Who rides in deer country? Ever whacked a deer or other critter while riding? Worried about t-boning a running animal at speed?


I live in some of the best deer country in the midwest and they area constant presence. It's to the point I don't consider it safe to ride from dusk to dawn. I killed (another) one with my truck back in June. 55 mph broadside. That one made 3 for me over the years. While riding late in June I rounded a curve 1/4 mile from my driveway...and a fully mature doe jumped off a roadside bank almost running right into the side of my machine. She and I both swerved and I came close to dumping it. Heart in throat for a minute.


I constantly scan road edges for deer when riding and probably avoided 20+ close ones last summer. While riding along the Ohio river in late summer we came upon a bad accident scene. A rider punched a deer at 2 in the afternoon, totaling his bike and sending him on a screaming ambulance ride to a hospital. I saw his bike and it was DE-stroyed. That one really got inside my head.


Ever had a close call?

 

I hit one with a car but not a motorcycle. If I get stuck out late at night, I try to have a car run interference for me. On the freeway, I just find the fastest semi and follow him as long as I can.

 

Yup..big time. Hell twice a day usually (dawn and dusk) a heard of 12-18 cut through my yard diagonally. Live near a creek in the woods that's a route for them, they cross the street leaping across my front stone wall...continue along side of the school across the street. Yup...elementary school across the street, so I can't go out 'n shoot them.

My road has a few skid marks from my back tire from some sudden brakes. Couple of times I swear I could have reach out and punch the critter in the head they were so close.

I've seen them get hit on my road...I was behind someone who hit them.

My second wife hit one in her car. Had several friends who have hit them in their vehicles.

I've had one hit (the skids and impact) woke me up...and it managed a few steps into my front yard before it collapsed and croaked in my front lawn. Wasn't fun picking that tick infested thing up and plopping it in the back of my pickup...as the bladder let loose on me.

So yeah..crap loads of 'em in my area....

 

I hit a deer and cut it in two with my 1100 Honda Aero. Kept it up for a few yards and went down. Broke my collar bone, bruised ribs, ect. I rode that same bike a month later. After it was fixed of course.

 

Northeast PA - whitetail country. My closest call was this past fall, I was riding home from working and was just a quarter mile from my road.

 

I live in an extremely high population area, coupled with massive amounts of new construction eating up land.

Not uncommon to have 20 in the backyard.

That said, the closest call I had was with an Eastern Coyote. About took his tail off with the front fender.

Dusk and after, the deer are everywhere.

 

I hit one in my company car just over a year ago. I was inside the city limits of a small NC town at 3pm in the afternoon doing 45 mph. I never saw this deer until I hit it. It was at a full run and I saw it, felt it and heard it all at the same time. It happened so fast that there was no chance to brake or steer away from it. It did just over $3 k in damage to my Ford Fusion. Messed up the grill, hood and right side front fender. I really thought it was going to come up and hit the windshield but it did not.

Frankly this was very eye opening for me. Scares the crap out of me thinking about it in the bike!

 

Try to stay off roads at night.......too damn dangerous!

 

Pul-EEZE, there are more deer in NJ today than there were when the Indians ran the state. I've had a few near misses on my bikes, and at least one hit with my F150. You can thank restrictive gun laws and limited hunting seasons for the surplus.

In fact, in the Fall I'm more afraid of rutting deer than texting or makeup-applying Millenials, and choose my routes accordingly.

 

SO FAR...I've see two deer. One was about 100 yards down from us when it ran across the road and the other one was closer but running along the other side of the road.