Hit by a Deer
- Thread starter Hoota Caroota
- Start date
Deer are a way of death around here and I'm not just talking the animals now. There have been at least 3 deaths and several serious injuries arising out of deer collisions in the New Forest - mostly at night in the past 2 or 3 years, and countless collisions and near misses.
A direct collision doesn't normally result in a human death or injury, but with a collision at high speeds a car will flick a deer up in the air, usually into the path of an oncoming car and a 150lb + deer through the windscreen will do it every time.
We have three different types Namchuks (size of large dogs), Roe and Red and they rut twice yearly - in October and March. These are the times when extra care should be taken because they tend to be on the move whereas the rest of the year they are shy and stay well away from the roads so daytime collisions are rare.
However at night they are totally unpredictable as they are so shortsighted they will often freeze in a roadside ditch if they sense headlights as they cannot tell where the beams are coming from so the advice on travelling slowly in specific danger areas is good. There will often be up to 12 in a herd and they are some of the world's best standing start jumpers. They can clear a six foot fence without a run at it easily and the big danger at night in the Forest is them jumping high over fences straight into the path of a car. No chance.
I have some fairly intense beams focussed on the road edges 100 yards ahead so it gives me a chance to spot them before they leap.
They are extremely attracted to flowers, especially varieties with a strong perfume and there are no fences that can keep them out.
I have lost one car wrecked as a result of deer collisions and believe me, you don't want 200lbs of steaming entrails wrapped around you in the middle of the night and another important consideration is that you are legally obliged to report any animal collisions to the Police here - driving away after a collision is a criminal offence as the animals have the right of way. There's many a late night reveller who has rued the day he hit a deer on the way home from the pub let alone the disproportionate damage to the car!
That's it for tonight now deer..
A direct collision doesn't normally result in a human death or injury, but with a collision at high speeds a car will flick a deer up in the air, usually into the path of an oncoming car and a 150lb + deer through the windscreen will do it every time.
We have three different types Namchuks (size of large dogs), Roe and Red and they rut twice yearly - in October and March. These are the times when extra care should be taken because they tend to be on the move whereas the rest of the year they are shy and stay well away from the roads so daytime collisions are rare.
However at night they are totally unpredictable as they are so shortsighted they will often freeze in a roadside ditch if they sense headlights as they cannot tell where the beams are coming from so the advice on travelling slowly in specific danger areas is good. There will often be up to 12 in a herd and they are some of the world's best standing start jumpers. They can clear a six foot fence without a run at it easily and the big danger at night in the Forest is them jumping high over fences straight into the path of a car. No chance.
I have some fairly intense beams focussed on the road edges 100 yards ahead so it gives me a chance to spot them before they leap.
They are extremely attracted to flowers, especially varieties with a strong perfume and there are no fences that can keep them out.
I have lost one car wrecked as a result of deer collisions and believe me, you don't want 200lbs of steaming entrails wrapped around you in the middle of the night and another important consideration is that you are legally obliged to report any animal collisions to the Police here - driving away after a collision is a criminal offence as the animals have the right of way. There's many a late night reveller who has rued the day he hit a deer on the way home from the pub let alone the disproportionate damage to the car!
That's it for tonight now deer..
Pat Buckley
GT40s Supporter
200 pounds of steaming entrails wrapped around you in the middle of the night?
Sounds like something that Max Moseley would have paid a fortune for.
Sounds like something that Max Moseley would have paid a fortune for.
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
Who said? Well..... you did: "might as well aim at them."
These guys have great senses of humor when they know you're joking. I thought you were but to be certain that's what the array of smilies to the right is for. Problem here is, I, and probably others, have met people who would have said what you did, but would not have been kidding at all. And I have five cats. And I loved "Perri the Squirrel" when I was a kid.
Shall we take a poll on who likes venison? :flameon:
Pat Buckley
GT40s Supporter
My "aim at them comment" is taken from what you do when racing and someone spins in front of you. The best thing you can do is aim at where they are because by the time you get there (hopefully) they will be somewhere else.
I would think that being car enthusiasts this would be common knowledge.
......and why do you feel it necessary to stick your nose into this?
I would think that being car enthusiasts this would be common knowledge.
......and why do you feel it necessary to stick your nose into this?
To clarify, the friggen deer ran into ME, I didn't run into the friggen deer. It was during daylight hours in a 45 mph zone. I even had the right of way! I mean, there wasn't even one of those crossing signs for the friggen deer. I saw the friggen thing heading in my direction from the right. The left lane was empty with clear sight lines. I moved in that direction while braking heavily.
I thought the friggen deer would do one of two things. I thought it would either veer off before it got to the road or continue on past me in front. Maybe it was blinded by the yellow paint job, although if it was, you'd think people would be hunting them from yellow ATVs all the time, but the friggen thing did neither of those two things. It ran into my car! I was the innocent bysitter.
Damien, I don't live in a big city. I live in a small town where the roads are perfectly suited for a GT40. A GT40 is meant to be driven and it was specifically made originally to be driven at all hours of the day and night. No friggen deer is going to keep me from driving my car when I want. Hell, it's STILL a free country. On top of that, I'm not going to adorn my car with deer whistlers either. For God's sake, man, I have a MKII with a Gurney bubble. If Dan's car didn't have deer whistlers on it then by God, neither will mine. (Although I'm going to look more closely now at the cars in those old Le Mans pictures, maybe rent the movie again.)
As for the friggen people who feed the friggen deer, they're creating a diseased, unhealthy population that's oftentimes starving in spite of having full bellies. Friggen deer have metabolisms that change in the fall when rich food becomes scarce. Their bodies are designed to require less nourishment in the winter than in the summer. When people feed them, particularly during the winter months, they're getting more sustenance than they can handle or digest. Their bellies are full but they're not being nourished. The friggen deer starve.
And I say, "Let em." Friggen deer are wild animals. They're also pretty damn dumb. I mean, come on. How many generations of friggen deer have come and gone since the advent of the automobile? A lot. And how many have been killed by autos? Again - while not a precise number - a lot.
Yet the friggen deer STILL haven't picked up on the idea that cars and trucks are predators. And they haven't made the connection that paved roads are where the most dangerous predators hang out. In fact, some of the friggen deer are so damn dumb that they'll run into the predator rather than turn away.
Geesh!
I thought the friggen deer would do one of two things. I thought it would either veer off before it got to the road or continue on past me in front. Maybe it was blinded by the yellow paint job, although if it was, you'd think people would be hunting them from yellow ATVs all the time, but the friggen thing did neither of those two things. It ran into my car! I was the innocent bysitter.
Damien, I don't live in a big city. I live in a small town where the roads are perfectly suited for a GT40. A GT40 is meant to be driven and it was specifically made originally to be driven at all hours of the day and night. No friggen deer is going to keep me from driving my car when I want. Hell, it's STILL a free country. On top of that, I'm not going to adorn my car with deer whistlers either. For God's sake, man, I have a MKII with a Gurney bubble. If Dan's car didn't have deer whistlers on it then by God, neither will mine. (Although I'm going to look more closely now at the cars in those old Le Mans pictures, maybe rent the movie again.)
As for the friggen people who feed the friggen deer, they're creating a diseased, unhealthy population that's oftentimes starving in spite of having full bellies. Friggen deer have metabolisms that change in the fall when rich food becomes scarce. Their bodies are designed to require less nourishment in the winter than in the summer. When people feed them, particularly during the winter months, they're getting more sustenance than they can handle or digest. Their bellies are full but they're not being nourished. The friggen deer starve.
And I say, "Let em." Friggen deer are wild animals. They're also pretty damn dumb. I mean, come on. How many generations of friggen deer have come and gone since the advent of the automobile? A lot. And how many have been killed by autos? Again - while not a precise number - a lot.
Yet the friggen deer STILL haven't picked up on the idea that cars and trucks are predators. And they haven't made the connection that paved roads are where the most dangerous predators hang out. In fact, some of the friggen deer are so damn dumb that they'll run into the predator rather than turn away.
Geesh!
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
2124;322710 ......and why do you feel it necessary to stick your nose into this?[/QUOTE said:
Are Deer supposed to be able to read the 'Deer Crossing' signs? That would be freekin amazing and well worth an admission fee to see.
Wild animals were there before the roads came along. We are supposed to be the more highly evolved species and with that comes the responsibility to have a greater understanding of our enviroment. Therefore we should have the sense, awareness and good judgment to give way to oncoming wildlife surely?
I would be pretty pi**ed if a Deer ran into any of my cars. At least you were able to walk away from the incident though.
Wild animals were there before the roads came along. We are supposed to be the more highly evolved species and with that comes the responsibility to have a greater understanding of our enviroment. Therefore we should have the sense, awareness and good judgment to give way to oncoming wildlife surely?
I would be pretty pi**ed if a Deer ran into any of my cars. At least you were able to walk away from the incident though.
Holeee Frigg!
Me. That's who.
I must have missed the humour in it too :huh: so if you were having a laugh then fair enough, I'm just struggling to see the witty humour involved...
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Pat Buckley
GT40s Supporter
You can't be that thick!
I'll explain in simpler, clearer terms.......
Because you are travelling at a relatively high speed (maybe 40mph, maybe 60 - whatever) and the critters in this case (cats and squirrels) are quick and change direction quickly - it has been my experience that all the wild swerving in the world is not going to be much help and that just when it seems that they are going to do one thing, they do another. Their last move, unfortunately for them, usually puts them under the car.
As for your comment, Mark...
"Wild animals were there before the roads came along. We are supposed to be the more highly evolved species and with that comes the responsibility to have a greater understanding of our enviroment. (sic) Therefore we should have the sense, awareness and good judgment to give way to oncoming wildlife surely?"......
This has nothing to do with sense, awareness or good judgement. You could be driving down a steeet at or below the speed limit, sober and paying attention when one of our furry friends decides that now is a good time to bolt across your path and runs into your car. Please tell me how sense, awareness or good judgement comes into play here? Perhaps we should give up driving cars or drive them at a safe speed for animals or perhaps (as was expressed) not drive them at night?
I am not claiming that this humor is worthy of the Johnny Carson show - in fact let's put it as a "wry comment"......but I am not claiming that killing squirrels and cats is the objective or even particularly funny, merely !
Predictably however, a certain group of guys decide that this is a perfect opportunity to express an opinion.
I'll explain in simpler, clearer terms.......
Because you are travelling at a relatively high speed (maybe 40mph, maybe 60 - whatever) and the critters in this case (cats and squirrels) are quick and change direction quickly - it has been my experience that all the wild swerving in the world is not going to be much help and that just when it seems that they are going to do one thing, they do another. Their last move, unfortunately for them, usually puts them under the car.
As for your comment, Mark...
"Wild animals were there before the roads came along. We are supposed to be the more highly evolved species and with that comes the responsibility to have a greater understanding of our enviroment. (sic) Therefore we should have the sense, awareness and good judgment to give way to oncoming wildlife surely?"......
This has nothing to do with sense, awareness or good judgement. You could be driving down a steeet at or below the speed limit, sober and paying attention when one of our furry friends decides that now is a good time to bolt across your path and runs into your car. Please tell me how sense, awareness or good judgement comes into play here? Perhaps we should give up driving cars or drive them at a safe speed for animals or perhaps (as was expressed) not drive them at night?
I am not claiming that this humor is worthy of the Johnny Carson show - in fact let's put it as a "wry comment"......but I am not claiming that killing squirrels and cats is the objective or even particularly funny, merely !
Predictably however, a certain group of guys decide that this is a perfect opportunity to express an opinion.
To put in my 2 pennys worth, for smaller wild animals the IAM (Institute of advanced motorists) suggest that you train yourself not to react to them running out in front of you. If you run them over that is sad, but not as sad as veering to avoid them and hitting another car, a tree or a wall and killing yourself or other people in the process. For deer (and they are an issue here in Devon) then all you can really do is minimise the damage by slowing or stopping. As has been said they are dumb and will run into the path of vehicles when spooked, it is up to us then to take appropriate action. As John said, he stopped and gave "his" deer every chance to avoid him, that's what I would have done, at least it means that the car and contents survive, just that you can't claim off the other parties insurance! As for steeling yourself not to react that is not as easy as it sounds, but it has saved lives here in the UK.
I was casually browsing GT40 forums this morning and stumbled upon this forum. I don't usually feel the need to post, but for whatever reason I feel obligated to say this:
Damian, you are a fucking idiot. I'm not saying that in a teasing way... after reading your response to the OP I find myself wondering if you are literally retarded (if so I apologize, but the internet is no place for retards). You take a simple post from John stating that a deer ran into his car, and in turn tell him that he "DID SOMETHING WRONG" and that there is "MORE TO THE STORY."
I feel it is my duty to call you out, as no one else has... you are an amazing internet specimen, a rare hybrid of idiot, duesch bag, conspiracy theorist, handicap, and you have an inverted penis.
Carry on.
Damian, you are a fucking idiot. I'm not saying that in a teasing way... after reading your response to the OP I find myself wondering if you are literally retarded (if so I apologize, but the internet is no place for retards). You take a simple post from John stating that a deer ran into his car, and in turn tell him that he "DID SOMETHING WRONG" and that there is "MORE TO THE STORY."
I feel it is my duty to call you out, as no one else has... you are an amazing internet specimen, a rare hybrid of idiot, duesch bag, conspiracy theorist, handicap, and you have an inverted penis.
Carry on.
Neal
Lifetime Supporter
TMI Keith. This is the most "friggen" awesome post ever. Top for 2011. Bambi ran into me while I was at a complete stop. Come on, I was doin' 120 in a 35 and this 7 point buck ran out in front of me. My tow hook caught his left hoof and sent him over the top just glancing off my Gurney flap. I put the pedal to the metal and off I went. That is how the big dogs roll...
