Another close call DEER!!!!!

[jkelley]

4:30 Am, long straight, cruising about 45 - 50 MPH. By the time I saw the deer bound out of the tree line about 15 feet from the side of the road at full tilt I didn't even have time to soil my shorts, touch the horn, or even try to avoid. ( not necessarily in the correct order) I grabbed a hand full of front brake, and hit the rear but was convinced collision was imminent. For some reason only known to the good lord above she hesitated and I went by close enough I could have petted the damn thing. Very happy I am not dealing with a wrecked bike this morning, but still shaking. These darn things are rapidly becoming a menace, fewer and fewer hunters now and more and more deer. The little critters I can deal with but those at eye level could hurt.

[Scotrod]

Where are you located? In the Midwest, the deer get almost as big as the cattle!

Here in S-TX, 'many' are about the size of a Greyhound, but that still doesn't mean I wanna take one on with a bike!!!

[1951vbs]

4:30 Am, long straight, cruising about 45 - 50 MPH. By the time I saw the deer bound out of the tree line about 15 feet from the side of the road at full tilt I didn't even have time to soil my shorts, touch the horn, or even try to avoid. ( not necessarily in the correct order) I grabbed a hand full of front brake, and hit the rear but was convinced collision was imminent. For some reason only known to the good lord above she hesitated and I went by close enough I could have petted the damn thing. Very happy I am not dealing with a wrecked bike this morning, but still shaking. These darn things are rapidly becoming a menace, fewer and fewer hunters now and more and more deer. The little critters I can deal with but those at eye level could hurt.

Glad you made it. 2 years ago I hit one on the way home from work. November, dusk to dark during the rut. Just like you said no time to do much about it. Spent 3 days in the hospital but it would have been much worse without full gear. It has really changed my riding habits. I am paranoid now when I am cruising along in the woods and don't ride as much at night. It is not a very rare occurrence just google search or youtube seach "motorcycle hits deer". You might be surprised how many get filmed on helmet cam. Ya'll stay on the lookout.

[jkelley]

Glad you made it. 2 years ago I hit one on the way home from work. November, dusk to dark during the rut. Just like you said no time to do much about it. Spent 3 days in the hospital but it would have been much worse without full gear. It has really changed my riding habits. I am paranoid now when I am cruising along in the woods and don't ride as much at night. It is not a very rare occurrence just google search or youtube seach "motorcycle hits deer". You might be surprised how many get filmed on helmet cam. Ya'll stay on the lookout.

I hear you, I stay toward the middle of the lane as I see them all the time. This one just seemed determined to haul ass out straight at me. Probably being chased by a dog I would guess. Here in NC the deer are not usually that big like the mule deer out west and up north but big enough to hurt. I have to ride in the dark if I am going to ride to work so it's concerning. Almost as bad as in heavy fog and seeing a carcass lying in the road that just got smacked. I think my next move is to add more lighting to the bike.

I had one of my guy's hit one last year coming in on his bike, he called in and told me. I send someone after him. He was badly shaken, busted up the front of his bike but he didn't go down. The deer was dead as a hammer. Called the highway patrol and they sent four cruisers. Assuming a motorcycle deer hit usually does not end well for the rider, he was pretty much ok just covered in deer crap from head to toe. The deer was in the middle of a 4 lane highway with a turn lane ( 5 lanes total) he saw it and had slowed down it was facing away from him and the damn thing jumped in front of him. He said he had never seen one do that and could not believe it when it happened.

I will be more wary, but truthfully I don't know what I could have done different should the same thing happen again. Not at high speed, riding toward the center of the lane. I did have my gear on as I usually do. I will improve my lighting but honestly that was not a factor this morning.

[1951vbs]

I hear you, I stay toward the middle of the lane as I see them all the time. This one just seemed determined to haul ass out straight at me. Probably being chased by a dog I would guess. Here in NC the deer are not usually that big like the mule deer out west and up north but big enough to hurt. I have to ride in the dark if I am going to ride to work so it's concerning. Almost as bad as in heavy fog and seeing a carcass lying in the road that just got smacked. I think my next move is to add more lighting to the bike.

I had one of my guy's hit one last year coming in on his bike, he called in and told me. I send someone after him. He was badly shaken, busted up the front of his bike but he didn't go down. The deer was dead as a hammer. Called the highway patrol and they sent four cruisers. Assuming a motorcycle deer hit usually does not end well for the rider, he was pretty much ok just covered in deer crap from head to toe. The deer was in the middle of a 4 lane highway with a turn lane ( 5 lanes total) he saw it and had slowed down it was facing away from him and the damn thing jumped in front of him. He said he had never seen one do that and could not believe it when it happened.

I will be more wary, but truthfully I don't know what I could have done different should the same thing happen again. Not at high speed, riding toward the center of the lane. I did have my gear on as I usually do. I will improve my lighting but honestly that was not a factor this morning.

I usually attach deer whistles to my bikes. I don't think they work but in all the years of riding I had never hit a deer until the one 2 years ago while riding my B-King that did not have the whistles. Coincidence?, Bad luck? Fate? I don't know but I have deer whistles (alerts) on the F6B.

[Westernbiker]

Glad to hear nothing happened except maybe a little brown streak in yer shorts.
I was coming home one night from an outdoor venue out here in the west, riding in the left lane of a two lane divided road way. (also open range) It was about 11 at night when I came over a rise and a down hill left sweeper. There she was, this big ole brown cow, right in the middle of my lane walking to the left. I hit the brakes and swerved to the right lane (doing about 55) and damn, there was another cow just starting to cross the right lane. I swerved back to the left lane and got by both of them with very little room to spare! PHEW! Same as you, I could have pulled a hair off the first ones butt and petted the nose of the second one as I went by both. I come through that strech now a little slower.....well......quite a bit slower now and I am watching for them!

[jkelley]

I usually attach deer whistles to my bikes. I don't think they work but in all the years of riding I had never hit a deer until the one 2 years ago while riding my B-King that did not have the whistles. Coincidence?, Bad luck? Fate? I don't know but I have deer whistles (alerts) on the F6B.

I also have heard they don't work but I think I'll put one on just for grins. Who knows?

[JesseS]

Just because you can't hear them doesn't mean they don't work, I was cruising up towards Lake Tahoe at dusk and on a long sweeper when one started to come out of the treeline along the road, he stopped dead still and then turned and darted back into the trees. No other cars or traffic except me, so I am sold on them, I have ordered 2 red ones to match the bike and they will go on the front forks somewhere. I would resort to Voodoo if I thought it would help, the darn Deer out here are HUGE.

[1951vbs]

Just because you can't hear them doesn't mean they don't work, I was cruising up towards Lake Tahoe at dusk and on a long sweeper when one started to come out of the treeline along the road, he stopped dead still and then turned and darted back into the trees. No other cars or traffic except me, so I am sold on them, I have ordered 2 red ones to match the bike and they will go on the front forks somewhere. I would resort to Voodoo if I thought it would help, the darn Deer out here are HUGE.

I'm with you. It certainly can't hurt. I have mine mounted under the fairing but protruding a little like the instructions said. I wouldn't want to install them wrong.

[WCody]

Glad you didn't hit the darn thing.

I tried to do my part but, our hunting trip was unsuccessful. Didn't see one deer. Lots of tracks and scat, though.

If you do install deer whistles, be sure not to install them backwards. LOL