Killing Lanes, (Or is man in a hurry?)

[dagger dog]

Although I'm an avid hunter, it makes my spirit weak to see an animal slaughtered for no other reason than men in a hurry !

I have to 'fess up as I'm guilty as most, the 'possum, 'coon, rabbit or squirrel, that is or seems to be unavoidable as you drive down the road, and the larger species, whitetails and larger ungulates, ( depends on location).

They lose their lives to mans haste. Our roads are butcher shops 2,4,6,and 8 lanes, and they all lay in wait to take the innocent life of the unwary, even family pets, (to which we give human traits).

As I said before, every time I see that small lifeless body lying on the pavement, it brings on that guilty feeling.

I've had a couple of autos trashed from larger game and can relate to that.

Today coming home from an outing, using "the back roads" saw this small red squirrel lying dead on the road and just couldn't let the feeling pass, had to stop and move the little body to the berm, at least he will pass on his life to the crow, buzzard, or coyote.

How does it make you feel ?

[Bullshop Junior]

I've seen so much dead stuff on te side of the road I don't even look back in the mirror. Unless its big enough to tear up a car. I'll stop and move it.

[Finster101]

I don't like hitting a critter but I am not going to put the bike or the truck into a ditch to avoid a rabbit or squirrel either.

[JSnover]

Sometimes you don't have a choice. Even at 'safe' speeds I've had deer, rodents and birds bolt in front of me so quickly it was impossible to avoid them. Maybe it's the animals that are in too big a hurry.

[Hogdaddy]

I don't like hitting a critter but I am not going to put the bike or the truck into a ditch to avoid a rabbit or squirrel either.

^^^^^^ExactlY^^^^^^^^^ ; )
H/D

[Bullshop Junior]

Sometimes you don't have a choice. Even at 'safe' speeds I've had deer, rodents and birds bolt in front of me so quickly it was impossible to avoid them. Maybe it's the animals that are in too big a hurry.

I had a deer run into the side of my parked truck.

[dagger dog]

Just wondering if the horse and buggy age had the same mile to kill ratio ? Bet not.

I ain't saying to give your life or property for nothing, but isn't worth at least a moment of respect, that being moving the dead critter to the side of the road ?

[snuffy]

A trip last weekend to the west side of the state , (3 hours), I saw at least 20 dead deer on the sides of a 2 lane highway. It happens a lot more this time of the year, as the does drive off the yearlings in preparation for the birth of this years fawns.

The inexperienced young deer go out on roads, sometimes into urban malls, or crash through glass doors because mom is not there to control/advise them.

The only solution is for all of us to walk or ride horses again. I feel no emotion for wild game of any kind killed on roads. We HAVE to get around! I do have a pause if I see a dog or cat has been hit and killed. Having picked up a couple of pets off the road in front of the house, I know how bad it hurts. BUT it was MY fault for letting them run, not on a tether.

As for WI. if you hit a deer, and you want to keep it, you can call any lawman to tag it, then take it home to process it. You can also request to be notified by the local sheriff or state patrol of a freshly hit deer, to come pick it up. This time of year, it has to be quick though, get it disemboweled and get it cool within a couple of hours. Considering the damage to the frontend of a vehicle, and the deductible, at least you get some good eating for your money.

[Bad Water Bill]

Who are the ones in a hurry?

I saw a buck standing on the side of the road so I slowed from 65 to 5 MPH only to have my vehicle charged and directly stabbed by those deadly assault weapons of his.[smilie=b:

Last week a deer jumped off of an overpass directly on to the roof of a vehicle doing 70 MPH just to hitch a ride.

Nature just cleans her gene pool in many ways.

We are just helping her.

[dagger dog]

Nature just cleans her gene pool in many ways.

We are just helping her.[/QUOTE]



I guess war does the same for man .

[lefty o]

its called natural selection, the highway helps thin out the stupid ones.

[facetious]

I read a story in the paper about turtles. Some people studying turtles getting hit on the road put rubber turtles on the road to see what would happen. Over half of the cars swerved to hit the rubber turtle.

[Bullshop Junior]

Who would run over a turtle? I just see flat tires from that....

[Handloader109]

I haven't hunted in a long time. But a lot of this is man's fault. We have eliminated wolf and lion from the deer/small animal's world. And we have eliminated hunting in a LOT of the US. I've a 80 acre farm in MS that is now (as of about 7 yrs ago) inside the city limits. NO gun hunting. Bow only.
Deer everywhere. Now the squirrel does make me sad as that brain in only the size of a peanut.

[ghh3rd]

Twice about ten years apart a possum came out of the dark shadow of a curb in a residential neighborhood, and got hit by one of my tires. Each time, I stopped and looked back and saw the writhing, and pained grimace, and backed my car over the critter a few times to put it out of its misery.

The only difference between the first and second time, was that I was alone the first time, and had my family in the car the second time. My family was horrified as we went bumpity bump a few times, but I felt better knowing that it was out of pain.

[osteodoc08]

Perhaps if we were allowed to thin the herds out a little more during regular hunting season.....

My wife and I have tagged 2 birds in our Yukon the last week. I hate it happens, but I'm not gonna put mine or my family members' lives in danger to avoid one.

[dagger dog]

I read a story in the paper about turtles. Some people studying turtles getting hit on the road put rubber turtles on the road to see what would happen. Over half of the cars swerved to hit the rubber turtle.


You got it !

[Bullshop Junior]

There was a guy I worked with that rolled a company truck and ended up in ICU to avoid hitting a fox.

[jcwit]

I haven't hit a critter in years, wild or tame, must be I'm not in a big enough hurry.

[jcwit]

I haven't hit a critter in years, wild or tame, must be I'm not in a big enough hurry.

Unless of course you count the guy I hit at the stop light. But he lived thru it.

[starmac]

No mercy for them, since I saw the squirrel on the Geico commercial and now know their intent.

[Lee]

Interesting. I ain't tagged a deer...yet. Got my share of birds, squirrels, rabbits, etc.
Just last week blew away a mooching possum with Mr. 12. He saw me, dropped down to play dead. Even the wad went into him. I am NOT going to pick up garbage and trash from these marauders, after they trash my property. Ain't much uglier than a possum tail. Coons/Posums/Skunks? Not here, not no way.

Picked up Yertle the turtle 2 days ago in my driveway, just as the ole lady was going to drive off and squash him/her.
Proudly held him/her up high as he/she started to pee.....and .... waiting???
The punch line to the old joke was.... Ready??.... "HOLD THE TURTLE...MAKE IT PEA"


Rumor mill at work says there's a guy who lives offa reasonably fresh "roadkill". If you'd seen him, you'd know...............................Lee

[montana_charlie]

Over half of the cars swerved to hit the rubber turtle.
I have little respect for a person who will purposely run over an animal, and it makes me mad to hear someone brag about it.
I have heard a number of people say they wrecked their outfit, or were injured, while attempting to avoid hitting a 'whatever'.
But I get a secret smile of satisfaction when I know he really went in the ditch because he was trying to hit the critter.

CM

[MT Gianni]

One of my most fearful moments was coming around a corner at the posted 55 mph on a two lane road. (US 30 before the old steel bridge for the Soda Spring fellows) I found a woman standing in the other lane trying to pick up a magpie dragging a wing. Her car was next to her with the drivers door open, steep borrow pits and no where to go. I laid on the horn and kept the car on the road though my tire was off the pavement two feet. I missed the lady, hit the magpie and took a year off my life expectancy. I still don't know how I missed her. No dead animal is worth anyones life. Sorry but dead is dead. I have seen birds killed by hitting house windows, power lines and by larger birds. I have seen the damage squirrels do to songbird nests and the devastation household pets, dogs and cats do to farm and wild animals. Life is hard but fluffy and fido can be killers. We live in tough times. Thanks for caring but keep safety in mind.

[Bullshop Junior]

Interesting. I ain't tagged a deer...yet. Got my share of birds, squirrels, rabbits, etc.
Just last week blew away a mooching possum with Mr. 12. He saw me, dropped down to play dead. Even the wad went into him. I am NOT going to pick up garbage and trash from these marauders, after they trash my property. Ain't much uglier than a possum tail. Coons/Posums/Skunks? Not here, not no way.

Picked up Yertle the turtle 2 days ago in my driveway, just as the ole lady was going to drive off and squash him/her.
Proudly held him/her up high as he/she started to pee.....and .... waiting???
The punch line to the old joke was.... Ready??.... "HOLD THE TURTLE...MAKE IT PEA"


Rumor mill at work says there's a guy who lives offa reasonably fresh "roadkill". If you'd seen him, you'd know...............................Lee

I've eaten a lot of road kill. Good stuff

[nagantguy]

I eat quite a bit of road kill, do lots of driving fer work, cold winters= free meat. Go out of my way for turtles even stop and bring them home. Have a wet hole here they seem to like. Bdrivinv home from the zoo last weekend there was a large doe on i-96 she had been hit and was trying to get up, I'm talking Detroit zoo Saturday grand Prix weekend. Any other time I'd stop and end here suffering or at least get it off the road for others safety. This was just to dangerous.

[rockrat]

If I can avoid hitting the critter, I will, but I won't do a panic stop in traffic or risk an accident. Had a friend killed when her car rolled as she was avoiding a critter.

[Ed Barrett]

I always feel sorry for the tortoise. They made it through the dinosaurs stepping on them then the buffalo, now the have to cope with fools driving cars. It isn't like they dart out in front or are hard to see.

[jakec]

yep i stop when i see a turtle and either take him home or put him across the road. i almost whooped a guy once for hitting the biggest alligator snapping turtle i have ever seen. he did it on purpose too. man i was mad!

[Bullshop Junior]

yep i stop when i see a turtle and either take him home or put him across the road. i almost whooped a guy once for hitting the biggest alligator snapping turtle i have ever seen. he did it on purpose too. man i was mad!

That just seems like it would tear a car up. Them are pretty big hard critters.

[jakec]

It did. He had a trailer too. Messed up both of them.

[JSnover]

I haven't hunted in a long time. But a lot of this is man's fault. We have eliminated wolf and lion ...

Now there's a thought. If the animal rights people think all the animals are sentient, etc, what do you suppose the prey species would think about us restoring the predator population, for their own good, of course :)
I'll bet if we left it up to them they'd rather take their chances on the highway.

[JSnover]

I am NOT going to pick up garbage and trash from these marauders, after they trash my property.

..............Lee
Raccoons were a problem a few years ago for me. I tried every humane method I could come up with, including spraying bleach into the garbage cans and tying the kids on with rope. They still managed to spread trash all over my front yard, two or three times a week.
I killed more than a dozen of them one summer. Problem solved.

[Gator 45/70]

I've eaten road kill deer several times, Nothing wrong with it, Just cut out the bloody area of impact and you can't tell the difference if it had been shot or hit.

[MaryB]

Ate a lot of road kill over the years, why let good meat go to waste.

Had to avoid a flock of turkeys on the way to see the wrist doc today. Flock of about 40 on the road and on both sides. I knew they were hanging around that area and had slowed to 30mph. Slowed to a stop, honked, nope not moving, crept forward slowly and that made them waddle off the road.

[dakotashooter2]

I managed to make it 35 years before hitting a deer (actually he ended hitting me) and even in my effort to avoid him my small camper decided it wanted to be in the lead.

[Charley]

If you don't know the difference between a turtle and tortoise, you aren't the animal lover you think you are. You aren't likely to drive over a turtle unless you habitually drive into rivers or lakes.
As for that study, when I read it years back, most of the people who were stopped and questioned about swerving over the tortoise were actually trying to swerve away from it. Had no idea where their wheels/tires were, in relation to the driver's seat, and in trying to swerve away, actually swerved into the animals.

[montana_charlie]

I tried every humane method I could come up with, including spraying bleach into the garbage cans and tying the kids on with rope.
Do you and your wife have a lot of kids? How many of them did you tie to the trash cans?
I might consider tying the neighbor's kid to my trash can, but he would probably help the raccoons ...

[JSnover]

Do you and your wife have a lot of kids? How many of them did you tie to the trash cans?
I might consider tying the neighbor's kid to my trash can, but he would probably help the raccoons ...

HAH! I need to edit more carefully...
For the record, I tied the LIDS on with rope.

[firefly1957]

I do not try to hit anything on the road but possums those i run over if i can safely do it . One morning i had a deer jump in front of the car the other lane had no oncoming traffic so i swerved into it missing the deer by a couple feet behind it however i hit three dogs chasing it killed all three not one had a collar i still do not know weather i should have felt bad about it shame to hit the dogs even if the owners would not care for them properly but the deer collision would have wrecked my car. Strange in a way that those dogs 1 was 90 pounds at least the other two 60 lbs did no damage but the deer would have , i know the weight is higher but i did not even get a dent. That night on the way home the dogs were gone i asked the only house nearby if they were their dogs and they said no they thought the dogs were strays had the pound after them for a week.

[lksmith]

I have little respect for a person who will purposely run over an animal, and it makes me mad to hear someone brag about it.
I have heard a number of people say they wrecked their outfit, or were injured, while attempting to avoid hitting a 'whatever'.
But I get a secret smile of satisfaction when I know he really went in the ditch because he was trying to hit the critter.

CM

the only thing I try to run over is a (poisonous) snake. I had a Crow go kamikaze on my truck and did over a thousand in damage.
It flew from the side of the road,directly into the front of my truck at highway speed.
Usually I try to avoid animals when I can safely do so. However every time I see a deer near the road I lay on the horn, usually it works.

[doc1876]

Thanks Montana for getting that cleared up, I thought that maybe in Pa. they did things differently, got stopped by a Pa. patrolman once, he was not very happy. (cute little feller, almost took him home to make a mantle piece out of him).

One of my most sickening experiences was on hwy 30 in western Wyo, almost 40 years ago when I ran over a rabbit. really stuck with me, so that yesterday when one came hopping on the road, I came to almost a stop to avoid him. Glad it was a back road where I could actually do that, because, yes, I won't endanger me or my vehicle or passengers for anything on the road.

[CWME]

Had a dog and a deer run into my truck. The dog came running out of a yard and jumped the ditch into the side of the truck. Full on superman leap over the ditch. No feet on the ground, just trying to tackle the truck. He piled into the pasenger door and that was that. He was fine, just stunned I would guess.
Deer was spooked and ran off the highway while I was on the ramp getting on the highway. I saw that if i didn't stop I would drive into her path. She decided that she wanted to turn and run into a parked truck instead of running straight ahead. Yep driver side door got dented that day. She got up and took off.

I don't feel bad at all.