on the way to the campground

GalsofEscape · 06-21-2013, 06:25 PM

Well, we had a great start. All packed up on the road making decent time. It seems the deer are not waiting for dusk to move. Hit the doe with the front grill. Got to our destination alright, but the radiator is bent and we may not have air conditioning. Tow truck guy says we should be ok to make it home. What a way to start our weekend.

rattleNsmoke · 06-21-2013, 06:34 PM

Oh Man they can do some damage. This morning I was hauling azz to a destination 40 miles away in my Corvette when one of those SOB's an out in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and Wifey almost poured her entire travel mug of tea on my carpet. (That would have pissed me off). I missed it by 'that much'. Deer season should be 24\7\365. Jacklighting preferred.

GalsofEscape · 06-21-2013, 07:02 PM

I would vote for that. Do not even have the meat, she got up and rund off.

OldCoot · 06-21-2013, 07:39 PM

This is what a wild turkey does when hit @ 75mph. Doesn't show the horrible mess covering the entire windshield. Stopped immediately as we couldn't see. Used a full container of wiper fluid getting it to where we could get to a station and finish cleaning the windshield. Other than the bug deflector, hood & grille, wasn't too bad other than the smell. Scared the dickens out of us tho'.

AVid · 06-21-2013, 09:24 PM

I've hit a deer before...really ruins your day. Scares the devil out of ya.

John

GalsofEscape · 06-21-2013, 09:27 PM

Oh my and I bet you did not see it coming? I do not know what is worst, seeing it coming and not being able to avoid it or just getting hit without warning. Just dread having to put the TV in the shop. And we have a full camping schedule. Oh well, will see what the insurance company has to say.

Taylorgso · 06-22-2013, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalsofEscape

Well, we had a great start. All packed up on the road making decent time. It seems the deer are not waiting for dusk to move. Hit the doe with the front grill. Got to our destination alright, but the radiator is bent and we may not have air conditioning. Tow truck guy says we should be ok to make it home. What a way to start our weekend.

You might consider one of these. I put one on our "C" and you can notice them along the side of the road turn their head and look as we approach. High Frequency and inaudible to humans! Fairly quick and easy install.

Amazon.com: Hopkins 27512VA Trailblazer Electronic Deer Alert: Automotive

PHS79 · 06-22-2013, 08:50 PM

My wife has hit 4 deer, 1 dog and gotten rear ended all with her little 2005 Ford Focus! That little thing has had more $$$$ in body work done to it than what the car cost us brand new!

2 years ago we were on our way to a CG about 75 miles north of us, we were 1/2 mile from the entrance to the CG and in the last 1/2 mile we had a total of 7 deer that were either standing in the road or ran out in front of us. When we registered at the office I told the worker about all the deer, the next day I happen to see the worker again. She said that the next person that came into the CG about 10 mins later actually hit one of the deer and did a bunch of damage.

Rugged Brown · 06-22-2013, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

This is what a wild turkey does when hit @ 75mph. Doesn't show the horrible mess covering the entire windshield. Stopped immediately as we couldn't see. Used a full container of wiper fluid getting it to where we could get to a station and finish cleaning the windshield. Other than the bug deflector, hood & grille, wasn't too bad other than the smell. Scared the dickens out of us tho'.

Dibs on the neck...

GalsofEscape · 06-22-2013, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylorgso

You might consider one of these. I put one on our "C" and you can notice them along the side of the road turn their head and look as we approach. High Frequency and inaudible to humans! Fairly quick and easy install.

Amazon.com: Hopkins 27512VA Trailblazer Electronic Deer Alert: Automotive

Will look into it but I am not sure that would have helped much here. She was bound and determined to cross this very busy road, she almost made it too, dodged a few other cars. I was the last car in her way.

**dcheatwood** · 06-22-2013, 09:17 PM

I worked a few accidents over the years involving deer, including a fatality, and one frequent comment I've heard from drivers was " I was watching one that ran across and never saw the other one." It appears that its often the second or third one that get us. Good to know for defensive driving.

SaskCampers · 06-22-2013, 09:35 PM

Did almost 9k damage the 1st one, 6500 2nd and the 3rd was abt 8k. Deere are not fun but I would much rather a deere than a moose.

OldCoot · 06-22-2013, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSasks

Did almost 9k damage the 1st one, 6500 2nd and the 3rd was abt 8k. Deere are not fun but I would much rather a deere than a moose.

Yeah, a moose would total a car. From what I hear a hog will do terrific damage due to the fact they are so solid.

timarti · 06-22-2013, 09:58 PM

1. Deer always seem to come in threes! If you see one, there are more waiting to commit suicide.

2. You never, never want to hit a moose. It is likely you will not live to tell the tale. They are so tall they come through the windshield on top of you.

Moose and deer country up here, but I think Newfounland has the dubious distinction of being the moose fatality capital.

MillerTime · 06-22-2013, 10:20 PM

Op.
Man that sucks.
I work on alot of animal hits and it always amazes me how thier hairs can get in-bedded in plastic and inbetween tires and wheels.
Hope the rest of your time is better!

asquared · 06-23-2013, 12:30 AM

I have learned those deer whistles startle the deer into the road. They used to stand still or run the other way until I put them on my old Durango and then they started to run in front of me. I got rid of them after I hit a deer head on. I got lucky, the Durango and the deer not so much. Then again the Durango was one of those vehicles that seemed to ask things to hit me. I can't count how many times someone hit me in that thing. I could be sitting still at a red light and the stopped car behind me would literally accelerate into me. some vehicles are just accident magnets.

Oh and the lady who owned the farm I used to board at had a horse named Quaker Anne. She was 17 hands tall (that's 5'8" at her back) and solidly built. She got spooked one night, jumped a fence and got hit by a compact car. she rolled up over the car roof of the car and then took off running. She only had a few bruises but the car was totalled. Luckily the driver wasn't injured.

paulmac · 06-23-2013, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

I worked a few accidents over the years involving deer, including a fatality, and one frequent comment I've heard from drivers was " I was watching one that ran across and never saw the other one." It appears that its often the second or third one that get us. Good to know for defensive driving.

I have noticed that too. I have never hit or been hit by a deer, but have had some close calls. A couple of times there has been one in the road and I have stopped and sure enough after it crossed 1 or 2 more followed after it. My brother had a near miss with one in the front of him but the 2nd one hit his car broadside. So if you see one and stop, wait a minute or so before proceeding.

Also having worked as a 911 dispatcher, the problem occurs more often during mating season. Once they get a scent of a possible mate they will follow that scent no matter what. I witnessed a male one time approaching a road from an open field, nose in the air as he was following a scent. And he proceeded across the highway at a decent gallop and no hesitation. Luckily no one hit him as it was daylight and drivers saw him coming. But had it been dark, or foggy, I am sure results would have been different.

Taylorgso · 06-23-2013, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalsofEscape

Will look into it but I am not sure that would have helped much here. She was bound and determined to cross this very busy road, she almost made it too, dodged a few other cars. I was the last car in her way.

The deer alert won't prevent them from bolting across the road. We travel a lot in Eastern NC on back-country roads where we have a second home, and there are always deer along these roads. This is especially dangerous at night, but if you learn to look for the glare of their eyes, you can avoid them. What the deer alerts do is cause the deer to turn toward the sound, and at that time you'll be able to see their eyes and take precautions. Once I spot a deer, I lean on the horn, and they'll then invariably run away from the road. I've probably encountered literally thousands of deer along these roads and am yet to have a collision - of course there's always a first time.

Pawpod · 06-23-2013, 01:38 PM

Last summer we hit a chunk (and I mean a chunk) of deer. The semi in front of us drove over the chunk then I saw it, but with vehicles beside and behind us left us with 2 options and I was not going into the ditch. Went under our tv, hit the wdh (leaving jerky behind) then our sewer hose holder (taking out the door) and then doing a drum solo under the trailer. We did find the door and juror rigged it back on. Best guess is that a semi exploded the deer in the night or early morning as there were chunks but no red as it rained that morning.

MotocrossCamper · 06-23-2013, 02:24 PM

That's what the deer whistles are suppose to do, startle them and get them moving. With them you are hoping the sound scares them off before you even see them. When your head lights hit the deer there are pretty much blind and frozen. Hence the term "stood there like a deer in the headlights"

In Nebraska they have installed electrified fences on both sides of I-80 between omaha and lincoln so they can't cross the interstate.

Last weekend was the first time I have had to lock up the Sunseeker with the enclosed trailer for a deer and I hope it's the last for awhile.

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