I hit and killed a deer last night

[Stinky The Clown]

I can't stop replaying it in my head.

Let me start by saying that while I am an animal lover, we have a *serious* problem with deer over population. Something needs to be done. I find myself favoring some sort of non harmful sterilization, but am not opposed to controlled hunts. We live in a typical suburban area. A few acres of wild woods here and there, but mostly houses on mostly 1/2 to 5 acre lots. The deer are everywhere. You've all seen our three dogs. While they're trained to stay on our property and virtually never transgress, they run *fast* right to the property line after deer. The deer barely run. They know where the dogs stop and they have no fear. They don't fear any of the other dogs, either. We have deer scat everywhere.

Anyway, I digress.

I was driving my oldest son home from the airport. We were on a dark stretch of road in what is really an urban area. Lots of apartments, strip centers, housing developments. There is a break in all this where a stream and the road cross. A big deer was across and through my headlight beams before I could react. As my eyes followed that one, I hit a small one who was following. Mercifully, I'd guess it died instantly. Apparently I hit it with the driver side corner on the truck, knocked it down, and rolled over it with front and read wheels.

I doubt I'll forget that, ever. Kinda sickening. I pulled off the road and put on my flashers. The deer was in the driving lane, essentially in the same spot I hit it. I (foolishly) called 911. The operator took my name and number and said someone would be by to drag it off the road. I got the sense of an eye roll as I was speaking with her.

My truck suffered the most minor damage possible. It broke a fog lamp ($52, delivered) and knocked out a small "grill" next to the fog lamp. The grill was on the road, almost undamaged, having been run over by a following car as I was pulling over (who never even stopped . . . . what if it had been a kid???). I'm sure the repair will take me about 10 minutes.

I don't know where I'm going with this, but it haunts. I know it could have been *much* worse. Deer/car collisions are all too often injurious or fatal.

Anyway, if you got this far, thanks for listening.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Glad you are OK. We hit a deer when living in NH - serious damage to the car, deer was

propelled off somewhere, never saw it (was dark/night). Then about 5 years ago, broad daylight, a deer ran into the driver side passenger door - again, deer kept going we assume, major damage to the car.

We are utterly overrun with deer in the North Raleigh NC area.....accidents waiting to happen everywhere.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. My salvation was driving a high vehicle and hitting a really small deer

Hard to say for sure, but I'd guess it was a fawn from this year's offspring. Maybe not even the size of my Big Dog.

[elleng]

3. Sorry, and thanks for posting; will be sure to watch out, and warn daughter, too.

She's in a largely rural part of P.G.

[Irishonly]

4. I am glad you are ok n/t

[wildeyed]

5. I live in a first ring suburban area.

We are basically city now. And I have seen deer on the main road in broad daylight. We also have coyotes now. I saw two on the corner of my street at night a month ago. Luckily we have no small dogs or cats. Apparently they have been snacking on those recently. My chicken coops are predator proof, although maybe not enough for a coyote. I was thinking more about possums and raccoons when I built them. But so far they have been untouched.

I am glad no one was hurt and that the deer didn't suffer.

[Chemisse]

6. I (think) I know how you feel.

My son hit and killed a deer last month. The damage was a lot worse, but $500 after the insurance paid.

Anyway, my son is 23 and very cool, can handle anything that comes his way, nearly invincible it seems. He told his story in a matter-of-fact way. Rather than focus on the damage done to my car, my first question after making sure he hadn't been hurt, was did the deer die? Cooly, he said it died.

Remembering the sick feeling I get when I run over something as small as a squirrel, I commented that that must have been really awful. For a moment his face crumbled and he conceded that it was really horrible. He refused to discuss it and the moment passed, but a mom can feel the searing emotion from her child, if given the sliver of a chance.

So I sympathize with you. It must have been truly ghastly. I think talking about it helps to exorcise the memory, so it's good that you are sharing.

[badgerpup]

7. You're alright?

Physically that is...just about any kind of accident is traumatic, even if it's just a minor fender-bender where all parties drive away.

We have a herd of deer in my work neighborhood that are just about fearless.
They bop through the yards and in and across the street...one has to be careful.

I read something in one of Charlaine Harris's novels about 'wait for the second deer'.
There is almost never just one.
I've found this useful advice...

[Stinky The Clown]

10. "Wait for the second deer."

As you and others have pointed out, that is so very true.

Last night, they were so close to me before I saw even the first one, that, had I seen the second, I would have been unable to stop. I expect the results, even if I saw it, would have been the same. Or maybe worse in that the deer would have been injured and fled, to suffer and still die.

Who knows? The whole episode sucks.

[uppityperson]

11. Glad you're ok and hitting a deer sucks.

[HoosierStateDem]

8. That's Never Happened to Me

I'm nearly 50 years old and I have never hit a deer but I did run over a cat about 30 years ago and it still bugs me.

I live in Texas and another problem creature are wild hogs. I am not kidding. If you live in East Texas, there are packs of wild hogs and they apparently do major damage to cars and people.

[Curmudgeoness]

9. I am glad that you are ok, and the truck

is hardly damaged. Just want to take this opportunity to remind everyone (as in this case)----deer usually travel in herds, and if you see one, there is often another one or more with it. Slow up as much as possible as soon as you see one so you can be prepared for another one.

But even knowing all that, sometimes there is just nothing you can do. Sorry you had to live through that.

[TygrBright]

12. When we lived on Maryland's Eastern Shore we had three deer collisions in two years.

The overpopulation problem is very serious. I think unrestricted buck seasons ever three or four years would help, but I understand the management issues involved. It's a tough challenge.

I understand your nightmares. One of ours was a VERY narrow escape from really nasty damage.

Glad you and your son weren't hurt!

diffidently,
Bright