decided to stop and try to help. I wanted to know if it was alive and needed medical attention. Shortly after, a cop pulled up but didn't get out of the car. I asked the man who was probably in his late 40's what happened and he said, "Oh it just ran out in front of me and I barely clipped it." That was when I realized I was standing in vital organs and blood. Yeah buddy, I'm sure. The nose was all bloody and its tongue was sticking out. There was blood smeared everywhere. I thought that maybe the cop stopped to see if the guy was okay or was filing a police report cuz of damage to the vehicle. Nope. I asked the guy if he needed help moving the animal and he was like, "Yeah, that'd be great! Here, help me lift it into the back of the truck." I asked him what he was gonna do with it and he said, "Oh I'll take it home and clean it of course. It looks pretty young and I don't know if it'll be any good, but this sure was and easy one." Turns out the cop was there to issue the guy a kill tag so he could take it home. They weren't stopped there cuz they cared or were concerned with their own safety or the condition of the car. I couldn't believe it. That's the Midwest for you.

So the moral of the story is, I urge all of you who live in areas where these animals are abundant to please be careful. I hate driving in the Fall and especially at night. They're so fast and so large. And if you're not a hunter, I'd assume you wouldn't want to kill one of these beautiful animals. And if you value your life, you know just how dangerous it can be this time of year. And I live on a very populated street near the lake. Not where you'd expect to find them, but you have to be vigilant. So please keep your eyes peeled these next few months.

it reminds me of that scene in "the straight story" where the woman accidentally hits a deer and she freaks out and says that she drives home every day blasting public enemy out her windows to scare the deer away but it never works.

GangstaFam said:

It's very scary to drive in the country at night. I'm always afraid that I'm going to hit a deer...as long as you keep your eyes on the sides of the roads I think you'll be ok. What a sad story...

GangstaFam said:

that's so sad...

Tasmania (the little Island state at the bottom of Australia) you just don't drive around for the same reason...but it's any time of year there because there is just so much wildlife and most of it comes out at night. I drove around while I was there with friends but took care that we were off the road by dark

Anxiety said:

I've heard about those deep alerts you can put on the front of your car to scare them away. I guess it makes a high pitched sound that we can't hear. But I've also heard conflicting stories as to whether they actually work. I should look into it.

Natisse said:

Yeah, you get it all around here too. Probably nothing as rare as what you've got, but it's common to see rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, opossum, cats, crows, skunks, etc. Occasionally I've lucked out and actually saved one, but it's rare by the time you get to them.

sad story. thanks for the reminder, deer can be as dangerous to people as we can be to them...

and equally important, please please please folks remember NOT to tailgate the person ahead of you on the road.

this is my pet beef; i KNOW i won't be able to help myself if an animal pops into the road in front of me, i'll hit the brakes. and the idea of some tailgating idiot slamming into me because he/she didn't leave safe room to stop has me afeared for the safety of all concerned. . ..

i do try to pull over and let the tailgating idiots out there pass me because it drives me absolutely nuts to have some fool on my ass at 60 MPH, but i can't always do that safely.

and if you aren't a tailgater please disregard this post. thanks for listening

GangstaFam said:

hehehe. once in rural wisconsin i was driving down a deserted country road, music absolutely cranked so as to warn any deer of my approach, when this buck steps out onto the asphalt about 200 yeards from my car. i slowed, then stopped, then rolled down the window - music still blaring from the car - and he gives me this kind of. .. look over his shoulder like as if to say 'what's your problem?' so then i holler out the window at him 'move out the way you, don't y'know it's a bad idea to stand in the middle of a road?' and he just stands there, somewhat insolently it seemed, for a few moments more. then leisurely makes his way across the road, totally unphased by the noise coming from the open window and my attempts to communicate with him.

taught me a lesson, he did.

XxAxX said:

Oh, just wait until I play him "Ancestors" off of Bjork's new album!! He won't ever dare to cross the road again.

XxAxX said:

Oh jeez, I put deep alerts! I meant DEER alerts.

sinisterpentatonic said:

endorphin74 said:

Either that or he'll join in!

Poor deer.

Hunters suck. Cars suck. Uncaring drivers suck.

What a sickening story. There are 5 dead deer on the highway between my house and yours right now Gangsta (about 22 miles) ~ can't even count the cats, racoons, skunks and other unfortunate creatures. We are destroying their habitat around here at an alarming rate. Makes me want to move to Alaska or somewhere. Sorry you had to see this. I know how much you love animals.

Deer and other wildlife is very common everywhere in Sweden, when I was taking my driver's license we got to see a car that had hit a moose at 50 kph, the car had no front anymore. That makes you think a bit, and while taking the license (the theoretical part) we also learn about where, how and when to keep an extra look out. There are also signs here with moose or deer etc. on to warn people further if it's a heavily inhabitated area. Does this exist at all in the US? I know we have a course in driving in slippery/icy conditions that never happens in the US, and we also have regulations that you MUST have winter tires (studded or unstudded) on, if it's winter weather, between December 1st and April 30th. I remember when I was in NC that people there didn't even know these tires exist, and they have plenty of snow that melts and then freezes every year. It's just strange to me how it can be so different.

Oh, one more thing people. WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS!! If you were to hit a deer full on without wearing it, chances are you'd be on the outside of the car. Be safe!

bratchildsfriend said:

It sucked. I know how many sad stories you've got too. We have done some good though.

a couple years ago i worked nights in a town about 30 minutes away. i was headed to work one night (doing about 70 mph), it was about 10:30 or so, and i hit a deer. i was in the left lane and there was a car just behind me at my bumper in the right lane. the deer came out of the median and i hit it so hard it flew over my car and over the car next to me. the other guy stopped to see if i was ok, and i was freaking out! i was so stinkin scared! but i got control of myself, and we called the sheriff and a tow truck. the sheriff went a looked for the deer, i thought for sure it couldn't have survived that. but he looked all up and down the highway and couldn't find it. i think it probably limped off to die alone. i wished he could have found it to put it out of it's misery.

anyways, i had a '99 Olds Cutlass (i LOVED that car!!) and it was messed up pretty bad. you could see the marks on my hood where the deer's antlers scraped up before he bounced off. the freaky thing was, it was only a couple inches from going through my windshield and hitting me!! that really freaked me out!

i definitely drive more alert at night now!

Poor deer

Teacher said:

In Massachusetts and the New England area there are moose crossing signs and such. One or two would get hit, usually by semi trucks when the moose ventured out on the highway. If a car hit it, both usually were killed (driver and moose). We see many more deer in populated areas, so it isn't just a country road safety issue. Its all the time. That, and Canadian Geese.....talk about stubborn creatures on the roads!!

bluesbaby said:

Yeah. On the highway especially there are signs warning for heavily populated areas of deer. I really like in a lot of Western states how they have the fencing on the side of the road. They still warn you about wildlife, but you see nowhere near the amount of roadkill.

Something like that happened to me about 5 years ago.

I was driving down a country road, coming home from visiting some friends, and a deer came flying out from the side of the road and ran into the side of my car and then over the top, into the ditch. There was absolutely nothing I could do to stop, it ran into me.

So I pull over, and I'm totally in shock. Luckily, a few other cars pulled over, too, and one couple called the police for me on their cell. I kept saying, "is it dead, is it dead"? This young guy had stopped, and he told me it wasn't dead, and I kept saying, "somebody kill it, I don't want it to suffer". So the young guy tries to break its neck, he sort of wrestles it around the neck, punching it, trying to snap its neck, and the poor thing is thrashing around. So then I start screaming at the guy to stop. Luckily, a farmer from a nearby house heard the commotion, got his gun and came over and killed the deer. Then the younger guy decided to put it in his truck and take it home.

Good Lord, I was really fucked up over that for awhile and there was deer hair stuck to my driver's side door along with a big dent.

AnotherLoverToo said:

I've seen some pretty messed up animals and I'm usually be myself when I find them. I never have the heart to kill them and if I think they have a chance, I take them to a vet that does rehabilitation of wildlife. I'm not always successful, but I've saved many animals that way. Many times (with deer especially), their initial shock and disorientation from being hit is not as bad as their injuries may indicate. If you're not sure how bad off it is, give it a little time. They often will get their equilibrium back and run off.

bluesbaby said:

I HATE Canadadian Geese! They crap EVERYWHERE and chase my dog