skinned it and butchered it and it was very tasty.

CanadianBird

The #1 reason I don't ride at night; four legged, hooved, very stupid but big animals that make good jackets and moccasins. Almost hit a big buck in Idaho one morning, fortunately he crossed from the left side and not the right. I grabbed a fistfull of front brake, saw his big black eyes, all muscles tensed up, one leap in front then another and he was gone. Scared the shite out of me. I guess it wasn't my time. I've stopped for many, slowed for many, cause I never know what they're going to do. Once rounded a corner, decending a mountain and there were several mountain goats in the middle of the road, licking the pavement. For minerals I guess. I've seen a few bears up North. Nope, won't ride at night, dawn, or dusk if I can possibly help it. The most dreaded sign on the highway isn't slow to 15mph on a tight hair pin corner, it's the watch for deer, elk, and moose signs. Obviously it pays to scan the sides of the road and be 100% on your game when riding. And yes, they will run along the side of the highway then dart across. I guess you've all seen that U-Tube of the deer jumping over the rider. Photo shop?? I don't mind the little scittles cause you can run over them but some of the furry varmits are a hassle, skunks, possums, etc. Cheers

lois

Hey Russ.....thats what worries me the most about riding up here at certain times of the year.


Lois

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CanadianBird

Are you at work Lois, it's nearly 2 a.m. Get some sleep boy.

PJNXX

Russ, what parkway were you on, the Sprain? If so, I have seen deer on there several times. Thank God it didn't turn out worse for you.

I hit a deer once in my car, well actually, it hit me. I was doing 50 mph on a 2 lane country road in upstate NY when suddenly a deer darted out from the forest on the left side. It bashed right into my left front fender and bounced off, landing dead on the shoulder of the oncoming lane. Other than a badly dented fender and deer hair in the car, we were O.K.

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-Paul

Nutter67

Russ, glad you were in the cage and are ok.I found out the hard way that if you come across a mob of kangaroos in the dark, dont honk your horn to get them out of your way. The mob will start bounding, with some big ones heading straight for you.....

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Paul

Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't get to three seconds earlier

1100xxben

Haven't you ever heard of the phrase, "deer in the headlights"?? (off-topic: is there a phrase on the other side "kangaroo in the headlights"??)

I think the best rule of thumb is to slow down IMMEDIATELY if you ever see a deer. First off, as already stated, you never know what they will do and when they will do it. Second, I can't tell you how many times I've seen a deer cross the road maybe an 1/8 mile in front of me and then a few seconds later come right back. And Last and most important, in northern Indiana, if you see one deer cross the road, there will most likely be another one or 2 or very possibly more that will follow right behind.

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XXNUTZ

I hit one up in Wisconsin with my buddies brand new Durango last year. Came out of no where about 1:30 in the morning. 3700 worth of damage. Glad I wasn't on the bike. Stupid deer. Cheers.

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1998 CBR 1100XX Blackbird (Black, of course),PUIG Touring Windscreen, Corbin Gunfighter saddle, Two Brothers C2 Aluminum Oval Slip Ons.

rollover99

The best deer accident was on foot. We were doing a battalion run in Florida. I was about 40 foot from the Colonel and a deer came out of the woods, ran past about 15 of us, turned and just leveled him. Plowed right through him. Came out of knowhere and targeted him only. Button buck. It was so hard to act concerned when you wanted to just laugh your a$$ off.

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Lead the Way! All the Way!

ArmyStrong

Sounds exactly how it happened to me Paul, 'cept after playin dead for about 30 seconds, the little #&$%er apparently got up and ran away!
Was on the Saw Mill River Parkway, down in Yonkers. Right where the Cross County Pky meets it. There's 2 or 3, stupid little patches of woods, not even 2 acres on either side of the pkwy where it seems a family of 5 or 6 live. I've seen 'em before, but always back away from the road. Never occured to me that one would ram me! As a matter-of-fact, the more I replay it in my head, the more it seems like he rammed me (pause) on purpose!

__________________
Murphys 6th law of combat operations:
If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid.

ArmyStrong

Yeah, man. I thought them suckers was supposed to "freeze"!
HIL-arious! (hope he was o.k.)

__________________
Murphys 6th law of combat operations:
If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid.

lefty80883

I hit a doe about 6 years ago with my first Bird. Right hand side Givi directly to her head at about 65 MPH. It was November around midnight on my way home from work. Immediately after the impact I had to travel about a half mile across a bridge before turning around. When I got back to the impact site some guy in a pickup was trying to put her in the bed of his truck! I rolled up and said that I had just hit her. He said....do you want it? I guess he thought I was gonna throw it over my shoulder. Amazingly no bike damage, but it felt like it had ripped that bag off! Earlier this Feb. hit one with the car, $2000.00 later all fixed. Be careful out there.

Logoman

Here in SW Florida, our biggest animal problems come from wild boar, deer, vultures, and the elderly.

I try never to ride during the dawn, dusk or at night. It's almost suicide at those times.

ironmike

Some years ago when I was living in Spokane... About 20 miles north of the city, just after sunset in late Sept... I was a coupla hundred yards behind a little pick up (Chevy Luv - remember those..?) on a country road (no streetlights) that hit a moose a glancing blow to its rear leg... That damn moose chased after that tinker-toy and stomped the hell out of it when the damn fool driver stopped. My buddy and I stopped our bikes well back from the action and watched. He flipped up his visor and said drolly, "I do believe that boy ain't f'm 'round here..."

Never - ever mess with a moose...

magley64

I've had a series of close calls, and 2 confirmed kills...

the first confirmed kill was in dad's car, hit about 3 miles from my house, about 9:30 pm, crippled the beretta, and knocked out the headlights. Limped it home on the blinkers.

second confirmed kill was in my grand prix the day I sold it. (ended up selling it to the junkyard instead) I hit the deer, tried to miss it, split it in half and rolled the car...

most exciting close call was in the car in jefferson, seen a flock of deer, swerved half a dozen times and missed them all, WOOT!

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Ðuane
"Harley's don't have a "throttle" in the typical use of the word, think of it more as a "volume knob" on the right handle bar, the more you twist it, the more windows you rattle"

CanadianBird

I promised myself I would visit this thread again! But like a drunk to a bottle, I couldn't resist. Why the Hell do I want to read about hitting a deer, omg, I'm a glutton for punishment.

ArmyStrong

You're human. (I think) We're drawn to v