Request To Drivers

[Gaige]

October and November are the peak months for deer accidents. Please be aware while driving and slow down if you spot a deer on the side of the road. They're unpredictable and will dart into traffic. Also, since deer travel in herds, assume others are nearby. If one crosses in front of you be prepared for others to be following. And when able, use your high beams at night. Thanks.

[Kobi]

October and November are the peak months for deer accidents. Please be aware while driving and slow down if you spot a deer on the side of the road. They're unpredictable and will dart into traffic. Also, since deer travel in herds, assume others are nearby. If one crosses in front of you be prepared for others to be following. And when able, use your high beams at night. Thanks.

Good reminder and excellent suggestions. Thank you.

[JustJo]

October and November are the peak months for deer accidents. Please be aware while driving and slow down if you spot a deer on the side of the road. They're unpredictable and will dart into traffic. Also, since deer travel in herds, assume others are nearby. If one crosses in front of you be prepared for others to be following. And when able, use your high beams at night. Thanks.

Having lived the last decade or more in a highly deer-populated area, I'll add this....

If you end up in that horrible situation where a deer is frozen in your headlights....turn them off and honk your horn...that unfreezes them pretty quick. I know it's scary to be braking in the dark and actually turn off your headlights, but it's better than a collision...

[lipstixgal]

There's not too many deer in the Northern NJ area per say but its good to know what to do in case there is one I wouldn't want to hit one that would be terrible!! Thanks for the suggestions

[Blade]

When a buck ruts, they rarely eat or rest they have one thing on their mind and that is mating. Deer normally run in herds but during "the rut" the mature doe runs off the younger immature does. The mature does travel alone during this time, though she may be followed by the immature does. Should you see a lone doe cross the road or standing on the side of the road and looking across the road or behind her or flipping her tail, you can bet "Big Daddy" is close behind her. If she has crossed, be cautious as he may be hot on her tail.

Last year as I was traveling to work I turned at a stop light in town(a side street). Just as I turned I see a doe on the side of the road as I got closer I see a buck on the other side of the road. DUH! I didn't want either of them to jump on or into my truck, so I sat there. She came to the center line, then he did. I thought OMG deer porn.....they discussed it a few minutes and she got out of the road, he didn't. I blew the horn flashed my lights and he didn't move. I open the door stood on the running board and yelled at him. He turned square to me, stomped his hoof and blew at me. I'm thinking oh shit he's gonna charge my truck LOL. He didn't. Then this tiny little car came up and whizzed around me and between the deer. I thought IDIOT! Finally they decided to go into private for their affair and I was able to go on to work.

It's rare that I go to work a week without seeing deer. I saw one this morning right after I left the driveway. People pass me flying like a bat out of hell every morning, but I putt putt around 40 mph all the way to town every morning so I can make a safe sudden stop should I need to. And YES I have hit several deer. Sometimes I think I have doe in heat scent on my trucks. :|

[suebee]

Thanks for this! This is SO important! As a northerner I'll add: watch out for moose too! You hit a moose and you will very likely die. It's no joke. Stay safe!

[Blade]

Thanks for this! This is SO important! As a northerner I'll add: watch out for moose too! You hit a moose and you will very likely die. It's no joke. Stay safe!

Thank goodness I don't have to worry about this! If I hit a moose, one of us have certainly made a wrong turn.

[DomnNC]

Also, at dusk or first dark, if you scan the sides of the roads for little golden orbs of light, it's your headlights reflecting off the deer's eyes. That's helped me a lot at times.

[princessbelle]

Thank goodness I don't have to worry about this! If I hit a moose, one of us have certainly made a wrong turn.


hey it's possible. They do travel right?

[Blade]

hey it's possible. They do travel right?


Smacks self in forehead........yep they do....and they wear black hoodies and run from women with pink tasers.

[princessbelle]

Smacks self in forehead........yep they do....and they wear black hoodies and run from women with pink tasers.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh you did NOT go there :sunglass:

[Oiler41]

Happened to me today; just around the corner from the house, a young doe came out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road; I turned on my high beams, she froze and then took off in the direction she was heading to being with. Doe number two was still on the other side of the road waiting to cross. I waited to see if she was going to cross as well, but she just stood there right off the edge of the road, frozen in place. I love seeing them so close to home but they are sometimes hard to see. Even a small patch of woods in the middle of suburbia is intriguing to them so don't assume you have to be out in the country or on a dark sparsely populated road to find them!

Glynn

[Liam]

I used to commute on a highway that ran close to a river, and purchased those little deer whistles that stick on the front bumper—they made a dramatic difference.

[dixie]

Oh good grief. Damn deer... I have them everywhere. LOL

I actually love deer and have a small herd that is so used to people they come right up to my front porch where I'm standing. (And yes, I am one of those weirdos who will carry on a "conversation" with them while they're there...lol) They have always been around the house, and I know firsthand what a danger they can be to drivers and such. I have a hard time keeping them from jumping off the bank onto the hood of my car when I go down my driveway. I also had one run out into the road, halt about the same time I braked, and then run head first into the driver side door of my completely still truck, almost knocking the side mirror off. Luckily the deer was ok.

I've heard those little deer whistle things do work well. I haven't tried one yet though.

Oh, and we also have to worry about bear incidents. Two cars were totalled just last week in two seperate run-ins with bears. One of the bears survived, but the other didn't. :(

Be cautious, be observant, and stay safe out there y'all. :)

[katsarecool]

I was involved in a deer strike several years ago. Saw the first deer run in front of my truck. I had just enough time to think and be grateful I had not it until I heard a loud thud. A deer had run into my truck broadside; smearing blood, fur and mud from headlight to taillights too causing $6,000 damages. I was very lucky that night. Last weekend I saw a 6 pt buck not 30 feet away in the neighbor's yard. It was beautiful. I called to it, he looked up and then dashed away.

[sharkchomp]

I've heard good things about the deer whistles too. Also - do not flash your lights!!! They may see their own shadow and run right in front of you. I don't recommend turning your lights off just for your own safety. I suggest laying on the horn - and I mean laying on it for several seconds as you slow your vehicle down. They'll run away from the sound of your horn. Also, if you see a deer xing sign it's there for a reason - slow down and pay close attention. Be safe y'all :)

~~~shark~~~~~~~~

[Gaige]

Thanks to those who responded and especially to those that added more suggestions. I have never heard of a deer whistle but I'm going to look into them now. Although, even with the whistle I'll still scan the sides of the parkway as I do now. Safe travels everyone and keep an eye out for wildlife.

[morningstar55]

interesting thread..........
being the professional driver i am .... lol

Yep have to admit....... i am guilty of runnin over 2 bucks a few yrs back. during this time of yr.
i slowed down, blew the horn .. and well instead of darting bk off into the woods they just well.. jumped out in front of me instead.
I am trained NOT to swirve .... but just hold my wheel straight..... i could kill myself if I did. and or cuz myself injuries and not to mention a lot of $$ in truck or frieght damages... and sometimes I haul haz mat loads.
sooooooo im sorry and have remorse for hitting them deer. But......
anyways....... stay safe out there.

[lipstixgal]

On another note Deer carry ticks which carry Lyme's disease so I wouldn't get too close to them. I had many deer in KCMO when I lived there. they were everywhere especially in the country where I lived so yes be very careful not to hit one!!

[sharkchomp]

I saw the deer whistlers at auto zone for $6.99 I believe. What's the saying... an ounce of prevention.... might save your car/life ;)

~~~shark~~~~~~~~

[Glenn]

Folks... I already bought two plastic pairs of the stick on whisles and they fell off. I think I'll just screw on my hood deer or bull antlers with a St Frances medal hanging between them, hand paint a growling mouth with sharp teeth there too. Hang Mezzuzas on the side doors, get a horn that makes animal sounds, spot lights on both sides, and on top, and drive slow.

[asphaltcowboi]

i retired after 20yrs driving truck.. i have as soon as they came out with them used deer wistles.. they work great! i have actually seen heards of antilope run away as i aproached. they work on most animals.. i run them on my pick up now.. i was driving from here n. az to powell wyo often.. even during hunting season or at dusk&dawn i never even had a close call. i will always run them. there are some that are better then others. i payed $19.00 for mine and bought them at the truck stop.

[Gaige]

I'm not concerned about my truck. A truck can be replaced. A life cannot. I have a soft spot when it comes to animals. Hell, I don't even kill spiders or other bugs that are in the house. I catch and release outside. I just believe every living thing has just as much right to life as I do...except parasites. Thanks for the tip on autozone.

[LipstickLola]

interesting thread..........
being the professional driver i am .... lol

Yep have to admit....... i am guilty of runnin over 2 bucks a few yrs back. during this time of yr.
i slowed down, blew the horn .. and well instead of darting bk off into the woods they just well.. jumped out in front of me instead.
I am trained NOT to swirve .... but just hold my wheel straight..... i could kill myself if I did. and or cuz myself injuries and not to mention a lot of $$ in truck or frieght damages... and sometimes I haul haz mat loads.
sooooooo im sorry and have remorse for hitting them deer. But......
anyways....... stay safe out there.

My daddy drove a gasoline truck for several years when I was very young and when he taught me to drive, this is exactly what he told me too, grip wheel, keep moving forward, regardless! It's deer city out there right now too :(

[amiyesiam]

If you are driving and there is a car stopped in the road in front of you, do NOT hit your gas and go around said car. God help the fool who did this years ago. I had stopped for the buck that was on the side of the road. He was not moving and neither was I. But the truck coming up behind me chose go faster and go around me. Yeah, and the buck chose to cross the road. That truck hit its breaks so fast. The buck got across the road just barely.

Also a deer may veer back the way it came and then turn back towards the road again. Some times they run next to the road and bob and weave for awhile.

And deer can be in residential areas especially this time of year

[MsDemeanor]

We have deer all over our hillside town. There are deer trails just a few feet from our back deck, so we see them day in and day out. They walk down the street in the middle of the day, and hang in yards and driveway. Most of the time they get out of the way of cars, but sometimes I have to stop, roll down the window, and talk sweetly to them to get them to move. It would never occur to me to honk or flash my lights; sweet talk does the trick.

Side story. We tend toward only deer-resistant plants in non-fenced areas, because anything else becomes an all-they-can-eat buffet. One afternoon several of us were out putting in new plants in our front yards. An older doe strolled up the middle of the street, stopping at each yard and having a long careful look around to see what we were all planting. I'm quite sure that she was taking notes!!!

[suebee]

So we're coming home tonight and there are two pick-up trucks pulled over on the opposite side of the road from me with their flashers on. One was still facing oncoming traffic with it's headlights on, so I had a little trouble seeing. I slowed down and glanced over to see if everything was okay. I looked back at the road just in time to see a dead deer in front of me in the middle of my lane. No time to avoid it, so I had to run over it. As soon as I could I pulled off the road and we both took a deep breathe. We agreed that we should go back and take the deer off the road so nobody else would run over it. There were five people just milling around and nobody took the time to haul the carcass off of the road. WTF? Tomorrow my partner is going to see if there is any damage to the underside of the car - and since we really like our garagists, she's going to have it washed first.....because it will be n-a-s-t-y by tomorrow! :seeingstars:

If you hit something and can do so safely - PLEASE remove the carcass from the road - or at least signal oncoming traffic! It could save someone else from having an accident. Like ME!

[Gaige]

I thought I would resurrect this thread since it’s about that time for the deer’s Fall breeding season. They’ll be moving about more than usual in the upcoming months. Just a reminder. They travel in family groups and single file so just because one passed safely in front of you does not mean the danger has been avoided. Be alert while driving and use highbeams at night when possible. I also have a request. Please don’t post about wildlife that you’ve hit or seen hit. I’d rather not know. Tips and strategies on avoiding a collision with wildlife are encouraged. Have a safe Fall.

[suebee]

Thanks for bumping this. I have to drive a couple of hours through the northern Maine woods tonight, and it's a great reminder for me. :)

[cinderella]

*snip*
When a buck ruts, they rarely eat or rest they have one thing on their mind and that is mating.


Sounds like many butches I've known...(thank God for small favors!! ;))

[Apocalipstic]

Thanks for bumping the thread, we have lot's of cute deer in Nashville I would like to avoid hitting.

Are the whistles hard to install?

[betenoire]

Are the whistles hard to install?

If they're what I'm thinking of, they're actually just stuck on with double sided tape.

Dear Drivers;

On Friday when it was raining and you could clearly see that the right lane was a giant lake and the left lane was not only puddle-free but CAR-FREE...maybe it would have been nice of you to drive in the left lane and not repeatedly spray puddle water at me. It was really irritating when I had to spend more time using my umbrella as a shield against your splashes than against the actual rain falling from the sky.

You are all assholes.

Love,

Brandy

[Liam]

Are the whistles hard to install?


No, they are very easy, just make sure the surface of your bumper is clean and dry, before peeling and sticking them on.

[Blade]

As Cody mentioned and others have said, deer whistles work pretty dang good. They are cheap too. Sometimes you can find them at Big Lots or the Dollar store for DUH a buck LOL. They are also at Walmart and the major auto parts stores. Very easy to install, they just stick on and they are also great for motorcycles and scooters.

Only thing is NOTHING is going to stop a running deer from crossing the road so keep your eyes peeled, and be aware. They cause just as much damage if they broadside you as they do if you broadside them. A big doe committed suicide on the front quarter panel of my Mom's Camry back in the spring, she made a left turn and hadn't even gone far enough to get up to the speed limit.

My roomie and I were in Charlotte 2 weeks ago and right in the middle of the city there were 3 deer off the side of the road grazing. They acted like they had no idea they were totally visible or that they were a hundred feet off a busy 4 lane. So like coyote, deer or any wild animal for that matter learn to adapt readily to humans encroachment into their habitat.

[Glenn]

All; Did u ever hear a deer commit suicide like Blade just said? Whisles need cleaning inside alot and be put where the brushes in the car wash can't take them off like in front of the radiator.