Dumb Deer

Belisaerio said:

but i'm curious to hear opinions on the last.

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Don't know if it is a definitive opinion, but based on experience.
I think last year we had 4 or 5 deer strikes by members of this forum.

Happily, all human occupants survived.
Staying steady on the gas, all but one stayed upright.

Each scenario is going to have many variables. Rolling on the throttle seems counter-intuitive in the heat of the moment. I'm not sure I would have the presence of mind to do that. I always thought that if an impact was immanent and unavoidable, laying over the tank would hopefully allow the animal to go over you rather than take it in the chest and clean you off the seat. Controlling the machine after impact is something you'll have to deal with anyway. The best thing is to avoid the stupid deer in the first place. (If your not a hunter, you should consider it. Do us all a favor. I get anter-less permits every year, just trying to do my part for the greater good)

I know deer are the topic and they do travel in groups. I have been able to see a deer out of the corner of my eye and stop in time as a swarm of deer surrounded me in Florida. I am now in upstate NY and need to dodge dumb dear and dumber turkey. Glad that your skills and luck keep you safe. Stay alert and stay alive.
Gary

I have had several experiences with the Bambi family......

The several that I have seen coming were avoided through full on emergency braking, which would likely be my number one response IF it is possible to see them coming.....

My closest meeting was one where there was zero time to react and braking would have been wrong..... but at the time there was no choice.... the deer came out of a country estate gate on my left, obscured from view until the last millisecond, just a few feet away, it then hesitated and then jumped, missing my back by what felt like inches but was probably a couple of feet..... THEN the adrenalin kicked in and had me on edge all the other 13 miles home.....

I was leading a rideout once and was criticised for braking to a halt when a small deer ran across the road a few yards ahead, all the other riders were city folk..... I explained that where Bambi junior is, mum and dad and several brothers and sisters are normally not far behind, or be hind?

Better to stop and let them get out of the way than risk riding through more than two or three running together....

I have also driven around a corner on a single track country road and been faced with around a dozen deer standing in the road, they simply stood there and looked at us.... until we started to drive slowly through the herd, then they ambled slowly out of the way but didn't leave the road!

Was following a friend years ago when BMW launched the K100RT, he was riding the demo with his wife on the back when a sheep bounded out from the left (nearside here) and ran straight into the side of him, looked like it was deliberately head butting him!
He kept the bike upright and stopped, the sheep made off.... the bike had some serious cracks in the left side plastic.... expensive!

What do you call a Dumb Deer?

Venison!


A buddy was ambushed and knocked off his H-D by a Rottweiler. The dog disappeared.

It was found a short time later and put down as it had a rep and the owner liked to let it run roughshod.

I've got two routes to work. One is fun and off the main roads. The other is highway. Saw a couple deer on the good route, so I'm back on the highway...
I had a warning and two close calls last year. Warning was all I needed this year!

Hunters and mountain lions are two of my favorite things.

Ed

Defiantly a pucker event. Glad you made it through.

I've run into the rear of a deer with my van years ago , a deer ran into my ST last fall - busted my CB antenna mount , my son in the old Outback collided with a deer just before last Christmas . All vehicles had deer whistles ; I would say they don't work ( or the deer are too stupid to understand what they are hearing them for !)

TourNut said:

All vehicles had deer whistles; I would say they don't work ( or the deer are too stupid to understand what they are hearing them for !)

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Had a chat with a hunter recently, and he agreed that those deer whistles are a myth, as their most probably drowned by the vehicle noise anyway (engine, tires, air-stream).

So the only thing one can do is to slow down during evening/nightfall, in nigh hours and the early morning, stay alerted and monitor the road edges/bushes for eye reflections.
If confronted with wildlife, dim the HIGH beams, brake significantly, honk and keep your vehicle steady.
And remember that deer often comes in packs/herds...

New road layouts are especialy hazardous, might take a while till them critters get scared off their thousand year long passing routes...

ST1100Y said:

Had a chat with a hunter recently, and he agreed that those deer whistles are a myth, as their most probably drowned by the vehicle noise anyway (engine, tires, air-stream).

So the only thing one can do is to slow down during evening/nightfall, in nigh hours and the early morning, stay alerted and monitor the road edges/bushes for eye reflections.
If confronted with wildlife, dim the HIGH beams, brake significantly, honk and keep your vehicle steady.
And remember that deer often comes in packs/herds...

New road layouts are especialy hazardous, might take a while till them critters get scared off their thousand year long passing routes...

Click to expand...

Even if the whistles were making a noise , it would probably only take one gnat or mosquito jammed into them to make them non-functional.

The "deer whistles" can cause a problem being that it gets them moving when that is the last thing you want them to do LOL. An ex-gf was the best deer hunter I knew as she had struck 7 as she lived near a lake that the deer frequented. Her family had all tried the whistles and they worked for them all; all bagged a deer with their cars.
Worst time is when the Hwy dept. mows. That is some fine eating for them!
Note: looking to by some lights to see them a little quicker.

Had a slightly similar situation. About 10:00 pm I was riding hard came around a corner and three deer standing in road. First thing came to mind was im glad i started riding ATGATT? . I ended up riding between them before i had a chance to stop. They looked as startled as i was