Oh Deer!

[mvbn1]

Sat at the T/A in Lodi for a day and worked my way up the Cleveland board. Wednesady morning, at 0150hrs, I got the call! Pick up in Cleveland going to Louisville, 353 miles. Great, I'm moving. Headed out of the T/A about 0400hrs and started up I-71. Just when I got to the 218 exit ramp, Bambi jumps up from the side of the road. With only 3 millionths of a second to think and cat-like reaction, I hit the deer! Got him/her with the right front corner of my van. I pulled over to check the damage, and other then my headlight pointing to the ground, about 3ft in front of my bumper, it appeared, that the damage wasn't that bad.

It was going to be light soon, and I wasn't having any problems with the van, so I did all of the things I was suppose to do, and went ahead to pick-up the load and drove to Louisville. After dropping off, I came home to get with the insurance company and get an estimate to get the repairs done.

Now, here's where the deer hits you for the second time. $2600.00 to fix a bumper and right fender, (as well as several other small items "behind the scenes"). I'm not sure, but I'm checking into the possibility, that the ODNR "owns", or plays a major part, in all of the body shops in Ohio.

Just a word of advice to everyone, and I know you already do, but keep your eyes open for these monsters, or should I say "mobsters". This exit is well lite, and I would have never had expected to hit a deer there. I guess going down US-35 through West Virginia, doesn't sound so bad after all.

 

[merkurfan]

Deer are everywhere. They need to extend the season. To give you an idea of how bad they are I'll give you this story.

My parents live walking distance from Downtown Minneapolis on 394 (the penn ave exit if you know the area) there is a city owned park near their house that is several 1000 acors.. I nailed a dear at 1 in the afternoon with a international 4900.. It walked right out on the highway.. I GAVE THE DEER IN THE HEADLIGHT LOOK TO THE DEER who of course was just as confused until the bumper put her out of her misory..

Try explaining THAT one to the boss...


No really.. I hit a dear just outside of downtown.. No really I did, no I was not drinking, here is the police report, No I did not get a buddy to write that up... Do you want a body??

 

[mirangerman]

what makes us up here in the sticks laugh ( I live in the thumb of MI) is hearing the "horror" stories from ppl in the Metro Det. area, especially when they get closer to dwntwn, about all the running around the streets and nieghborhoods :7

But whats even crazier - they DONT wanna "hurt bambi" by extending the season ! - go figure !

 

[SillySafetyGirl]

My ex totaled 3 pickups hitting deer, and the deer totaled my car one time (THEY ran into ME). The insurance company actually asked me if the accident was at least 50% my fault! Darn deer should get insurance!
Silly

 

[redytrk]

I am sure glad I drive an old junker when on my time off.(I.E. 85 Merc)

I hit a deer inside the city limits in Fort Wayne In. The only damage was to the cheap plastic grille. A newer car would probably be thousands.

If he had totalled the car,I would be out a few hundred bucks.

 

[merkurfan]

I remember hitting one with my old 54 Ford Skyliner.. Deer looked like a mack truck had hit it (ground beef) Total damage to the car, broken head light..

Got pulled over later that night for no head light. Cop didn't believe the deer story until he saw the fur hanging under the car.

I had a hard time finding a new lamp too. Darn 6 volt cars..

 

[Lawrence]

Mike,

Oh man - sorry to hear of that beast smashing into that nice van!

Glad you didn't get hurt though. Hope to see you back out on the road soon.

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com


Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

A billion Chinese can't be wrong, eat rice.

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.



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[mvbn1]

Thanks Lawrence. I'm still running as of now. The damage wasn't really bad, so I decided to stay in service, and I'll look at getting the damage fixed after the P2 contest is over at the end of June.

 

[Robert Finney]

Is that your first one?
Let's see here...Four in one year two years runnin back to back', three runnin' into me from the side, three in the four wheelers... Oh yeah, that one up on the NY Throughway... Actually, I haven't any real idea how many I've hit or clipped over the years; more than a dozen and less than two would be my guess.

I can go deer hunting from a rocking chair on either porch here, and I've almost hit 'em in the driveway! I live outside a little village of 500 souls or so in East Central Ohio (Dillonvale) and have had to stop on the paved street in town and wait on 'em while two or three just moseied right down the middle on their leisurely way to wherever.

There’s not much you can do about ‘em except get it in your head now to hit them rather than hit somebody else. They're not hard wired for something as recent as vehicular traffic. Now if we were ridin' wolves...

You cross that zipper to avoid one and collide with another vehicle; it’s your fault. That deer’s not gonna hang around and help you file an accident report. You got your choice; you can hit the deer and take your lumps or you can swerve all over the place when you yank the wheel to avoid one and possibly do far more damage (not just in property but in lives) than if you’d just hit it. Try to slow down somewhat? Of course. Panic reaction and/or panic braking like some brain dead four wheeler (or most truck drivers) that drives about three feet off the front of the hood? No.

The various states where they’re large contributors to property damage do need to look at either revising the length of their hunting seasons and/or limits. Personally, I’d like to see Ohio just reduce ‘em from Game to Varmint level for a year or so, but whatever they do, they’re going to have to address the problem at an economic level rather than an emotional one.

finney

 

[FlameMerc]

Well here's my Deer Story. Four weeks ago I had one come out of nowhere on I-69 about 25 miles west of Flint,Michigan. It put my KW T-300 out of service for two weeks and ended up doing almost $11,000 damage. Got a whole new front end on the truck now. I didn't think it did that much damage, all I heard was the thud. Didn't feel anything when I hit it. Looking at one of those Big Moose/Bear Bar Front Guards for my truck now. Drive Safely ....Butch

 

[Dark_0ne]

I've definitely hit my share of deer over the years, but I've been very lucky when it comes to damage. One of the funnier (and lucky) hits I had happened on the 90 in New York. I was coming out of Jersey with a load of produce for TO. Typical dark and raining situation I was yakking on the CB with the guy behind me. One ran in front of me with room to spare, but as I was watching that one another ran into my trailer and went under it. Trailer bogies sent it up into the ICC bumper and it took a funny spin off the bumper and flew about 10 feet in the air. The guy behind me had to hit his brakes so it wouldn't go through his windshield. Now he may have over reacted a bit as I felt his following distance wasn't that close, but then again I've never had a deer heading for my cab so I can't really judge. Traffic was real heavy, and with the poor visiblity it took about a mile to stop safely so I could check for damage. We checked under both trucks and found no visible damage, did air and tire checks. The funny part for me was going back looking for the carcass but not finding any sign of it. (well that and teasing the other guy about skid marks in his shorts). I wish all my deer encounters ended that well, but of course they haven't.

 

[mvbn1]

Now I'm looking into putting a heavy brush guard on the front of my van. I'd rather spend $300.00, or so, now, then another $2500.00+ the next time one of those brainless woodland creatures decides to "cross the road to get to the other side".