Deer In Headlights=Panic Stop

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, to the 47 out tonight at dusk for a spin down the road to the highway:) . I have this rattle in the passenger window, so I am driving about 35 to 40 mph, my hand on the passenger side window, seeing what the rattle was all about, then all of a sudden:eek: there was a Deer running across the road, I hit the brakes, the car slowed right down quick like;) , the deer ran into the field:D .

Had I been going 50 to 60 mph, I may have hit the deer, this is another reason I do not like night driving around here this time of year, too many dang Deer.

The car ran great in the cooler dryer air, went for about a quick 10 mile spin.

Tomorrow morning heading to a friends truck shop to try and line up the hood and front fenders, now that the doors:rolleyes: are pretty good..........Fred

[Olddaddy]

Fred, I am glad you missed the deer, for both your sakes. At the risk of being labeled a shameless self promoter I would suggest you might want to consider a disc brake conversion for your Plymouth. I happen to make one of the best if not THE best kit available today. Let me know if I can help you make your car safer for the critters and passengers in your part of the country!

[Grandadeo]

Deer are my biggest fear when we are on a trip in my '32 roadster and end up driving after dark. I've tried to get it in my wife's head that if I yell "DOWN" she is to instantly have her head down below the dash. I know if I hit one dead on it will clean the windshield right off the car along with our heads if they're sticking up. That's why I really try to limit any night highway driving. Maybe I should order one of the Ronco Scare The Critters Away gadgets with a noise only they can hear. And if I order in the next 10 minutes.....

Lee

[Andydodge]

Yrs ago I repainted a Triumph Spitfire sportscar for a mate, lots of rust repairs, etc, turned out pretty good, about a month after it was finished he resumed the habit of late night fast runs thru a national park that was nearby to clean out the cars' and his cobwebs..........he hit a deer one night.......took the hood clean off the Spitfire(they were similar setup to a jag e type, the whole hood/fender unit pivoted from the front)......the deer then hit the windscreen frame................did I mention that this was a convertible Triumph Spitfire?........no?........it was.....after hitting the windscreen frame, said deer then shattered the windscreen and ended up in the passenger seat beside my mate........by this stage the deer was not a well deer, in fact it was a dead deer.......this fact was apparent due to the blood and guts that said dead deer spread all over the Triumphs interior, floor, dash, windscreen and rear deck.........the deer was a write-off and so was the Triumph Spitfire........luckily my mate was o/k..........tho he did need to purchase new underwear........a true story.......lol..........andyd

[Frank Elder]

When I was on shore duty, I was stationed with VT-24 at NAS Chase Field, Beeville TX. About a 100 miles south of San Antonio on 181. Was going home during deer season around 2300 hours, and 2 deer shoot across the road in rapid succession! Both safe distance ahead of our brand new lemon! 1990 3-0 liter Die Nasty, biggest piece of !#$%%^# I've ever owned. Anyway having dodged a 2 deer bullet, I was somewhat relaxed as the third deer slammed into the passenger side rear door! I was a measly mile and a half from home so away I drove.

Upon arriving at the house, jumped in my 73 d-100 with rifle rack full. Went back to the crime scene and dispatched the villan with extreme prejudice! He was very tasty, and already tenderized......FRANKIE47

[55 Fargo]

Up here where I live in Rural Manitoba, just 18 miles north a of a medium sized city Winnipeg, there are 100s of Deer.

In spring I have seen as many as 50 in a bunch, there are so many it's unbelievable, I have close calls with Deer a few times each year, hit one 2 years ago with one of the daily dirvers.

Charlie, I will buy a kit at some point, just not in the $ cards right now..........Fred

[Don Coatney]

I have seen as many as 50 in a bunch,

That would technically be called a mob or a herd.

[55 Fargo]

That would technically be called a mob or a herd.

Maybe a "Venison Riot", there also called "Jumpers", here in the Heartland.

Aguy I work with at the Pen, has a nice 1955 Chev 2 dr, he was bringing it to work a couple of falls ago, he hit 2 deer on this one Deer infested Highway Hwy 67, the entire rear section was bashed in, he had only stock brakes, the brakes locked up on a dew misted hwy and the car went sideways into the Deer.

We have so many Deer here, there should be a 2 bag limit each season, sometimes there is, but most times not............Fred

[Olddaddy]

I read somewhere that more deer are killed by cars than by hunters.........back in the hippy times I lived in rural northern California. I happened to be behind a car that hit a deer and killed it instantly. The people were pretty shook up, but the damage to their car wasn't too bad. They got pretty pale when I set about cleaning the deer on the roadside so it did not go to waste. Always kept my gear in the trunk for just such an occasion. Free food was where you found it in those days.

[Niel Hoback]

I read of a deer warning test done by the Florida state police that showed no difference in the cars that had them. Some people involved said they thought the high pitched whistle actually attracted deer ! So, who knows. I've seen them here standing by the fence on I-65 and just jump vertically over it and be at the edge of the road in a second or less. Gets your heart rate up.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I've hit a deer..coming home late night after swing shift..I saw the young buck early, adjusted my speed..he lunged..toward me..again I steered and braked..he lunged..toward me..so it was he or the ditch..at the claims office couple days later..the adjuster looked at the damage..stated..young buck I bet..how many evasive manuvers did you try before HE hit you...he says young buck will challenge the headlights regradless of your desire to miss the animal..I do not believe in the so called air whistles...I had more leap in front of me with them on than with them not installed..I contend they confuse the animal..and thus cause more accidnets

[Don Coatney]

Someone should try turning off the headlights when a buck makes eye contact to see if that works:D

[1947PLEVY]

I have a 9 acre field out in front of my house and when we see that many deer, we call it a STAG party..

Take Care and God Bless.. John 47Plevy

[CNP934DC]

I had a deer jump over a guard rail and run alongside me for about 20 feet as I slowed down. I was only doing about 30 at the time. Just as I was about to completely stop, the deer cut in front of me and I knocked him over. All you could see were 4 deer legs sticking up in the air. My car pool lady passenger was screaming "Is it Dead, Is it Dead!!!!!!!!!!!!????????". Just at that moment the deer scrambled to it feet, gave me a dirty look through the windshield and calmly walked back into the woods.

Had a bad experience coming back from NC a few years ago though. In a '93 Chrysler, I got broadsided by a buck. Took out the power mirror, left front and rear doors. About $2,000 in body work later and a junk yard mirror I re-installed myself, was back on the road. Thankfully, no-one hurt except the deer.

[CNP934DC]

That reminds me, my wife was driving along the rural road to our house one morning when she spotted a wild turkey standing off to the side. As she slowed to look at the bird, the thing took flight and landed on her hood. By then the car was stopped and the turkey was looking at her through the windshield. It tried to stand and wound up sliding off the hood. Nice scratches in freshly polished wax job. Wish she would have killed it. I never tasted wild turkey.......................not the eating kind anyway. I hear they're gamey and tough. Kinda like the wifey. Kidding of course.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Sorta like the turkey..I was driving home from Ga to SC one evening..a hawk swooped off a powerline and smacked into the stainless steel antenna whip..feathers flew..the bird was spun around..I looked back and saw him take flight and make it back to perch on the power line..the aerial..bent back quite a bit..them be some very tough birds.....

[Young Ed]

On the way to the cabin once at about dusk with Dad up ahead on the highway he walkies back you'll never guess what...and whamm a bird slams into the windshield. I said I guess you hit a bird. Either he launched that one pretty high and I hit the same one or those are some pretty dumb birds up there. The locals said at dusk they do get so involved with eating mosquitos that they don't pay attention to cars etc

[Grandadeo]

Since we've strayed from deer into other critters, The first time my wife let me borrow here new Dodge Dakota quad cab we took off for the Moutrie, GA swap meet. While there we got a lead on a Model A pickup bed my son needed that was over around Tallahassee. Talked to the seller, went and picked it up, and headed east on I-10. Some where east of Tallahassee after dark and with my buddy driving my wife's pride and joy he hit something at about 70 MPH. I looked up just in time to see the blur of some sort of large 4 legged animal. We were almost at an exit so we made that and pulled into a store parking lot. The steam coming from the radiator was the first clue I was in big trouble. Don't remember for sure but it had $2-$3,000 dollars in damage and had to be towed. A deputy stopped by to see what was up and we told him we hit a deer. He took care of the report and then went to make sure the deer was off the road so no one else would hit it. He came back and told us we had hit the biggest ROTTWEILER he had ever seen. Just my luck, someone's pet out wandering the interstate.

Lee

[1947PLEVY]

True Story:

Back in 87 I was heading to work one morning about 6am and a deer jumped a fence and started running beside the car (84 topaz) I slowed down to about 30mph and the deer leapt over the car completely and kept on truckin'. Amazed me!!!

God Bless Us All.. John

[Allan Faust]

Up here it ain't the deer, but the moose..... and they don't move like deer either... but they are about 3-5 times their weight.....

Looks like I'm gonna end up closer to deer country pretty soon..... Things are really looking up..... might not be online for a bit, but for good reasons...

Allan