Deer almost got me.

[44man]

I was going to Home Depot to get plywood. A deer was over the fence right in front of me. I locked the brakes and the next thing I was upside down hanging from the seat belt. I glanced off an oak tree and flipped. I got a black eye and a few small cuts on my hands, that's all. I got the belt off and someone opened the door. I am OK.
But my 4 Runner is gone. So fast I don't remember it.

[308Jeff]

Glad you're able to still be here to post with us!

[richhodg66]

Glad you're OK. I've had a few close calls, but never hit one or had a wreck because of one.

The car can be replaced.

[rancher1913]

around here if there is no deer or evidence of a deer you get a reckless driving ticket. cops tell everyone to hit the deer, not the ditch. glad your not hurt and the vehicle can be replaced.

[Porterhouse]

Wow! I'm so glad you are ok. I know it really sucks when you lose vehicle even you are ok. But this means you still have to stay strong and keep on shooting! Thanks for all these years of your contribution, 44man.

[Down South]

Glad that you made it. Too bad you didn't get to invite the deer home for dinner. Between the wife and I, we have 6 kills with our vehicles. They can be dangerous. I totaled one car with one.
The bottom line, you made it without much injury. Sorry to hear that your 4 runner didn't make it.

[skeettx]

Good for you!! :)
Bad for the truck :(
What next?
Mike

[leeggen]

Heck I thought at first he was alerting us while hanging upside down. Glad your OK, sometimes those big eyed sweethearts just push their luck. Its like a game of daredevil between us and them.
CD

[jonp]

Always hit a deer. Its not worth going into a tree over. Glad your alright

[bayjoe]

Glad you're ok. To bad about the truck

[Thumbcocker]

Glad you are ok.

[shoot-n-lead]

Glad you are ok...you were blessed.

[smoked turkey]

I hate to hear of this. Too bad about the 4 Runner, but Sooo glad you are OK. I have hit three of those boogers and vehicles sustained quite a bit of damage. I understand that you are supposed to hit them, but sometimes our reflexes are reacting before our thinker can send the proper signals to our brains. Like was said, your vehicle can be replaced.

[Omega]

Glad you are okay, but next time I would hit the deer and avoid the tree, the tree has no give most times. I taught all mine to hit the brakes and keep the wheels straight, one did just that once and the first thing she told me was "I did just what you told me daddy". Car was a mess but she was just shook up, which is as it should be.

[DougGuy]

Whoa! Yeah we are all glad you are no worse! Dang shame about the truck but those can be replaced. Glad it was a WV deer and not a Michigan deer people get seriously hurt or worse up there where they grow them bigger.

[Smk SHoe]

Same with Wisconsin deer. Uncle hit one with a Ford F350 dually, did about 17K dollars worth of damage.

[HodakaGA]

Hope you are doing ok. I'm sure you'll be all stove p in the morning.

[DLCTEX]

A local lady bought a new car and totaled it hitting a deer a few days later. It set off all the air bags. Happy you are ok.

[lefty o]

thats why we have deer hunting season, revenge. when that sorry buck decided to run into my bonneville, i killed more deer in the next 3 or 4 years than i care to remember. hit my car=you and your little deer family members dying!

[MaryB]

Glad you are okay! When I was commuting 4-mindnights at the casino I had to drive back home through prime deer crossing territory. There were 4-5 deer/car collisions there a week. I had a friend weld up a huge deer catcher bumper for the front of my 4wd E150 van(aftermarket conversion and a tank that deep snow wouldn't stop easily). Also helped I ran 31 inch tires on it so it sat pretty high and deer would hit the bumper and go under. In the 6 years I did that commute I killed over a dozen deer! This is the exact model/color but mine had some side windows and the huge bumper!

http://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?photoid=198169&.jpg=

I would come crawling in 4 low to some of the fishing spots and guys wouldn't believe I took it down a jeep trail!

[popper]

Glad you are OK. Don't hit trees, they hit back & back & back.

[Hickory]

. Deer almost got me.
What caliber of gun was that deer using that it turned your vehicle upside down and off the road?

[Col4570]

Just wondering if in high risk areas a Cow Catcher might be the answer.Something like the old time Trains had for sweeping away Debris.I suppose it might sweep the Deer into the path of other Road users.

[Bullwolf]

It's hard to make yourself steer towards the deer. Well, it's hard for me to do anyways. When push comes to shove, I naturally try to avoid hitting a large animal.

Had a friend who owned an older, lifted, full size Ford Bronco. He would just run into the deer, knock em down, and then drive right over the top of them. His vehicle was much higher up in the air than mine, and was quite a bit more solid. He sure paid for it in gas mileage though.

Depending on the vehicle, a deer can do quite a bit of damage. For the record I've had quite a few deer close calls, and I've hit two deer myself. I still can't force myself to intentionally run into one. Luckily, other than a couple of broken headlights, a ripped off front valance, or a somewhat bent bumper, I haven't had any major damage or injuries from the impacts.

This year I almost hit my third deer, a mid sized buck while on my way out of the Farm at night. I had just turned onto the county road. Luckily, when I hit the brakes and locked up the tires trying to avoid hitting the deer, the squeal of tires on pavement startled him enough that he turned and ran off the road to the shoulder. Was a good thing too, since he was smack in the middle of the road, and I would have tagged him for sure.

I was driving my Toyota truck. (1992 short bed 4x4 with 360K miles) It's already hit a smallish bear, and has some scars in the front still from the impact. The truck likely wouldn't have fared as well, after hitting a medium sized buck.

Every time something like this happens, I think how much more unpleasant and distracting it'll be to hit a deer, while driving a newer vehicle equipped with airbags.

It was just dumb luck that prevented me from hitting the deer this night. Better lucky than good I suppose. My neighbor down the road had a good sized deer knock him off his Harley, and broke his ankle. Didn't do any favors to the motorcycle either.

Sometimes deer run towards a loud noise, instead of running away. Other times they just freeze up. (Deer in the headlights)

Anyhow, glad your OK other than some minor cuts and bruises. While I'm sure it sucks to lose your 4-runner, a vehicle can always be replaced.



- Bullwolf

[kingstrider]

Wow glad to hear you are okay but sorry to hear about the Toyota. I have had a few near misses but have been lucky so far. A few years ago somebody hit one near my town on the interstate driving a small car. The driver hit the deer so fast it came straight through the windshield and killed the driver instantly.

[Col4570]

http://www.pondkoi.com/images/moose-xing3.jpgA Moose Hit.

[rondog]

I've never hit a deer, but one hit me once. Ran into the left rear fender of my Liberty at high speed. Never saw her at all until the impact. Co. vehicle, and the stupid fleet manager tried everything he could to crucify me for "not avoiding the accident and damaging a company vehicle". Stupid a$$ just couldn't accept that the deer hit ME!

I did clobber an antelope doe once. As skittish as those critters are, I was mighty surprised to look up and see one standing in the middle of the highway in broad daylight! No swerving though, uh-uh. Just slammed on the brakes and sent her cartwheeling into the ditch.

[248dm]

around here if there is no deer or evidence of a deer you get a reckless driving ticket. cops tell everyone to hit the deer, not the ditch. glad your not hurt and the vehicle can be replaced.

Deer around here are big enough to roll right over the hood and come through the windshield with much speed. Usually it's not just one, but 5 or more crossing the road.

A neighbor a few years back hit one on the way to work. One hour later his wife hit one too.

Deer are really becoming a pest.

[rondog]

Deer around here are big enough to roll right over the hood and come through the windshield with much speed. Usually it's not just one, but 5 or more crossing the road.

A neighbor a few years back hit one on the way to work. One hour later his wife hit one too.

Deer are really becoming a pest.

Yeah, the mule deer here in CO can get kinda large. Thank God the elk aren't in the habit of hanging around roads and populated areas as much. Except in Estes Park, they can be as thick as pigeons in that town. But in the country residential neighborhoods east of my town, the mulies are a real hazard on the roads, and common in peoples yards. It's not uncommon to see them in my own neighborhood. I've found piles of scat in my front yard around the bird feeders. Found a trail of poop across my driveway one morning so thick I had to get the hose out.

[Thin Man]

I hit a 6-point about 3 weeks ago, first road encounter for me. He was chasing a doe and ran into the road from my right. It was dark (0500) and we didn't see him until he was on the blacktop. We were moving at 50 MPH so I jammed the brakes and cut left trying to get away from him but no luck. His head dented (small) the hood, right turn signal lost the lens, and a hoof left a small dent under the right door of my '96 Dakota. Antlers on one side were knocked clean off the head, antlers on the other side were loose from the skull being cracked. No real body damage to either the deer or truck. My son in law accused me of leading the deer just for a clean kill! What a pal, kick a guy for trying to avoid trouble.

Multiple road kill incidents are what has caused TN to create a hunting zone (of many contiguous counties) where the daily harvest quota is 3 antlerless deer EVERY day of the open season, with the appropriate gear (archery, muzzleloader, rifle). Rumor has it that the insurance industry got tired of having to pay out for many deer-car collisions and got this rule installed. For once that industry did something we can appreciate. Nice change.

We will pick up the meat from this deer at the processors this weekend. A few years ago one of our daughters gave me a joke gift - a copy of a book titled "Roadkill Recipes". I plan to leave that book out on the kitchen counter just to tease the family when we cook venison.

Thin Man

[44man]

I didn't react too much but she was big, could have come through the windshield.
Bad place though, the tree has a big burl at the base less then a tires width from the pavement and that's what rolled me. Like a ramp. I have wondered for 30 years why they never took it down.

[square butte]

Truly happy that you are OK - I have a feeling there is another 4Runner in your future. They make a good cow catcher (brush & grill guard )for em.

[Down South]

I understand that you are supposed to hit them, but sometimes our reflexes are reacting before our thinker can send the proper signals to our brains.
That's usually the case regardless if it is a dog, cat, chicken or deer.
When they come out of nowhere and you only have a split second to react, the reaction usually is to avoid impact with the animal with no conscience of our surroundings.

[dragon813gt]

Glad you're okay. I don't evasively maneuver when one jumps out. Take the hit and keep control of the vehicle. Insurance pays for the repair as it's an act of nature. Deer are thick around here and I've hit my fair share. The last one jumped into the side of my work van LOL.

[Geezer in NH]

Glad your fine! A deer can kill you coming through the windshield the Moose here in NH certainly will and they definitely have a better chance of coming in with there height and all.

Cars are replaceable , you are not.

[TXGunNut]

Too bad about the truck, glad you're OK. Suspect you're feeling a few more bumps & bruises today. I've been lucky over the years, never hit anything bigger than a bird until I got my Mercury. It hit a deer first year I had it, a coyote not long after. Damn near rolled it trying to miss that coyote on a fresh-graded gravel road. Gave myself a concussion on the B-pillar when the right side of the car finally landed. Nothing like sliding sideways towards a telephone pole with only two wheels on the ground. I'll punt or run over the next one.

[Blackwater]

Wow, 44man! What a way to "ring in the new year with a bang!" Glad you weren't hurt. In my locale, deer once got to be so plentiful that they increased the limit to 12 a year, and they haven't brought it back down yet! Ins. companies were begging for liberal bag limits because so many people were getting killed by hitting or trying to miss deer! I've hit two in my time, and haven't learned to enjoy it yet!

But being a tough ol' bird, you know that "Life goes on," and you pick up where you left off. Not much else TO do after something like this, except being grateful you didn't wind up another statistic. I'm betting you know how to drive, or you'd very well been likely to have died in that wreck! Experience and knowledge and being able to react properly on an instant's notice can make all the difference in a wreck of any kind, but maybe expecially with our wildlife. I've seen pix of vehicles that hit moose and elk, and I'm really glad we don't have those around here, or there'd be a lot more plots in our graveyards, I believe. Glad you're OK. The rest is just details.

[bob208]

we lost the Subaru to a deer in feb.

[Loudenboomer]

Glad yer a tough o'l bird!

[opos]

I live close to Tijuana...we have an entirely different problem here..this is a real freeway sign just across the border back into the U.S. from Tijuana...sort of like bull fighting with a vehicle.

184060

[opos]

I live close to Tijuana...we have an entirely different problem here..this is a true picture of a freeway sign on highway 805 just into California from Mexico....

184060

[lefty o]

I live close to Tijuana...we have an entirely different problem here..this is a true picture of a freeway sign on highway 805 just into California from Mexico....

184060
illegal beaners will dent your car up just as bad as a deer. you are right though, when iwas in the navy, i have seen bodies on I-5.

[osteodoc08]

Glad you're ok. As said, vehicles are replaceable, you, not so much