Please be careful out there!!!

[toastie]

Please be careful out there!!! A couple had a small encounter with a large buck this past weekend on I-55 between Crystal Springs and Brookhaven Mississippi. Miraculously, both walked away from the accident with just minor scratches. The stats on the buck were: 9 points with a 16 inch spread and he weighed between 160 and 175lbs.

Toastie

[thecatsandi]

wow!
I always wonder if the low front cars would scoop an animal of its feet.

[willyd]

These guys are lucky to be alive - thanks for reminding us of the dangers.

[azflycaster]

In Arizona we have a large population of Elk who are much larger then deer and cause several fatalities each year. They are beautiful animals to see, but not on the road ahead of you.

A large bull can weigh up to 1,200 lbs. but usually will range from 600 to 800 lbs. Mature cows will range from 450 to 600 lbs. live weight. Elk evolved as distance runners. Elk can approach 40 mph for short periods and nearly 30 mph for longer periods. They are strong swimmers, even calves can swim over a mile. Elk can jump vertically 8 to 10 feet.

[Kevin245]

They were very lucky to have gotten off without serious injury. Unfortunately deer strikes are often unpredictable, and many are side, or near frontal impacts that occur from peripheral angles. I'm afraid there is little that can be done to avoid them other than trying to avoid peak movement hours (typically dawn, and dusk), and avoid known areas of heavy populations.

I taught MSF rider education classes and this truly is the one unpredicatable hazard you can't train to avoid.

Regards,

[HankandLois]

OUCH!
Glad to hear they're okay.
[sigh of relief]

/Lois

[Foiled Again]

WOW - that was a bad hit. The car looks totalled.

The first time I visited Jackson Center a man had just driven in after a deer hit that happened while towing his almost new Classic Limited. The deer slid up his hood over his roof, through the front vista views taking out all three windows. The deer bled out almost instantly on their leather couch. YUK.

Anyway I'm glad you got away without injury. If I'd seen the car without knowing what happened to the driver I would have expected a worse outcome.

Paula

[Gene]

We have 100's of mule deer around here and some people seem to hit them more than once every couple of years. So far, so good for us, though I've come within inches. Deer are unbelievably stupid, especially during mating season. They will run right into the side of a car as if it weren't there. Or, when you are coming down the road and hopefully slow down when you see them, they will slowly walk across the road in front of you when you're 20' away. If you see one, there may be more! I wonder if a car or truck is so alien to their world that they don't see them, can't comprehend such a thing exists. Luckily they usually don't go through the windshield because they are relatively short.

Less elk here, but where they dominate instead of deer, they get hit a lot. The really dangerous ones are moose. Those long legs mean the body comes through the windshield and kills a lot of people in moose country. They've reintroduced moose into the NF about 40 miles away, but it's too dry for them where we are. Moose can travel very far, so who knows what you'll meet on the road?

A couple of years ago we saw 4 mountain lions together a couple of miles away—a mother and three large cubs. Triplets are pretty unusual, seeing mountain lions isn't common either. They just sauntered across the road one evening on our way home. We've seen bears, fox, eagles, all sorts of jays, songbirds, vultures, bobcats. Some of the locals are wild too.

Dawn and dusk are dangerous because deer and elk are a brownish grey and blend in really well. Moose are browner, but also hard to see.

Paula, did they use the deer at the weekly bar-b-que at Jackson Center?

Gene