Hit a deer tonight.

[GaYellowDawg]

I was driving along a divided four lane highway at about 60 mph at about 8:15 PM. It was a state highway and it was pitch black. A car in front of me had a deer just barely make it past in front of it. I mean, barely. And then here's what happened. I said to my mom who was in the passenger seat,

"Did you see that? That was close" [h1]*BLAM*[/h1]

The deer came from my left. I have very good vision, extraordinary peripheral vision, excellent reflexes, and was paying attention to what was happening in the road. I still didn't have time to see it or to respond in any fashion, just had a very brief impression and BLAM. The deer had apparently been going across the whole highway full speed and just darted out in front of me. In the rear view mirror, I saw it pinwheeling off to the right, legs splayed, totally limp. Didn't hit the brakes out of panic, but got over to the side as quickly as possible. We went back to it and the deer was torn up. It was dead on impact. Here's what it did to the car:

[IMG][/IMG]

The large dent is the body. Smaller dent on the left was apparently the head. There was fur imbedded in the paint, and a tuft imbedded in the bumper. We got so lucky. It didn't come up into or through the windshield. Hell, we hit it so dead center that the headlights were still working. It didn't do a thing to the way the car ran, but as you can see, some major cosmetic work needs doing.

I could have happily lived my whole life without that experience.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Put it in the freezer??

[GaYellowDawg]

2. Despite being Southern...

No. It was pretty torn up. There were viscera out. And I honestly don't think I could bear taking the thing home to freeze it.

[bluesbassman]

3. Hate to see any wildlife go that way, but it's probably best you didn't have more time to react.

As it is, you and your mom are fine, car appears repairable, and the deer didn't suffer. Too many times people try to avoid the animal and bad things happen. Glad you came away safe.

[GaYellowDawg]

6. Yep, that's what I thought, too.

The reaction would definitely have made things worse. We've got insurance, so no stress about the car. The big thing is no injuries. I've got a friend who had the same thing happen to him and the deer went through the windshield and killed one of his daughters in the back seat. Terrible thing. I know we were really lucky tonight.

[Suich]

4. Early Christmas Present!

Glad you're both ok!

[GaYellowDawg]

7. Thanks!

I can't imagine how I would have felt if my mom had gotten hurt, so absolutely, no injuries was an early Christmas present.

[moriah]

5. The hunters in your neck of the woods...

... didn't do a good job of thinning the herds this year, eh?

Mine either. There was a herd of deer walking through downtown last week.

[GaYellowDawg]

8. Shoot, it's east Tennessee.

You'd think the deer would be well thinned out.

[moriah]

11. I'm in Northwest Arkansas. Same here, you'd think.

Apparently people decided they didn't want tasty venison. (Venison really is tasty IMHO)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. East TN? So, the "G" license plate is not "Green Bay"?

Probably not. Everyone in Green Bay has deer whistles on their fenders, to stop this sort of thing.

If only the whistles worked...

Glad you & yours are OK

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Glad you are OK.

Your car looks similar to one of ours, ironically the one my partner was driving when he hit a deer a few months after returning to Oklahoma. He hit it in the middle of the day, which is odd. The deer survived, a big buck. It sprang from the side of the road so far, that only the left side of the car was demolished.

It is never a pleasant experience, I am glad y'all are OK. Deer "kill" more people in the US than any other animal for this very reason (collisions with cars).

[GaYellowDawg]

10. Thank you.

It was a small deer. And there's no other way I can think of saying it: we apparently hit it exactly right. No one was hurt, it didn't hit the windshield or break any lights, and it almost certainly was dead instantly. The car even made it home, a drive of about 90 miles.

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. I know from experience

that your hands musta been shaking for at least 30 of those miles!

[GaYellowDawg]

29. Actually...

I think I was gripping the steering wheel too tightly for them to shake!

[MrScorpio]

12. GAWD DAMN!

I've been too lucky around deer. I've had two close calls in the past.

One of those was at 70MPH on a West Virginia highway in the middle of the night.

Glad to see that you and your mom are OK.

[GaYellowDawg]

18. Thanks!

Well, I'm hoping that this will be the only deer-hitting in my lifetime. And I got off really light.

[woofless]

13. That happened to me twice down in Kansas.

The second time I was on my motorcycle. Glad you are ok.

Woof

[GaYellowDawg]

19. That is incredible.

How did you survive, on a motorcycle?

[woofless]

25. I can't remember thankfully,

but I think I bailed. I hit the pavement at about 60 mph and slid, feet in the air, on my left side. Scraped from my left hip to left ear, broke 7 ribs and collarbone on that side and collapsed my left lung. The bike slid down the highway on top of the deer, ultimately decapitating it. I think if I had hit it square and been thrown forward I surely would have died. I am very fortunate.

Woof

[givemebackmycountry]

14. I had a friend that was killed back in the 70's after he hit a deer.

Upstate New York, in the Catskills.
He was driving up the back side of the mountain, lot's of flat out stretches and windy curves.
Brand new Camaro Z-28, hit a deer doing about 110mph.
The car literally exploded on impact, and it looked more like a NASCAR accident than a deer strike.

[Lisa D]

15. Glad you and your mom are okay.

It's scary when they dart out right in front of you.

[GaYellowDawg]

20. Yeah, it sure is.

I deal with fright with humor, a lot of the time. Hence the stupid song.

[GaYellowDawg]

16. And wrote a song about it.

To the tune of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer":

Oh, we got run into by a real deer,
Driving to another city.
You may say there are too many hunters,
But as for me, I'd have to disagree.

Now the front bumper is mangled,
And the radiator's cracked.
And I saw the deer do cartwheels,
In the rear view mirror after it got smacked.

I'm so glad we've got insurance,
And they're gonna have to pay.
'Cause the hood is full of crumples,
And deer fur that's in tiny little sprays.

(refrain)
Oh, we got run into by a real deer,
Driving to another city.
You may say there are too many hunters,
But as for me, I'd have to disagree.

Now one headlight has been broken,
And the grille does not exist.
And like the car that went before us,
I wish that stupid deer had barely missed.

Soon the family will come visit,
And the deer will decompose,
And when my nephews ask what happened,
I'll tell the kids it had a shiny nose.

(refrain)

Oh, we got run into by a real deer,
Driving to another city.
You may say there are too many hunters,
But as for me, I'd have to disagree.

[barbtries]

17. since i moved to NC

it's my greatest fear. sorry it happened to you.

[GaYellowDawg]

21. I hope your fear isn't realized.

It happens more frequently right after dark than anything - and if you see one cross the road, there's more coming.

[unionworks]

22. Oh Deer!

Seriously, glad you're O.K.!

[applegrove]

23. Glad you are okay.

[mysuzuki2]

24. did the deer have insurance?

just kidding, glad you're ok. Deer are a big problem here in Wisconsin too.

[RebelOne]

27. Glad you and your mom were not hurt.

And I do hope the deer died instantly and did not suffer.

[Curmudgeoness]

30. This may not have helped in your situation, but

most of the time, deer travel together. If you see one deer, slow down and watch the direction that the one you did see came from. Many times, there are others coming.

I am glad you and your mom are ok. But that is some nasty damage! So sorry that had to happen.

[BreweryYardRat]

31. Jeez.

Glad you're okay.

[graywarrior]

32. Wow, having lived in deer and moose country for many years,

I know what you are going through. Hell of an experience hitting one of those things. Glad you are ok.

[JoePhilly]

33. The one coming from the left is the one you miss.

We tend to expect them to come from "the woods" ... which are usually on the RIGHT on major highways.

Those the come from the LEFT are coming from the median. They may be running fast because they just crossed the lanes of the same highway which go the other directions.

My wife hit one years back like this .... major highway ... we're doing 60-65 ... he came from the median ... her left, not from the right where the forest is closer.

Our car still worked.

The dear, ran off.

[XemaSab]

34. Living in a rural area

it's one of my worst fears.

Glad you're ok.