Avoiding Hitting Deer?
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 1,920
Likes: 1,372
From: Black Hills of SD
I live where I am because I love the wildlife. But I also respect that I live where they are. Its all part of the deal.
- Watch for cars, watch drivers, watch for bicyclists, watch for pedestrians, watch for debris on the roads, watch the weather, watch for all animals.
Can't control any of them, so we just have to do the best we can to control what we can.
- Watch for cars, watch drivers, watch for bicyclists, watch for pedestrians, watch for debris on the roads, watch the weather, watch for all animals.
Can't control any of them, so we just have to do the best we can to control what we can.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,316
Likes: 2,388
From: Jackson, OH
I also love deer and wildlife. We have lived rurally for over 45 years, literally with wildlife in our yard. I remember when whitetail deer were not at problem numbers. I was a huge advocate for respecting them as a resource and I still am. The issue is one of regional overpopulation caused by a variety of factors. Hunters simply are not killing enough deer to control herd growth in our region, hence we have far too many deer and deer living in spaces they never used to occupy. The dramatic rise in deer population has subsequently increased deer-vehicle interactions with damages and injuries. The only real remedy is to somehow reduce deer numbers but I dont foresee my state doing that. Disease might do it, though I dislike the thought of it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,539
Likes: 3,945
From: Virginia
Little known fact, Deer were nearly extinct in Virginia in the early 1900's due to overhunting and loss of habitat. The state started importing deer from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and NC stating in 1930 and continued doing so till 1992 when the wildlife people decided the population was large enough to thrive on its own. Today, we are over run by white tails, lol.
I also love deer and wildlife. We have lived rurally for over 45 years, literally with wildlife in our yard. I remember when whitetail deer were not at problem numbers. I was a huge advocate for respecting them as a resource and I still am. The issue is one of regional overpopulation caused by a variety of factors. Hunters simply are not killing enough deer to control herd growth in our region, hence we have far too many deer and deer living in spaces they never used to occupy. The dramatic rise in deer population has subsequently increased deer-vehicle interactions with damages and injuries. The only real remedy is to somehow reduce deer numbers but I dont foresee my state doing that. Disease might do it, though I dislike the thought of it.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 1,920
Likes: 1,372
From: Black Hills of SD
We killed all our Black Bears back in the late 40's, I think it was. Stupid..... We unfortunately have never tried to repair it. There have been a few BB sightings in the Black Hills, so all hope is not lost. Sometimes humans can really screw up a good working system.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,316
Likes: 2,388
From: Jackson, OH
Part of my local issue with deer has to do with changing human ways. Our 120 acres used to be surrounded by working farms, clean fences and very little brush. Now those farms and properties are grown up and no longer farmed at all. They are deer havens and the owners mostly don't have hunters asking to hunt it seems. The deer are free to reproduce as desired. Hunters largely don't care about does and yearlings. They only want bucks in their trucks. This is a pattern repeating itself all over whitetail country. As the population increases in prime habitat areas, deer are pushed into marginal areas near highways, housing developments and business parks. Anyway....our farm is simply getting the extreme pressure of too many deer.
I did my part again last evening. 2 very large does killed 3 minutes apart. They are at my deer processor as I type this. That makes 14 taken. There will be more. This morning I had no fewer than 6 within easy range of the house.
I did my part again last evening. 2 very large does killed 3 minutes apart. They are at my deer processor as I type this. That makes 14 taken. There will be more. This morning I had no fewer than 6 within easy range of the house.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 377
Likes: 264
From: Wiesbaden /Germany
Anyone who has ever run over a large dog like a German Shepherd doesn't joke about it, especially when the dog was lying half-dead next to the road.
My mother Ingrid ran over a woman in the 1960s; the lady was riding her bicycle in the fog on a country road, she was killed instantly.
My mother never spoke about it herself; I only know all this from my grandmother. The victim was a widow with two small children, and my mother anonymously paid a great deal of money to the two children for decades.
I know now that this terrible accident changed my mother's life. She couldn't cope anymore and ultimately went to the Seychelles in 1979, seeking distance and peace from it all.
Fate sometimes plays cruel tricks that none of us can foresee. I was just a little boy back then, but now I understand why my own mother later became such a stranger to me.
The reason I'm writing all this down is that I'm her son. Ingrid felt guilty and ran away from her life.
Mike
My mother Ingrid ran over a woman in the 1960s; the lady was riding her bicycle in the fog on a country road, she was killed instantly.
My mother never spoke about it herself; I only know all this from my grandmother. The victim was a widow with two small children, and my mother anonymously paid a great deal of money to the two children for decades.
I know now that this terrible accident changed my mother's life. She couldn't cope anymore and ultimately went to the Seychelles in 1979, seeking distance and peace from it all.
Fate sometimes plays cruel tricks that none of us can foresee. I was just a little boy back then, but now I understand why my own mother later became such a stranger to me.
The reason I'm writing all this down is that I'm her son. Ingrid felt guilty and ran away from her life.
Mike
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,821
Likes: 11,115
From: NE Ohio
Anyone who has ever run over a large dog like a German Shepherd doesn't joke about it, especially when the dog was lying half-dead next to the road.
My mother Ingrid ran over a woman in the 1960s; the lady was riding her bicycle in the fog on a country road, she was killed instantly.
My mother never spoke about it herself; I only know all this from my grandmother. The victim was a widow with two small children, and my mother anonymously paid a great deal of money to the two children for decades.
I know now that this terrible accident changed my mother's life. She couldn't cope anymore and ultimately went to the Seychelles in 1979, seeking distance and peace from it all.
Fate sometimes plays cruel tricks that none of us can foresee. I was just a little boy back then, but now I understand why my own mother later became such a stranger to me.
The reason I'm writing all this down is that I'm her son. Ingrid felt guilty and ran away from her life.
Mike
My mother Ingrid ran over a woman in the 1960s; the lady was riding her bicycle in the fog on a country road, she was killed instantly.
My mother never spoke about it herself; I only know all this from my grandmother. The victim was a widow with two small children, and my mother anonymously paid a great deal of money to the two children for decades.
I know now that this terrible accident changed my mother's life. She couldn't cope anymore and ultimately went to the Seychelles in 1979, seeking distance and peace from it all.
Fate sometimes plays cruel tricks that none of us can foresee. I was just a little boy back then, but now I understand why my own mother later became such a stranger to me.
The reason I'm writing all this down is that I'm her son. Ingrid felt guilty and ran away from her life.
Mike
dude...
KTF
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Tourer
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 453
Likes: 449
From: Chicago
Ive definitely seen any number of deer during cross country rides but not many around where I live so Ive been interested reading all the comments in this thread. Was driving back from my daughters in Madison WI yesterday late afternoon early evening. I like to take the back roads as much as I can. Saw 4 dead deer, other assorted roadkill (some bigger than youd want to hit on a bike) and had one deer run by and just make the shoulder of a two lane road in the dark as we passed it. Stupidly I havent thought about deer on those drives. I sure will now.