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Hit a deer this weekend

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PSA October and November is deer mating season and they go all crazy and run across the road.

Kinda belated, I'm bad at PSA's.
 
ksheets said:
Coming from Ohio and having several insurance claims over the years. The deer hit YOU, you didn't hit the deer. 🙂
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I came here to say this.

#1 rule in auto accidents is it's always the other party's fault. Even if mother nature is involved. Phrasing is key.
 
skimple said:
No worries. I always scoffed at my wife's paranoia about hitting a deer, picking out deer that are hundreds of yards away from the road. I've always seen them in time.

Until I didn't.
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Many years ago, I *tried* to hit a deer. My car was a boat, and had a pretty robust front end. I couldn't hit it. Many times when people hit a deer, it isn't the deer that they saw, but a second one coming behind it. So, I've employed a hypothesis that thus far, has stood up to every test: if they're not standing in the middle of the lane, I don't slow down for them. Then, they have less of a chance to get in front of the vehicle. Example's like the OP's seem to be less common than the stories of people braking hard, and hitting a deer that still ran in front of them.
 
I could have hit a deer a couple of weekends ago. I was driving home from Baton Rouge and saw one slowly ambling out onto the highway. It wasn't really a near thing at all. I saw it way up the road and had plenty of time to slow down to a crawl and wait for it to pass. At the pace it was walking I definitely would have hit it if I hadn't slowed down. That's a great example of a deer I only would have hit if I had been texting though.
 
I look for their eyes reflecting in the dark and always use my hi-beams when there are no other vehicles. I frequently pass herds of them. Been really lucky so far.
 
skimple said:
No worries. I always scoffed at my wife's paranoia about hitting a deer, picking out deer that are hundreds of yards away from the road. I've always seen them in time.

Until I didn't.
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Not sure where you are from, but the "deer" that they have in the south are laughably small compared to what we have here in Ohio. We also have lots of winding rural roads with forests right up to the edge, and deer strikes are very common. Anyhow glad you are ok, and that squirrel dog realized things are different in other locations. Going to have to eat my words if you are not from the midwest, but that must have been a HUGE deer if you are in the south.
 
natto fire said:
Not sure where you are from, but the "deer" that they have in the south are laughably small compared to what we have here in Ohio. We also have lots of winding rural roads with forests right up to the edge, and deer strikes are very common. Anyhow glad you are ok, and that squirrel dog realized things are different in other locations. Going to have to eat my words if you are not from the midwest, but that must have been a HUGE deer if you are in the south.
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Hit the deer in Northern New York (outside Adirondack Park). Small patch of trees between a farm field and a house, which ran right up to the road. It was a smaller doe.
 
Next time buy a deer whistle? If you live in an area where deer crossings are possible, there really isn't any excuse to not have one. Insurance companies should just send them out along with ID cards.
 
momeNt said:
Next time buy a deer whistle? If you live in an area where deer crossings are possible, there really isn't any excuse to not have one. Insurance companies should just send them out along with ID cards.
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Is there non-anecdotal evidence that those things actually work?

Maybe the deer can hear it, but it doesn't mean "get out of the way of the big moving box on the long gray rock." It could easily mean "A whistling noise is nearby. Consider panicking and running in a random direction."
 
momeNt said:
Next time buy a deer whistle? If you live in an area where deer crossings are possible, there really isn't any excuse to not have one. Insurance companies should just send them out along with ID cards.
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Might as well throw some flame decals on your vehicle to reduce 1/4 mile time while you are at it, if you are going to go through the process of adding cosmetic things which have no proven effect.
 
natto fire said:
I'm pretty sure he was using the allegorical "smart" car with sensors and automatic braking, and not referring to that joke of a car that is the Smart car.

And here is a pretty interesting IIHS video: Modern vs. Classic. They don't build them like they used to, indeed.
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Psssh seen it. That video is ancient I think it was compressed to be uploaded by 56k.
 
wow, was going to make a joke about deer meat, but never mind. that looks fucked up .. never thought a deer impact could do that to a car.
 
managed to hit one today about a km from the farm, slowed down enough that it just nicked the bumper...it was a decent sized one
 
Had a buddy of mine in the mid 80's in Indiana hit one jumped in front of him in a Ford Escort. His brother went out and picked up the meat in his truck, we cooked it up.

The Escort from then on was dubbed "The Deer Dozer"

He even drove it for years after even, I've heard of people totaling cars out with deer accidents.

Trying to hit one on purpose is hard to do, it's when they jump in front of you out of seemingly nowhere when the real damage happens.
 
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MongGrel said:
Had a buddy of mine in the mid 80's in Indiana hit one jumped in front of him in a Ford Escort.
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Must have been a swipe, not a full on hit, or a small deer.
I have seen many cars & trucks totaled by deers, especially on the highways.
Heck, just saw another one the other day, this time vs a semi. While the semi did have some damage, the deer was splattered all over, reminded me of gibs in quake 3.
So far, this winter season, I have seen over 30 deer carcasses on the road in various shape, and I do see people drag the carcasses into trucks all the time.
 
I was on vacation in Florida once and a deer ran into the front left bumper out of nowhere. I was probably going 45 or so. The rental car had less than 1000 miles on it. People stopped asked for the deer carcass, which was all theirs. Still managed to drive all 4 of us to a gathering and then back. Then contacted the rental & insurance companies. They brought a new rental car to the location I was staying at and towed the other one off.
 
Elixer said:
Must have been a swipe, not a full on hit, or a small deer.
I have seen many cars & trucks totaled by deers, especially on the highways.
Heck, just saw another one the other day, this time vs a semi. While the semi did have some damage, the deer was splattered all over, reminded me of gibs in quake 3.
So far, this winter season, I have seen over 30 deer carcasses on the road in various shape, and I do see people drag the carcasses into trucks all the time.
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Nah, it wasn't full on.

He actually tried braking and he hit it in the hindquarters with the front left headlight area.

Messed that panel up a lot.

Of course the deer wasn't having a good day either. It was a pretty good sized one.
 
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