Ran over a skunk on my way to work

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D1gger

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,411
2
76
A few years ago, I was driving a work provided pickup truck, and a large seagull swooped down into the roadway (I think it was going after a previously squashed squirrel), at the last minute it tried to lift out of my way, but it was hit be the top of my windshield. It flipped over the cab of my truck and landed in the bed. I pulled to the side of the road and found that the seagull had expired from what looked like a broken neck. At the end of the day I tossed it in our trash container in the works yard.

Somehow I didn't feel bad about the seagull, but I have felt bad the few times I have hit small wild animals on the road.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
Only animal I've ever hit was a bird. Unfortunately it became imbedded in the grill of a work van so we had to pull it out.

Lots of skunks, squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits get hit around here. I see opossums, geese, and cats occasionally on the country roads, but not often. Deer are a big problem in the spring just north of the city. Up in the boonies, moose are an issue. They like to lick the salt off the roads in the spring. You're pretty much dead if you hit them.

Skunks are bad because they stand their ground and spray instead of trying to run away. Take your car to the car wash and make sure to get the undercarriage done. Or else it will reek for weeks.
 
May 13, 2009
12,333
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I ran over a cat on accident once. It was dark and I never even saw it. Didn't feel much emotion at all. If it was a dog I would have been devastated.
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,973
6,336
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Riding down a hill on my MTB a few years back. There's a squirrel on the right hand side of the road. I move over to the left.....and the dumb ass darts to the left. Thump, thump. He wasn't there when I came back through but I'm sure he didn't survive 200+ lbs, twice.
 

HamburgerBoy

Lifer
Apr 12, 2004
27,111
318
126
A pigeon flew into my windshield once (going ~40 mph), causing a tiny explosion of down feathers. Amazingly it continued to fly off afterwards.
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
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where do you live in CT, it's not so bad near my house. Perhaps once a month you'll smell a skunk or 2. I don't think its that bad.

CT has a huge skunk population.

When we go camping we usually get skunk raids in the middle of the night. Heck last time we got raided by the entire skunk family (we were hanging out in under screened/canopy).

Scared the shit out of us, they were CLOSE (1-2 feet away) and weren't afraid of us one bit.

Thankfully they never sprayed......
 

Nintendesert

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2010
7,761
5
0
Shot a squirrel with a .243 at the ranch this weekend. I would have felt horrible had I hit it with a car. :(
 

Nintendesert

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2010
7,761
5
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Oh and my cattle dogs caught and killed a squirrel too, I would have really felt bad had they run one over as well.
 

Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
31,046
321
136
they've been changing a lot of the lightposts in the city Mixo, want some porno shots of the guts?
 

sourn

Senior member
Dec 26, 2012
577
1
0
The only time I feel bad for hitting an animal is when it's a skunk.. O the stench..

Cats, dogs, and w/e else fair game. If they don't move by the time my tire hits them owell.

Though I try not to hit things that can cause damage.