Deer Question
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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I hit a deer at about 55 mph on my RKC. I had no time to swerve and wouldn't have anyway. I figure if you gotta go down, it's usually best to stay in the road vs. possibly hitting an object off the road. I took my hit, went into a high speed wobble and thought she was gonna high side, but got it back under control and safely stopped.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 85
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From: Prosper, TX
After hitting one this past Saturday AM and reading several articles on the topic, I believe the best thing to do is hit the deer rather than trying to avoid it and risk hitting something else. I can tell you that my wife and I were launched and I'm awaiting the estimate on the bike, but, we hit the deer at about 60 MPH and had no broken bones, just road rash.
We were on my 07 Street Glide and it appears I hit the deer with the left side of the fairing breaking both rear legs. He appeared 15 feet ahead of me in the air @ windshield height in the right side of my lane. I knew I was going to hit him so I let off the gas and locked up the brakes. Thank god for leather jackets and helmets (we did not have leather chaps or pants on, just jeans, hence the road rash.
We were on my 07 Street Glide and it appears I hit the deer with the left side of the fairing breaking both rear legs. He appeared 15 feet ahead of me in the air @ windshield height in the right side of my lane. I knew I was going to hit him so I let off the gas and locked up the brakes. Thank god for leather jackets and helmets (we did not have leather chaps or pants on, just jeans, hence the road rash.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,056
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From: Connecticut
In most cases you won't have time to swerve, but if you do have the time, and the room to do so, always swerve toward the deers *** end. The deer won't run backwards. Of course this is a rare scenario, like when you come up on a deer standing in the middle of the road. Never happened to me on my bike, but has in my car.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,525
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From: Wheeling, WV
That sounds awfully counter-intuitive. Maybe he wouldn't have hit several animals if hadn't dropped a gear and opened the throttle? Better getting lift from it? Let me guess, he does a somersault in the air and lands on his feet and then takes a bow? I'm not sure I'd be taking a lot of advice from that dude.
Edit: And no this wasn't one of those road pancakes that was already flat. It was just hit and all intact.
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Joined: May 2007
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From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
West Virginia Has Highest Risk of Deer-Car Accidents
Photo Courtesy - Getty Images(BLOOMINGTON, Ill.) -- For the fourth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where a driver is most likely to collide with a deer. Auto insurer State Farm determined a driver's odds of hitting a deer in the state is one-in-42.
Iowa ranks second on the list, with odds of one-in-67, followed by Michigan with one-in-70. Hawaii finishes off the list in last place, with the odds of striking a deer standing at one-in-13,011. (MOVE HERE for better ODDs)
State Farm said while the number of miles driven by U.S. motorists over the past five years has increased just two percent, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in this country during that time has grown by 10 times that amount.
Using its claims data, the company estimated 2.3 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. during the two-year period ending on June 30. That's 21.1 percent more than five years earlier.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. cause about 200 fatalities each year. The average damage to a car or truck is $3,103.
The deer migration and mating season falls in the months of October, November and December, which happens to be the time period with the highest number of deer-car collisions. More accidents are expected this year than in past seasons, since the deer population is growing and their habitats are being displaced by urban sprawl.
Copyright 2010 ABC News Radio
Photo Courtesy - Getty Images(BLOOMINGTON, Ill.) -- For the fourth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where a driver is most likely to collide with a deer. Auto insurer State Farm determined a driver's odds of hitting a deer in the state is one-in-42.
Iowa ranks second on the list, with odds of one-in-67, followed by Michigan with one-in-70. Hawaii finishes off the list in last place, with the odds of striking a deer standing at one-in-13,011. (MOVE HERE for better ODDs)
State Farm said while the number of miles driven by U.S. motorists over the past five years has increased just two percent, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in this country during that time has grown by 10 times that amount.
Using its claims data, the company estimated 2.3 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. during the two-year period ending on June 30. That's 21.1 percent more than five years earlier.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. cause about 200 fatalities each year. The average damage to a car or truck is $3,103.
The deer migration and mating season falls in the months of October, November and December, which happens to be the time period with the highest number of deer-car collisions. More accidents are expected this year than in past seasons, since the deer population is growing and their habitats are being displaced by urban sprawl.
Copyright 2010 ABC News Radio
senior experienced all-knowing leader of the unwise
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,957
Likes: 351
From: USA
Like the last poster said, it helps to know something about deer like most hunters would. The rut which happens at different times depending on which area you live in is dangerous because those big old bucks have only one thing on thier minds, kinda like bikers sometimes. Never assume the deer that crossed the road up ahead of you is by itself. There could be a buck or young deer following behind that can run out in the road. They are moving to and from feeding areas in the early morning and late afternoon. Most deer you see grazing on the shoulders are used to cars and won't even look up as you go by. That's their feeding grounds and they are already where they are going. In the south we have deer hunting with dogs. That's a real bad time as a deer with dogs on it's tail will run anywhere. Deer at night are unpredictable, they can't see well in the daytime much less at night. I believe they see things in a 2 dimensional world of shades of gray. I guess no one but a deer knows for sure and they ain't sayin'.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,877
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From: Hallsville, Tx.
Like the last poster said, it helps to know something about deer like most hunters would. The rut which happens at different times depending on which area you live in is dangerous because those big old bucks have only one thing on thier minds, kinda like bikers sometimes. Never assume the deer that crossed the road up ahead of you is by itself. There could be a buck or young deer following behind that can run out in the road. They are moving to and from feeding areas in the early morning and late afternoon. Most deer you see grazing on the shoulders are used to cars and won't even look up as you go by. That's their feeding grounds and they are already where they are going. In the south we have deer hunting with dogs. That's a real bad time as a deer with dogs on it's tail will run anywhere. Deer at night are unpredictable, they can't see well in the daytime much less at night. I believe they see things in a 2 dimensional world of shades of gray. I guess no one but a deer knows for sure and they ain't sayin'.
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Tourer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 285
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte NC
Just be more cautious during the months of October Thru Mid-December, these are the months of the most deer movement, because of the rut (mating season). Also the deer are doing more feeding getting prepped for winter, so they are covering more ground than any other time of the year.
November for most areas is the probably the worst month, as the rut is at it's peak during this month in many areas, with the southern warmer areas starting earlier and the northern colder areas starting later. The guys caught in the middle states have to watch the whole month.
After this period the deer will go back to being fairly nocturnal, and travelling less frequently. Hopefully by then me and fellow hunters will have our freezers full of them as well!
November for most areas is the probably the worst month, as the rut is at it's peak during this month in many areas, with the southern warmer areas starting earlier and the northern colder areas starting later. The guys caught in the middle states have to watch the whole month.
After this period the deer will go back to being fairly nocturnal, and travelling less frequently. Hopefully by then me and fellow hunters will have our freezers full of them as well!
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