Where Deer Suck the Most

[TimTyler]

Statefarm Insurance "2014 Likelihood of Collision with Deer" Map

There's so much to think about when driving: surrounding cars, your speed, pedestrians, reckless drivers. It hardly seems fair that we have to worry about animals too. But it's a danger we can't ignore.
U.S. drivers are just as likely to have a claim involving a collision with deer, elk or moose than they were last year, according to new claims data from State Farm. The odds drivers will have a claim from hitting one of those animals is 1 out of 169, the same as it was in 2014.

An estimated 1.25 million claims happened in the past year resulting from these collisions. There's no silver bullet to keep large animals like deer, elk, and moose off highways and roads. Some drivers insist that deer whistles work, though the Information Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says no scientific evidence supports that claim.

Studies and field tests show that roadside reflectors do reduce crash frequency somewhat, but as of now there's no foolproof method to keep animals off our roads.
- See more at: https://learningcenter.statefarm.com/safety-2/auto-2/watch-out-for-animals-in-the-road/#sthash.e55qCCVW.dpuf

[johnny]

greetings...

as i motobrick through the valley of death i shall fear no deer...

you gotts one of those maps for the sasquatch too there timtiorler...

j o

[Chaos]

hit one in '05, no fun.

[MonkeyMcBean]

Looks like I need to leave the dakotas.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Western New York and probably a lot of other areas has a burgeoning deer problem as farmland is bought up by lawyers and other wealthy people and turned into "country manors". 

First thing they do is post the land and then admire the deer herds that congregate in the pastures that were formerly used to graze dairy cattle.  There is a 2 mile stretch of road that I travel on my way home from work that scares the shit out of me.  It passes a couple of pastures where I have counted over 40 deer grazing at sundown less than 100 yards from the road.  I work a late shift and ride this road late at night.  Almost every night I pass at least 1 or 2 standing next to the road.  4 or 5 times a year you'll see a road kill. 

In the 40 years we have lived here, everyone in our family has hit at least one deer, I have hit three.  My wife's sister hit two in three weeks.  Not even slowing down to 30mph at night can prevent a deer hit when they leap out of the roadside brush 20 feet in front of you.  My third hit was a deer that ran straight into the driver door of my car after I stopped for his buddy.  My neighbor's son was killed when his truck went off the road after a deer came through the windshield.  I am sure there are many here with similar stories.

Personally, I think that landowners who post their property and prohibit hunting should be held liable for the damage their deer herds cause.  A couple lawsuits and I'll bet that hunters will be welcome to thin the population.

[ts888]

Alaska -- deer risk low, moose, caribou, bear risk high.
Florida -- deer risk low, alligator risk high.
Hawaii -- largest % increase year over year.  Apparently people have been moving deer form Maui to the big island, the game department is trying to kill 'em off.

[ts888]

Current Columbia Gorge update --

Chance of hitting a deer (avg OR/WA) = 1 in 300
Chance of hitting a wet tar snake and achieving 110% pucker factor = 1 in 1   :yow

[Tuco]

I almost hit one 2 nights ago, little bugger was standing in the middle right on the yellow stripe. Best advice i can give is to avoid riding at night. My guess is hunting season keeps 'em pinned down during the day so they come out at nightfall to forage. i have no scientific evidence to back that up!

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Around New York state they move around more during deer season.  The reason is said to be that is the time when the bucks are out looking to get lucky and along with the pressure of being hunted they are moving all day and night, especially around populated areas where they seem to know they won't get shot at.

[Laitch]

Riding through the Big Cypress Swamp in South Florida, you can get launched hitting a jaywalking gator; your unconscious remains then eaten by a panther before you regain consciousness, followed by your scraps being carried off by turkey vultures, then whichever of your possessions that were scattered in the roadside grass gathered to be sold at a Dade County flea market, concluding with your bike being hauled away by enterprising salvagers—an altogether picturesque and eco-friendly outcome.

[ts888]

I just got back from 10 days in west NJ/East PA -- Holy Moley!  Flippin' deer are like pigeons in the park.  We were driving an F350 pickup, and the thought of being on my bike gave me nightmares...

[Laitch]

Help is on the way, maybe, but the moral fiber of the deer herd is bound to be affected by increased promiscuity.

Deer Spaying Volunteers Wanted!
http://www.deerfriendly.com/deer-population-control

[gag1025]

I live in NC where the deer are as plentiful as ground hogs and everyone I know has hit one in either their car, truck or bike. That is the reason I no longer ride at night.

[Chaos]

I hit one in the middle of the day.  Since I redid the bike cameo have not had any problem with them. 

[Laitch]

I hit one in the middle of the day.  Since I redid the bike cameo have not had any problem with them.

I think that's the naturopathic approach.

[67charger]

Here in rural Pennsylvania , its not uncommon to have several deer run in front of you anytime you drive somewhere. Amazingly, in 28 years and hundreds of thousands of miles driving and riding, no one in my household has hit one. 

[TaosBrick]

My deer suckage happened by the shores of lake Ontario in upstate NY a coupla years back. It was deer-thirty in the evening in July on a road with lots of small rises, so I was only going about 30. Sure enough, a small doe intersected with my front wheel on the other side of a rise. I DID manage to slam on the binders and get it down to 15 or so before impact. Which is why my Mystic Red K75 now sports a blue front half of the front fender, courtesy of meester Duck. No other damage to myself or the bike, Thank Ye Godz! And I think the doe may have survived with only a bruise as well.

[TrueAce]

What Laitch left out of his South Florida account is the pythons..................a result of Miami folks dumping their pet snakes along highways bordering the Everglades. The Fl. Fish & Games now holds a public hunt in January. Pythons have no natural predators in the Everglades, grow to 18++ feet, have swallowed small deer, alligators and even a hog, left by Tamiami Trail by its owner after it broke down. In North Florida, there are so many deer............I counted over a hundred feeding by the rode in a 75 mile stretch between Perry and Apalachicola while driving late at night a couple months ago. They are nocturnal feeders and mostly bed down during the day. If one jumps out blindly, you'll have no time to react. We have fatalities every year from deer collisions. And bears.......I do not ride after dark.........period.

[kris]

I was heading to the cottage on the shores of Lake Huron one night in early Autumn. It's about a 2.5 hour ride from Hamilton up through farm country, increasingly rolling terrain. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) hold power in these parts. One stopped me in the middle of nowhere for a RIDE program (reduce impaired driving...). "Had anything to drink tonight?", he asked. "No", I said. "I never drink and ride...not a drop". "Where you headed?" "Southampton, to my cottage".  Bear in mind this is about 10:30 at night. "Good luck", he said. "Keep an eye out for deer". He said it in a kind of knowing, not particularly friendly kinda way...as if he'd maybe seen some really ugly stuff in his time.  Well if that didn't put a strain in my neck for the next hour....man, peering into the darkness looking for glowing eyes....I think about the time of day whenever I contemplate 2 wheel transportation to Bruce County!

[duckhawk]

150 miles today after work, Southwest Wisconsin.

I saw only a few deer but encountered many turkeys picking gravel on the side of the road. I have more close calls with turkeys than deer at this time of year.

Next month the deer turn on.  The does will be bolting across the roads going to water because they are nursing fawns.  They don't even look.

I ride a little slower this time of year anyway...

[tsnap]

does(does, lol) anyone hear of a good cowcatcher setup for a k bike that allows for an ample supply of denizen harvested without a lot of bike damudg?  Like a rack or sumpin?  I am into low cholesterol and hot peppers and exercize and all that.

tom