I almost hit a deer today have u ever???
Whitetail Deer
Question,
While driving on my way into work today I almost hit a decent size buck. It was within split seconds of missing it? This is about the 7-8 time had I not been lucky I would have hit a deer.
about 7 years ago my wife hit a deer (buck) with her focus and did about 5800.00 in damage.
My question is who here has hit a deer with their vehicle???
I have hit about a dozen. Inly one hard enough to knock it down, none hard enough to damage the car.
Lots of close calls.
One on the motorcycle that still gives me chills to think about.
Over a million miles on back roads in Southwest Virginia over the last 22 years.
Been very lucky AND very alert.
I hit a smaller doe right in the head with my bumper, she tasted great! No damage to my truck and no damage to the meat, but it usually doesn't work out that way.
Yup. NE, last summer. If you drive in deer country, it's just a matter of time.
I had just arrowed a nice 8 pointer in Calhoun County Illinois. My buddy and I were driving his dad's truck back to their house in Alton along the Illinois river. The white line was 12 inches from the front tire and the guard rail to the river was 12 inches from that. Past the guard rail was a drop off to the river. So a total of maybe 36" between where we drove and a gigantic flowing river. Last place you would think a forky buck would be standing right?
He bounced off the front right fender,the guard rail, into the passenger door, off the guard rail again, and then the back right quarter panel of the truck.
Total damage to my best friend's dad's truck $7,000. We still have no idea what that buck was doing there.
I nailed a mule deer doe in Pueblo Colorado a few years back. It was December and the road was too icy to stop. My bumper survived.
there are places near my house where if you are not careful you can hit one almost every morning. I have completly stopped so that I wouldn't hit one and had another stupid doe actually run into my truck and dent the side while the vehcile was not even moving.
Good thing is that deer collisions are not held against me by my insurance company.
My first car was a '91 Nissan Stanza, I hit 3 deer in three consecutive nights, slow road 45 mph so there wasn't any damage to the car, the deer weren't as lucky.
D
I drive 68 miles round trip on county roads in Northern WI . Hit 4 deer and have had about 30 close calls .
The last few years are better now that the Wolves and Bear have eaten most the deer .
A biker was killed Saturday by a deer hit. Scary stuff .
coming home on last friday from northern wisconsin, i had a doe run out of a corn field and i didnt see her until she ran into the back passenger side door of my suburban, she fell down, then my camper nailed her...needless to say, i ended up with a very small dent in the rear quarter panel of the 'burban, but the front corner and door of the camper took most of the damage, i was able to get most of the dents out myself...but not enough for the wife not to see...:(
I hit a big muley buck a few years ago with my truck and it did about $4,500 worth of damage. I called the Fiah & Game to see if I could keep the antlers and they said no because the deer was not killed by natural causes or by legal hunting. I didn't have a tag for the season that was open but thought it would be nice to keep the rack to show for it.
This summer, I was headed out fly fishing early one saturday morning in my Honda Accord and came over a hill to see a doe standing in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes and skidded into her. She slid up onto the hood and then fell off as I came to a stop. It didn't even leave so much as a scratch on my Honda.
Yes. Back in Va. when my son was 5 days old. Deer almost came through the windshield. Couple years ago I hit an elk with my wife's SUV.
I've had countless close calls up here. The scariest one's with the motorcycle. I've done numerous emergency maneuvers on the motorcycle to keep from hitting elk and deer.
Last year some trucker hit 13 elk on I-70. The animals are everywhere.
Yup. I've hit quite a few. 2 in the spine, the rest in the chest. all had good blood trails to follow. OH, you mean with a car - never mind.
Two and neither were fast enough to do any damage to them or my vehicle.
Missed a doe the other day was so close if I would have held my are out straight I think I could have swatted it in the rear...
Missed a doe the other day was so close if I would have held my are out straight I think I could have swatted it in the rear...
I used to believe you had to be careless to hit a deer with a car.
Then one jumped out in front of me while going 55 mph!!! It was 5 feet from me when I hit it square with the front end.I can still see it catapulting through the air in the headlights about 10' in the air.I did $4800 damage to my wifes 6 month old car.
I drive ALOT more carefull while traveling through the country now.
Couple of years ago, I was going hunting before daylight when a 8 point buck ran in front of me; I couldn't stop or avoid him. He was killed outright. Fortunately my Dodge Ram 1500 is made from some fairly good metal; truck was undamaged, just a bloody spot on the front bumper.
I have hit one with a Saturn Sport Coupe and watched it go over the vehicle and thank God not through it. My car clipped the deer at the knees and was still drivable. I was doing about 58mph and it was at dusk. I have also had two deer hit my vehicle while I had come to a complete stop. Neither had done any damage. I was also in a brand new less then 1000 miles on it Ford p-up that got hit by a cow as we were slowly going through some cattle in the early morning going turkey hunting. That did a lot of damage to the front end but the truck was still drivable. The cow was fine. We told the rancher and it had happened to him before as well and told us not to worry about it but was glad we told him. He followed us back home to make sure we made it. Great guy.
I hit a doe 3 years ago while driving my NEON. The deer bounced off the windshield and rolled over the car. The only damage was a snot mark on the windshield. This was about 1/4 mile from my property. Three days later I was hunting and and in comes this doe, limping off her right front hoof. She got shot at 20 yards. It was supposed to happen I guess.
Yesterday in Northern MD, coming back from the 9/12 rally in D.C. the car in front of me hit a forkhorn on I-83. The deer just about exploded. It was really sad, but it didn't suffer. I guess that is a good thing, the only good thing.
Jay
Are there people out there who haven't hit deer? I have lost count of how many I have hit... Lifetime totals? I am guessing about a dozen deer, two antelope, a turkey, 3 owls, dozens of upland game birds, and I don't even know how to estimate the small game (squirrels, rabbits, tweety birds, coons, etc.) Thankfully no elk, bear or moose yet...
When I got a new pickup in 2000, I had the grille guard put on it right away, and then I hit 3 deer in 3 weeks. One was just a bump while driving in near white-out conditions, no damage to either party. One was on a very icy road only going about 25 MPH, but when you come over a hill and the deer is jumping the guardrail as your headlights hit it, you aren't going to be stopping in time. No damage to the truck, but the deer went underneath and got squished. The third one was on a gravel road at about 40 mph in the dark. THe deer was on a dead run and all I saw was her head as she flew into the headlights. Only 1300 in damage, thanks to the grille guard. If I had been 5 feet further down the road, she would have plowed right into the side of the vehicle.
I have hit 1 and been hit by 2. The one I hit was a doe right at sun up going to school. She got all the way across the road and I didn't see her until I hit her in the rump with the passenger side of my S-10 PU. I had to pull the bumper out a bit and replace the headlight assembly. She was DRT.
I had a nice buck run into the side of my Toyota PU as I was doing about 60. Left scuff marks, from his antlers, from the front fender to the rear fender and hair in both rims. Also a dent in the bed right behind the door. My truck had a lift and I almost lost control when it happened.
The other one was a doe at work. She ran into the rear driver side of my Patrol car, in town. Luckily again only scuff marks and no dents.
In Kansas you can usually keep the deer you hit if you want it. It use to be the Highway Patrol's policy not to give it to the driver who hit it. Their logic was it kept people from doing it on purpose. They crap canned that a few years ago. We have a long list that 911 keeps of people that want the deer if the driver doesn't. We all have carcass tags that we can issue and then send to KDWP.
Starting about Mid October, we will start having one vehcile vs. deer accident a day and alot of times they will have 5 or 6 right around dusk at the peak of the rut. We are the 3rd smallest county in Kansas.
going 75mph.. 5 point with the front end of a 2 year old F150- only$7000 in damage to the vehicle, but it took a few years off my life from being scared seeing it run in front of me from out of nowhere....... and now I hate driving anywhere in October or November, and really dislike the other 10 months.....
I hit a small one a few years ago. I had seen its mother run across the road, so I was going less than ten mph. No damage. My wife smoked one at 70 mph about 15 years ago, totalling her LTD. A good friend had a buck come through his winshield, with antlers missing his face by inches.
I've hit on yearly elk calf in late Nov. Totaled a suburban. He died instantly and tasted great.
Within 100 yards of that spot I had a cow elk run into the side of my Dodge 2500 Her head/chin/chest dented my fender and hood. She knocked my front bumper and inch in left. She spilled and skidded across the road on her back. I got out and got ready to start skinning when she got up and walked away quite dazed.
Sandbrew
"The only damage was a snot mark on the windshield"
Jay, I have had similar damage to my vehicles from near misses ;-)
I've hit two deer, they were almost a year to the day apart and within 100 yards of eachother on the interstate. I ended up upgrading the bumber on the truck. I haven't even come close since I put the bumper on. [IMG]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk308/elkchsr/Bumper002.jpg[/IMG]
Haven't hit a deer but did nail a bull moose and a mature cow elk. I was doing 70mph on I-70 in western CO when the cow ran acroos the east bound lane at 9pm, dark, couldn't have stopped in time. I walked away. The elk was barely alive when two Sheriff's patrols and a state trooper showd up. One deputy decided to put the cow out of her misery. So he stepped up to about 5 yards behind her and promptly missed the back of her neck! Next shot got the job done. Got a new truck out of it all.
Our butcher has hit 28, not kidding, her husband says its because she drives with her head up her *ss
I never hit one but once I was driving a back road and I saw this Doe coming.I stopped and she ran into the side of my truck and broke her neck!
I have had numerous near misses but have never actually hit one. I have always thought that bow hunters that seem to have deer on there mind at all times might have our eyes trained to spot that small spec of brown just a second earlier than most drivers and be able to avoid a few more collisions. Some of you stories are making me wonder. Actually nothing can be done especially at night but I still think hunters may have a split second extra to hit the brakes. Anybody agree or think I'm crazy?
I got a doe with my 04 gsxr 600 @70 mph, bike was trashed, the road looked like a yard sale with plastic. I recieved three transverse process fractures in my lumbar spine, a broken wrist and ankle and the worst road rash. I will never forget the state trooper asking if i wanted the deer, i said yea throw it on top of the ambulance. So I cant stand deer at the edge of the road now...
Hunted all day in Idaho then headed for home in Slc UT. Way after dark a doe was standing in the middle of the road. I skidded to a stop and out my passenger window was a huge buck looking into the cab. He was the only buck I saw all day!!!
I've hit one and had one run into the side of my truck while I was doing 50 and it was going full speed. Just before she hit me, I looked out my passenger side window and there she was a few feet away, looking right at me.
A year or two ago someone hit a 190" bick in a town about twenty miles from here.
I almost hit a tall-tined 160 a couple years ago on the street in front of the junior high school here in town.
Knock on wood before typing. I have never hit a deer. I drive Northern Wisconsin at night 600 miles per month. Back roads.
Anyhow I have been in the car when we hit a pack of wild horses in Alberta by Banff. We were traveling 50 at 4:30 a.m. on a one on one bow moose day 1. I was looking at the stars and wholly shit a whole pack 20-30 came across in front of the 89 Suburban. We clipped two or three. Turned around with lights and one had a broken front left. They are a protected animal in Canada so we couldn't put it down.
Coming out of Cooke City snowmobiling we were in a blizzard coming over the pass from the parking lot south side and my buddy was driving my Denali with a 4 place trailer. We could only see about 30 feet max. Suddenly it was all elk. I would guess 50 running right to left. As the gods would have it, the seas parted just as we were going to hit. None had horns by the way. Then the idiot, driving 1st shift, goes to fast no trailer brakes, and stops short by way of guardrail from dropping 1500 vertical.
My wife has hit 2 deer in the last year, same car. I've almost nailed 3 or 4 in the last year - with a school bus. Last one's legs disappeared under the bumper (crossover mirrors let you see it all), but it managed to avoid the wheel. I drive some pretty rough country with that bus.
On the other hand, someone hit a bear with a motorcycle last week not too far from here. Broke the man's leg I believe but bike and bear OK.
I'm always cautious at night while driving the back roads. I had some close calls, but never hit one until 3 years ago. Funny part was it was at 8:00 in the morning on a September day.
I was coming down the road about 50 mph, was in a pretty populated area, a old man was actually in his front yard cutting his grass. All of a sudden a spike buck ran full tilt in to the right front quarter panel of my truck. I never even saw the deer until it was at the truck. I found out from the old man that a dog was running the deer. It did about 2,000 worth of damage.
I hit one two years ago on a state route. I was going 65 as a small buck jumped over the guardrail into my path. His hooves never touched the ground. I hit him broadside and he hung on my brush guard. In reaction, I touched the brakes causing him to fall down then I ran over him with two wheels.
The impact was so hard that it broke off his antlers and I saw them fly up over the cab. The landed in the road behind me.
Like Arctichill above, I have a large brush guard and winch frame with a warn 8000 pound winch. He only slightly bent one headlight loop.
I purposely drove that truck that day due to a massive cold front passing that day in late October and knew the deer would be moving all day. I wanted the protection of that winch frame.
Five so far. Not counting the ones that have run into the side of my vehicles.
Twice, I have missed the first two in a group and hit the third one. Got one in a blinding snow storm once as it was walking down the middle of the highway. Didn't see it until I was right on top of it.
Just got an estimate for my 09 Ram yesterday! Around $6500 and that doesn't include the damage to the fiberglass nose cone on my 5th wheel camper!!! I will be footing that bill out of pocket!!
CDogger, your insurance doesn't cover towed vehicles? You ned better insurance!
Had my dad's '83 Bronco lifted and freshly painted out of the shop 3 weeks and a damned doe ran out and I smacked her at about 60mph. Crushed the bumper into the fender and the fender into the tire. Pulled it away from the tire with a chain enough to drive and it stayed like that till I sold it 4 years later.
I myself hit one. Was leaving from WI to go skiing in WY and hit the deer 15 minutes from home, still managed to get the truck to WY. My dad hit one last year with his new truck on the way home from picking it up at the dealer, 30 minutes with a new truck and deer damage
northern Ohio 3xs the last on on 77n 101 mile marker canton/akron area at 70 mph hit a very large buck going north smacked him as I swerved to miss him he came into view in a leap after the hit he was hit again by a south bound car with 30 day tags totaled their new Cobalt they said they hit one same exact spot 1 year ago to the day 10/30, We stopped to help they were ok the buck cleared the road but Iam certain he would not survive two hits I retrieveda large piece of left main beam,very massive what a way to go.
I have hit a deer almost every other year for the last several years, in one trip I hit 3. Hit a doe with the bumper then 2 more ran into the side of the pickup. Speed,curves,hills and darkness arent ideal for dodging deer.
I was taking my son to a movie on an early November evening (I was tagged out). We were cruisin along in my Ranger on a 4 lane highway when the periphery of my headlights caught movement...Too late. It was a nice 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer, haulin @$$. I left of the gas, for whatever reason, and smacked him dead on. My 4 year old yelled at me for hitting the deer, and later cried when he saw the damage, not to the deer, but to daddy's "tough truck" as he called it. Only a promise to make the "tough truck" look new again slowed those tears.
"CDogger, your insurance doesn't cover towed vehicles? You ned better insurance!" Fuzzy , My agent said it wasn't covered. I was shocked when I heard that...I thought for sure a towed vehicle would be included on a comprehensive claim. I wonder if it is because this was on a commercial policy?
I've had two deer run into me, and hit one.
In high school I used to spend hours on backroads at night. Never hit anything. Then in college I had a deer run into me in a Kansas City neighborhood, 2 blocks from Avila college.
Then hit a deer the night I officially got engaged to my wife and asked her parents permission, as I was heading home from KC at about 2 a.m. T-boned that one, but luckily I was driving my big 3/4 ton Dodge diesel, and only got the bumper. $950 bumper though
then had another doe run into me as I was hurrying to a turkey hunting spot, a little late one spring morning. That one necessitated a new door for my Dodge
My wife was born and raised in KC, and now we live on a nice country highway where deer sightings are a nightly occurance. I HAMMER the idea into her, that you MUST NOT slam on the brakes, or swerve. EVER. That's when deer collisions become fatality accidents. Just apply steady pressure to the brakes to try and slow down some, then take the hit. Cars aren't worth it, and that's why you carry insurance
She's still driving a little Honda Civic though, and I HATE that thing just because of the potential deer run-ins, and it's so low to the ground I'm afraid a deer would come through the windshield. She graduates with a Masters in December. . . first thing on the list. . . an SUV for her.
Where I live, deer collisions are just an accepted hazard of everyday living.
Bake
man that sucks! (to CDogger) do you have an agent who looks out for you personally or are you just plugged directly to an underwriter? I find the "savings" is not there in the long run and like having an agent I know by name who looks after my account(s)
Bowman amateur, I'd like to hit you with my truck... I have a troll catcher on the front bumper.
^^^ 100% How the heck do guys pull up a random thread from almost a decade ago?
If you live and drive in Iowa its not a matter of IF you will hit a deer, but when! :-)
deerslayer, x2 and the OP has been deceased for some time. I Sure do miss KellyHarris, he was one of "the good ones"
I gave my son my 2004 LR to go to and from school during HS. I put a ABR steel bumper upfront. Coming down the hw a 4x4 jumped right in front of him. killed the buck, actually bent the steel bumper. Glad I put all that steel upfront
I've hit so many, my vehicles should look like a WW2 Fighter plane, with deer stickers on them!
Here's all I found from the last "suicide bomber"...didn't even find the carcass, I think he exploded?
Also , in my neck of the woods in WA its the Elk you need to be concerned about.
Hit one on way back from deer hunting and hit one on way back from hog hunting,must hunt to much
There are 3 Trophy Photos on Kelly’s Harris’s handle up top where he started this thread in 2010. Each one tells a great story of who Kelly was! RIP
Hit three with my truck over the last 5 years or so. Thanks to a solid Smittybuilt steel bumper, only one did much damage. That one exploded against the passenger corner of the bumper. Bent the outer bumper a bit requiring replacement for about $2K. Covered the underside of my truck with guts and their contents. Big mess. The other 2 basically got knocked aside by the bumper. One of the best investments I've ever made.
3 elk (all at the same time) totaled truck. 1 deer $3700 damage.
Brother has 6 deer. Most he never saw before impact.
I hit a whole "flock" of them last summer... actually, I hit one and two hit me in that group. Got the truck out of the body shop for about a month and smacked another deer while going 70ish. Back to the body shop it went. I hit two on two seperate occasions while coming home from bowhunting several years back, with minimal vehicular damage on those collisions.
Been a long time but I've hit 3. Actually, one of them hit me. I slowed down for a big doe that was about to cross the road. She turned and went back down in the ditch but as I was going around her, she sprinted back to the road and smacked into the side of my truck!
I hit another one in Missouri as I was taking a deer to get checked in!
Lost my job 7 weeks ago. 2 days later I hit a doe and tore up the truck. Bad week ah?
Have had many close calls over the years, live and hunt in high deer population suburbs of Phila. Just lucky it hasn’t happened before. Even away from home I’ve had close calls. The one I remember most was on one of my fathers moose hunts. In northern NH, I was able to get his bull moose in my dodge Dakota Whole! It took hrs, had to remove cap and leave it. Heading out after 11pm it was raining with a heavy load in the bed. We weren’t on pavement for a mile and a huge buck(easily over 200lb) jumps out in front of us. I reacted and slid all over the place somehow not hitting the deer or any trees. And moose remained in the bed!
Hit a little buck a couple of months ago by the Platte at Platteville. The little guy went under my truck then flew over the top of my cab. Only damage was my front license plate was missing. The deer was still alive on the side of the road. HiPo showed us and took 7 shots to hit the guy in the head and put him out of his misery. HiPo were amazed my truck wasn't tore all to hell. Me too!
About 10 years ago my Dad hit a deer on the Blueridge Parkway. He was on a Honda Gold-wing. The resulting impact blew bones out the side of his boot and totaled his bike. Spent over an hour on the ground waiting for rescue services. One of the locals stopped and took the deer and his bike. He still walks with a limp to this day. Seems like a life time ago. As he nears end of life I often wish we could rewind back to that day just to have more time even though it was a scary event.
Driving in SD this year, running 78 or so in a 70 mph. Doe lopes across the road. I slam on breaks, probably hit her going 68 or so. It is a lesson in physics. Hit her nearly dead center with the bumper. She flew through the air. I was driving a 2020 Ram 1/2 ton. She went far enough in the air and rolling that by the time I stopped she was still probably 50-60' in front of the truck.
I hit a yearling going down my driveway ( it's .75 of a mile) only going 25mph or so, killed it dead, threw it in the truck and we fired up the grill at work and had backstraps for lunch that day.
Back in the 80's while heading out to check Bear bait had 6 or more Deer come out of a steep ditch right in front of me. I got the truck slowed way down and the last deer disappeared below the line of my hood, hit her with the winch bumper. Got out and she was laying in the road my buddy asked if she was dead and I said I thought so and joked that we should load her up and put her on a bait. Grabbed her to move her off the road and she raised her head and stood up with what appeared to be a broken shoulder, got her moved into the ditch and left her. Came back a few hours later and she was gone.
Next one was right at dusk coming down a hill and this buck came up out of a steep ditch walking right out in front of me. Hit the brakes and swerved into other lane thinking I had missed him when I heard him hit the back of my truck. when I got out to look the air was full of Deer hair. Only damage to truck was the chrome trim around my rear wheel was missing, that hair was from when the hitch hauler hit him. Never did see him anywhere and I walked the road edge on both side for a long ways.
Never a deer, but I ran over 4 raccoons this past November in a 2 week span.
R. I. P. Kelly Harris......
I've hit 4 deer, with damage to my vehicles every time. One just about came through my windshield a couple years ago. You never forget the sight of a deer's head plastered against your windshield. Scary stuff, It makes you a little jittery while driving in the dark.
I’ve hit 5 in 32 years of driving central Michigan area. One even made me laugh out loud and put a smile on my face for a bit. Long story short- got home from work and shortly after that received a call from my boss to let me know my position had been eliminated (along with 12 other area managers). I had taken a company service truck home to complete service at a customers house on my way home. I called my safety director who lived close to my office and asked him to meet me there in an hour so I could drop off the truck, clean out my office and get my personal truck. On the drive back to the office, had a giant doe jump out of the ditch- wiped out the headlight, front quarter panel- her ass caved in the door and front of the box side! It was awesome karma in my book. After a year of being told I was going to move up the ladder, only to be let go by a phone call- it was the only reason for me to smile that night!
Hit a big bull moose with a VW and I went clean under him broke both of his hind legs and only broke a headlight. He went almost a half mile on those stumps before the warden and I were able to put him down. Residents can keep roadkilled deer and moose up here. The Quebecers drive like crazy through our village headed for Old Orchard Beach, Maine. We put our name on a list and when your turn comes you get a deer or moose. I prefer a deer to a swamp donkey.
I have hit several. Probably around 6. The worst one though, was when I was a senior in high school. I was riding my dads Honda 1100 motorcycle, had my girlfriend on the back. It was in the fall and had a yearling run into the side of us. I was riding close to the yellow line. It was almost dark out, so couldn't see real well. Seen it just before it hit. It shoved me all the way into the ditch, but I kept it upright. Smashed the hell out of our knees when it hit. My girlfriends leg was black and blue from her hip to her ankle. Her dad was not a happy camper. He told me she wasn't allowed on the bike anymore. I told I understood that part, but I didn't think he should have been mad at me. I was pretty proud of myself for keeping it upright. He didn't see it that way though.
That is impressive KSRancher that you didn't dump it. My kids are now teenagers and it makes me aware of the skill/reactions/reflexes I had when I was younger that I no longer possess.
Seen a guy at work with his arm in a sling. "what happened?" "Had my arm out the window of my car and this deer ran into it" Some people have all the luck. Neighbor was riding motorcycle with his wife on the back. Buck missed him but knocked her off. She is slightly hesitant to ride anymore.
Kelly was a Harley dude....Street Glide as I recall.
I've hit and killed 3 deer....thousands of dollars in damage every time. $5k in one hit several years ago. Wife has one deer by truck, and recently a medium-large dog which cost the dog owner's insurance company over $4k.
I've come close on the Harley a couple times. Big doe tried to tackle me on a county road, but we both decided it was a bad idea....both scared badly. Saw the aftermath of a motorcycle-hits-deer wreck a couple years ago. Bike in pieces and a jumbled mess. The deer looked just as bad. Rider had to be choppered to regional trauma center. We rode through the scene with other bikes and it was very sobering.
Funny you should ask. I just called the insurance company yesterday to put in a damage claim. After 48 years of driving through almost all deer and elk country, I hit my first one the night before last (actually my 2nd, I'll explain). I have had a few near misses, swerving out of the way or braking in time. This one popped out of the brush in a snowstorm and there he was, in my lane going left across in the snow. I swerved into the left lane, but whacked his head with my passenger headlight and bumper. He spun and his butt hit the fender. I figured there was no way he was gonna live through that, probably doing around 40. I slowed and pulled over, let cars pass both ways, and did a U'ie, passed the deer, and did another U'ie, pulled up to him. He lay on the white line, head up, looking around. Figured he had broken limbs, so I motioned for the passing cars to slow down. When they all got past, I went to put a headlock on the deer, a button buck, and drag it off to the side, then figure out what to do with it, probably finish it off. Yeah right, he went berserk in my arm, got free, and tried to get up on the ice and snowy road. Fell a couple times, then got his feet under him and bolted across the road where he was originally heading, looking none the worse for wear. I couldn't believe he did that. tuff animals they are. Wow! My cousin was behind me and saw the whole thing. He thought it was dead. I said I guess it just got Tysoned for an 8 count and got back up to fight another day. The 2nd one I mentioned above (actually, 1st) was a roe deer I hit fifteen minutes into a car rental in London last summer. It popped out of one of those hedges that are a foot from the lane and whipped around just in tome for me to thump its backside, but I don't think it did him any harm, and the vehicle received no damage. So that was the first, but neither died.
A fella I used to work with was also a bowhunter. One day he came to work all scratched up and bruised. He was apparently sneaking into an area along the Canadian River South of Norman, OK. So that he was "stealthy", he bought a moped and slung all of his gear around his neck to get to this spot. While coming out one night, he got blindsided by a big old doe and it knocked him right off the moped. True story.
A very Bad day. Never saw it coming. Jumped off a hump on the side of the road and Boom!! This was $17,000 in damage to a 9 month old car. To say the least I drove it away from the body shop after a 2 months and sold it within a couple days. Wife found some corn in her door pocket and that was all it took
In many parts of the country Dept of Wildlife management are managing population goal setting decisions based on deer crash statistics. State Farm reports illustrate about 200K for their customers per year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) ~ 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions happen each year in USA. Those accidents cause about 150 human deaths and $1.1 billion in property damage annually. Those stats rise and fall with local populations and worst time of course are during rut(late fall) and birthing.(spring). You can drill one with the vehicle just about anywhere and at anytime in the US.
I hit 6 of them in 10 years after moving out of the metroland 25 years ago. Saw a dead 6 pt on the road next to my neighbors mail box a few years ago upon returning from an unsuccessful hunting trip. A buck was running around in MN governors office a few years back,. Not to far from were I live they have a wolf and other predatory animal research center-basically free food for all of them.
'some corn in her door pocket ' Bad place to put a bait pile...otherwise you might never have hit him... :)
Hit a cow elk doing 70 mph. Body shop,removed elk hide from the fire wall in the engine compartment. Trooper asked me if I wanted the meat, it was tenderized. Fixed up the pickup and sold it.
Hit a cow elk doing 70 mph. Body shop,removed elk hide from the fire wall in the engine compartment. Trooper asked me if I wanted the meat, it was tenderized. Fixed up the pickup and sold it.
Over the years 6 between Wi and MN
4 total, 2 “brushes” that didn’t even leave a mark and 2 with damage.
I drove for over 20 years with only one “ brush”, then had to replace the same quarter panel and headlight assembly twice in an 18 month period. 200 + lb 8 pointer the first time and 90 lb doe the second. The doe did more damage than the buck due to a more direct impact.
Had a “pucker moment” one night week before last when I came around a curve and a nice buck was standing about 2 feet off the pavement. If he had continued to cross, the truck would probably be in the body shop now. Fortunately, he changed his mind and turned around!
Lots of close calls, but I’ve never hit one....yet. Like midwest, I had a small buck run into the side of my pickup once. I saw him coming up out of the ditch and I slowed completely to a stop at the same time he hit the pavement. He skidded almost to a stop, but bumped into the driver’s side rear quarter panel with just enough momentum to smudge the dirt off.
My dad, on the other hand, has hit several, including 2 in the same day, about 1 1/2hrs apart.
A huge muley buck flanked me in my blindside and crossed in front of me on the way home from town today. I braked hard and it was close but a clean miss. I did get hit by a whitetail in Michigan 4 or 5 years ago. A whole herd busted across the road out of the woods as I was grabbing 5th gear and hitting 60 MPH. The deer hit my drivers side fender and went tomahawking over the low roofline of my Subaru. Dented up the fender but that's it.
My wife had her car totaled on a Friday by some dumba-- driving too fast, we smashed a doe with the rental car on Saturday. It was a bad two days in the Embry home.
I had a buck plow headfirst into the side of an ex-girlfriend's truck. Scratches from the antlers and a little tuft of hair under the fender trim. He just ran off.
The farmer who's land I hunt on is up to 27.
Make sure your comprehensive insurance is up to date (State Farm at least) because that is what covers hit animals and not just collision insurance. I found out the hard way with a hit deer ( 6k out of pocket). My son hit a deer a couple weeks ago with his new Tacoma (1k deductable but 8k damage). He is also having an upgraded heavy duty bumper installed in case there is a next time.
1 buck and 1 turkey. Neither did much damage but both were equally dead.
Hit 3 totaled 1 vehicle so far
Merry Christmas to the Kelly Harris family. Our thoughts are with you.
I believe this thread he started in 2010 was brought back for us to remember him this holiday season. RIP Kelly!
I killed one on the way to my morning hunt. It knocked out my radiator but I made it to my hunting area, hunted all morning then went with my farmer to get her to be processed. It totaled my van but got a settlement for more than it was worth so it was a good day and I wasn't hurt.
“The farmer who's land I hunt on is up to 27.”
Maybe he needs a bigger brush guard ;)
I drive a LOTTA MILES in areas with high deer populations and have been incredibly lucky, considering my 25,000 mile/year commute for about 10 of the past 15 years.... I think I’m down to about 18k now, but I suppose it’s only a matter of time. Keepin’ my eyes peeled for sure!
Everybody hit a deer now and then (around here anyway).
My dad stopped once to let them cross... one ran right into his driver's door. While stopped! Big dent and broken sideview mirror.
X2 Charlie. I've never killed a deer with a vehicle, but I killed my elk this year with a 114 Kelly-BigDan tribute arrow.
RIP Kelly and Dan.
I were sitting at a red light this morning on the way to school, and saw the first in a group of 5 does jump the hood of the car in front of us. Don't think it even touched.
Well....technically I've never hit one, but I had one hit ME! I was just about stopped at a stop sign, when a rutting buck (he was thinking with the wrong head) came down the road bank, ran into the front panel of the car, took the mirror out, and then rolled over the rear panel and trunk and then continued to his romantic interlude.
I have never hit a deer with a vehicle. Being born and raised in deer country helps. I have to be very careful the first mile of road I drive to get to the main road since deer jump out all the time. I have had to step on the brakes dozens of times just on the road I live near. When late October comes you have to really be careful even during the day since the bucks are chasing the does. My closest calls have come driving the neighbor's dirt roads through his corn fields with my Gator. They jump out to cross the road to cross to the next corn. I don't drive wide open there.
Good point Shut. I have no proof of this, but I have a belief that hunters overall maybe hit fewer deer than the average non-hunting driver, even though we probably spend more time in deer country than other folks. I say this because if you hunt a lot, your "hunting eyes" are ALWAYS on, especially when you're in deer country. I live in a rural, wooded area, and when I drive up these roads I'm constantly looking at the edge of the woods or cover alongside the road. I can't help it, that's what I'm programmed for!
Then there's the, "don't watch the deer that just crossed, look where it came from" factor, because the THAT one will be the one you hit!
