Deer are a constant threat where I live, and I fully have expected one to cause me some serious grief sometime. Been lucky so far. Although more active at dusk and dawn, deer actually have 5 feeding periods a day and you are just as apt to see one between 10 am and 2 pm as any other time of the day. Absolutely stupid creatures, you never know what they will do. Look at you and run straight at you, look at you and run away, look at you and start to run away only to circle back at you again. I have been bowhunting them since the early 70's. Beautiful to look at, their meat tastes ok and is actually good for you, but outside of hunting season I'd really prefer not to have to deal with them.
(09-03-2018, 11:22 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Deer are a constant threat where I live, and I fully have expected one to cause me some serious grief sometime. Been lucky so far. Although more active at dusk and dawn, deer actually have 5 feeding periods a day and you are just as apt to see one between 10 am and 2 pm as any other time of the day. Absolutely stupid creatures, you never know what they will do. Look at you and run straight at you, look at you and run away, look at you and start to run away only to circle back at you again. I have been bowhunting them since the early 70's. Beautiful to look at, their meat tastes ok and is actually good for you, but outside of hunting season I'd really prefer not to have to deal with them.
Same thing here. I've had several very, very close calls with deer and came away OK - more luck than good planning.
I also had two arms-length encounters with moose and again escaped only by pure luck. You don't know how big a moose really is until you have had one running along beside you and you could reach out and touch it!
Most of my riding is on secondary roads which are often heavily forested so the danger is always there in the trees.
The linked article talks about Larry Grodsky. Larry was a friend of mine. Two of my friends and I took his safe rider course in S.E. Ohio a few years before he was killed, and he and I stayed in touch. He was as safe a rider as a person can be, which shows how unpredictable deer can be. I don't ride secondary roads from dusk until dawn anymore, and when I have to on my way to busy urban roads or an interstate highway, I take a short route and I ride slow. That said, I am not foolish enough to think this practice will prevent me from hitting a deer--I just try very actively to reduce my chances.
I live in deer and elk country. Thought it would never happen to me, and so far it hasn't, but I had an extremely terrifying close call with a deer (on the interstate!) which really woke me up. After being in denial for 45 years, I now ride with caution and a bit of paranoia.
(09-03-2018, 11:22 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Deer are a constant threat where I live, and I fully have expected one to cause me some serious grief sometime. Been lucky so far. Although more active at dusk and dawn, deer actually have 5 feeding periods a day and you are just as apt to see one between 10 am and 2 pm as any other time of the day. Absolutely stupid creatures, you never know what they will do. Look at you and run straight at you, look at you and run away, look at you and start to run away only to circle back at you again. I have been bowhunting them since the early 70's. Beautiful to look at, their meat tastes ok and is actually good for you, but outside of hunting season I'd really prefer not to have to deal with them.
Two ran across Utah highway 14, east of Duck Creek in front of my friend on a Vrod (sufficiently audible) and I a week ago Monday. It was mid-day.
I ride in an area with a very high deer population and I have seen them at every hour of the day and night. I've hit at least three, each time in a cage fortunately. Main reason Georgia has a long deer season and large bag limit. I no longer ride at dusk or later. The last time Sparky and I rode at night she had a near collision with a Barred Owl and a deer. We were returning home in mid afternoon few years back and nearly collided with a 300lb+ wild hog just over a mile from home. Add in armadillos, raccoons, possums and vultures; deer are just part of the hazards.
At least they're fun to hunt and tasty to eat.
I've always wondered if Ole had the right idea... he said just aim for them and by the time you get there they will be gone!
On another thought I'm wondering why we don't thin the Herd.... how many deer do we need to keep nature in balance?
Speaking of dumb and unpredictable, I had a large female dear get into my back yard. The back of the house was surrounded in a 6ft, wire, deer fence that opens out to the front. I attempted to herd her out the front. Instead, she panicked and ran straight into the fence, breaking her neck and dying. Really dumb and unpredictable!
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When living in Upstate NY and selling animal feed in NY, PA and VT I hit deer every fall and winter.
Did not bother to repair car till spring if it was still driveable but once I wrote a car off completely because of deer strike.
We have deer in WNC , have not hit one yet in car or bike but if I do hopefully my ATGATT will help including my Helite Turtle back air vest.