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600lb. V rod VS. 200lb. deer

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2.9K views 20 replies 19 participants last post by  mr guido  
M
#1 ·
Can't Friggin Believe it, wednesday eve @ 7:30, 2 lane heavily wooded highway in the back roads of Bear mountain , N.Y..... speed limit is 40 mph, thats what I was doing when in wide open highway a mid sized 200lb deer decides to cross the friggin road. I really didn't see him at all untill about 10 ft.from him.BAMM on the brakes, Too Late, it was f'n sureal,this wasn't happening, but it did, My front tire smacked hard into his thigh as he crossed from left to right in front of me. Not even enough time to see my life flash by but my first impression was, I didn't go down, it actually felt like an old locomotive with the cattle pusher attached to the front clearing the road...It happened so quick my heart did not even have time to paliputate. I remember seeing the deer spinn around as i plowed through. Damage!! blood and skin on my tire and right fork tube and as i proceeded through him my brake pedal and peg caught another piece of him, bent the brake lever up about an inch.Realizing what had happened it took anothe 1/4 mile to realize I should stop and compose myself. no sight of the deer, I guess he made it.Had I not braked in the instant I did I would have made a direct hit broadside between his front and back legs and the story would have been much different...The killer is it was the first time my wife decided to come along for a warm evening ride ...Dont think she'll be riding with me much more!
Moral Of the story...DEERS DO COME OUT AT DUSK.
Still feels like a bad dream, or something that always happens to someone else, But it was me this time........Wont be eating Venizon anytime soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
O
#4 ·
Man I hate to hear stuff like that, but all things considered I'd say your really lucky! Your story brought two things to mind - 1. Did you grab a lot of front brake? I'm always thinkin' that might be the reaction in a situation like that. 2. Anybody know if those deer whistles work?

Glad to hear you (and your wife) are OK.
 
C
#7 ·
Yes, I'm glad the story has a reasonably happy ending.
I read somewhere that more American motorcyclists are killed by Deer collisions than any other cause. Not sure if that statement is true but it makes sense.
I think I read it when the papers were covering the 'Liam Neeson (actor) riding his Harley in USA crashes after hitting a Deer' story.
I live 10 miles from Central London (UK) and often see dead deer by the roadside here and in fact I narrowly avoided hitting a big Stag on a winter saturday afternoon two years ago. It just jumped straight out in front of the car, road was damp and I could not have stopped in the distance, fortunately it sprang back into the woods as quickly as it appeared.

Note: These are DUMB DUMB DUMB creatures and totally unpredictable.
 
V
#8 ·
Scary story, Michael. Glad you're both in one piece.

We had a near-miss with a deer last night coming back from dinner. My husband and daughter were riding 2up ahead of me, also going about 40mph, and this big guy just jumped out of the bushes into their path. Luckily, my husband had seen his eyes and slowed, but if he'd been at speed, they would have collided. Luckily, this one had no companions following.

I bought some deer whistles but couldn't bring myself to put them on the rod. Maybe I'll rethink that.

Val
 
M
#9 ·
NO, NO photos, we actually continued on to bear mountain where about 700 hot rods and 400 bikes had gathered for cruiz night...spent 15 minutes wiping the bike clean with toilet paper from the porta john...no apologies , gotta ride a clean machine!There was actually deer hair stuck to the sidewalls of the dunlop frnts and Little red polka dots on my headlight. Bloody Hell!
 
M
#10 · (Edited)
I used to live in the upstate too (near Utica) and deer incidents were very common.

I've had a few blood & poop experiences with my Toyota
Image

The deer was always on the losing end of the battle.

My GF at the time hit one in her Suburu and nearly totaled it.
Glad your OK
 
W
#11 ·
michael, good to hear you and wife are safe... scares me from what happened.
sorry to hear of any damage to bike.
I was at Bear Mountain last night too.
on the way back the only thing on my mind was the thought of deer crossing the road. I took palisade pkwy home, thought of taking 9w but last year my buddy hit a deer on 9w on way back from same rally.
well the good thing you and the wife are not hurt..............
 
J
#13 ·
I'm glad to hear your both OK! I live in northern Illinois and I wish they would shoot all of them! They are to dangerous to be roaming free. I've hit them with cars and had some close calls on bikes vrs deer. If I see one when I'm a the bike it ruins the rest of the ride for fear of hitting one. My son-in-law has worked/owned a body shop for about 20 years, he says deer whistle's dont work!
 
#14 ·
Michael, glad you got away so easy. But now you get to carry out an old upstate custom, the painting of your first deer on the side of the bike. Guy i met once has 7! and lived to tell the tale, and show you the "kills."
 
S
#15 ·
Wow that pretty Hairy!;) Glad you two are ok.My buddy and I were coming home from a trip in the mountain a one jump right in front of us!I live in Vegas so you don't think there many dear around!Also had a Pantera Blow his engine and spin in his oil while racing him with my Girl on the Back!She will never ride on the back again!:( It was pretty insane .:eek:
Kaz....................
 
T
#16 ·
Try 200 x 15

I work at a power plant in the rural country on a good sized lake. Large protected company area with lots of dear throughout. Going home at about 8:30 I round a corner and am now in a herd of dear - surrounded - and they are moving. Running alongside me, in front of me. What is this? Dancing with Wolves? So.... I put my Sunday NASCAR-watching experience to work - closed my eyes - steered toward the herd - and said a .025 second prayer. Must of been a good prayer. Glad you drove away from your incident. I find that the heart palpitations only last for about 2-3 weeks after the event.
 
#18 ·
glad you are ok. a woman (27yrs old) riding with her father on his harley hit a deer the other night 5 minutes from my house and was killed. he wound up with a broken ankle and arm. my heart goes out to him, i couldnt imagine the grief he is feeling.
 
2
#19 ·
Do the deer whistles really work? If so, I don't think the ugliness of them outweighs the benefit...



ValB626 said:
Scary story, Michael. Glad you're both in one piece.

We had a near-miss with a deer last night coming back from dinner. My husband and daughter were riding 2up ahead of me, also going about 40mph, and this big guy just jumped out of the bushes into their path. Luckily, my husband had seen his eyes and slowed, but if he'd been at speed, they would have collided. Luckily, this one had no companions following.

I bought some deer whistles but couldn't bring myself to put them on the rod. Maybe I'll rethink that.

Val
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