This actually happened to me Sunday evening. There is no definite right or wrong answer (except stupid ones) Just your opinion. I will tell what I did and the outcome at the end...

The scene,
It's Sunday evening about 8:30 pm, you tired after a long day on riding with your mate and heading home. You are on the Ohio turnpike heading west running the center of 3 lanes doing 75 in a 70 zone. The sun is directly ahead and even your top of the line sun glasses are struggling. Traffic is sparce.

Suddenly less than 100 yards ahead you see movement on the right side of the pike. You squint, a black shape (you are looking into the setting sun) leaps out of the ditch and runs to the middle lane directly ahead of you and stops. Finally you realize it is a deer and it is trying to figure out what to do next.

Do you...
1) Dive for the left lane and hope the deer changes direction?
2) Dive for the right lane and hope the deer doesn't turn around and run back to the ditch?
3) Go straight and the hope the deer isn't frozen in your headlights?
4) Hit the breaks and hope no cage runs you down? (They would be looking into the sun also.)

Like I said this happened to me Sunday evening.

I checked my mirrors. There were no cars for some way behind me (I said traffic was sparce). Then I started breaking hard. My great big car tire on the back puts alot of rubber on the road and I used all of it. Dragged the bike down to 30 when the deer suddenly broke back and scrambled into the ditch. I then accelerated hard to get back up to speed to get away from the deer and any following cages.

What would you have done?

 

Sounds like the right call to me. If there were concrete barriers diving the highway that may have screwed with the deers decision making as well. That time of day they start moving so let that be a heads up for those that don't know. Glad to hear you didn't have to lay it down.

 

I would have done the same, slow down to a manageable speed so I can then react to which way the deer heads.

 

I've been on that stretch and luckily the Ohio Turnpike is a good road. I would have done the same thing as deer are too unpredictable.

 

Without being there, I don't know what I would do. Glad you figured it out.

 

I would've slowed down quickly and veered to left lane to drive the deer to the right (hopefully).

 

Brake hard is what I answered. Though it took me longer to read it and answer than you had, by far.

Alan

 

Nice moves; I'm glad you and the deer are ok.

 

Hoping I'd have the composure to do as you did. Deer seem suicidal around here at least and tend to be unpredictable as hell.

 

Would add hitting the horn repeatedly. Sometimes they wake up and move, sometimes not.