Posted on 10/26/2010 9:44:44 AM PDT by Graybeard58
When Kacee Larson hit a deer with her minivan in July, the Iowa teen couldn't help asking, "Why me?"
It was the fifth deer she had hit in the past year.
But though Larson, dubbed "The Deer Magnet," has accumulated more than her share of deer collisions, she has plenty of company. Drivers hit 1.5 million deer every year in the United States, killing about 174 people and causing $1 billion in vehicle damage.
Insurance claims for animal collisions -- mostly deer -- jump in November, coinciding with mating season. In Connecticut, white-tailed deer breed from late October through December, leading to 1,893 animal-related collisions in 2008, according to the state Department of Transportation. And accidents with moose -- larger animals that more dangerously line up with a vehicle's windshield -- have averaged two each year since 2002.
I told her, "Take Heart, maybe it was a Democrat"
For hitting deer, I use a lever action .30-30 Winchester rifle.
Deer are the stupidist animals on Earth. You don’t hit them, they hit you. Once, hubby slowed down to avoid hitting one when it suddenly turned around and committed suicide on his back wheel rim. First week I had a new car and was driving home when one decided to have a stand off in the middle of the road with me - new car lost when the !^$@@$ thing started ramming me. That’s just a couple of many of my deer vs. vehicle stories. BTW, those deer whistle things for cars don’t work. Most animals learn not to cross the road after noticing their friends get smooshed on it but not deer. There’s a herd of about 30 that live here. First lesson in driving we gave to the kids was don’t dodge them and wreck but keep driving straight.
I hit a fox last month.
Just after sunrise. In the suburbs.
There are plenty of deer around. And coyotes too.
But a fox? Here in the suburbs of San Antonio?
What upset me (apart from the busted foglight) was that I injured her. Badly. But not bad enough to keep her from running off.
There was a red fox in our garbage can last night.
Let's see...suburbs extend out into the hinterlands because the cities have become unlivable, limiting the wilderness that deer have to inhabit. Couple that with increased hunting restrictions and a marked decrease in the the number of hunters.
My advice: Equip your Camry with a cattle-catcher and wear a helmet. 8^)
I hit a deer on take off in my Cessna 310. A little over $60,000 damage.
I hope I never hit one. I understand that an air bag slapping you in the face is an unpleasant experience too.
I hit a fox last month... So did I. The doctor said only two more shots.
Not too many years ago, a study was launched to see what state produced the most roadkill. It was expensive and difficult to survey until somebody came up with the bright idea of turning it into a school fundraiser. The kids who rode school buses not only covered all the miles needed, but they also gave good, collaborative and cross-checked results.
Met my quota about three months ago. Thought I could swerve behind him onto the shoulder, but he swerved with me. I cut back the other way, but we didn’t clear each other. As these things go, I was very lucky. Probably partially due to the aerodynamic design of my Mitsubishi Eclipse. Crumpled the hood somewhat and damaged the AC compresser, but no glass broken, the car was still driveable, and the air bag didn’t deploy.
As I was getting out of my car to check for damage, I thought I saw movement in the rearview mirror, but when I got out, I couldn’t see what had become of the deer. There were no lights on this stretch of the road, and as bad as I felt for the deer, I wasn’t about to go looking in the dark for a badly injured animal that could put a hoof through my skull.
I actually had a deer run into my car. I had seen deer running and was driving very cautiously at about 45-50 mph when I heard a thump on the side of my car. I turned my head and glimpsed a brown streak rushing by in the passenger window. A deer had run out of a cornfield and apparently tried to jump my car with the point of impact being the metal edge of my windshield. The deer brushed the side of my car clipping off a side mirror and scratching the paint. I was very fortunate as just with a few inches difference the deer could have gone through the windshield. While the damage was a dent in the windshield post, a side mirror and scratches in the paint, the repair still cost $2500.
So far in 2010 I have not hit a deer yet - knock on wood. If I make it to the end of the year it will break my 4 year streak. Yep - I have hit one every year for the past 4 years. Despise the deer in my area.
reminder to anti-hunters: my $10 hunting permit may save your vehicle - or your life if you drive one of those stupid little prius or smart cars things.
My husband hit one last week on the Natchez Trace going 45 mph.
No damage to his company truck but he was upset about hurting the deer.
One crossed the road, the other followed and he got hit. It doesn’t help knowing people feed them. You’d think after all those accidents people would learn but NOOOOO, they still keep feeding them.
It’s always a cute Bambi until one of their family members gets hurt or killed.
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