I killed Bambi!

Stuff happens. Don't beat yourself up. I've been the passenger of a similar situation. Saw the deer come up outta the ditch on the left, leaping and bounding across the road. Unfortunately it was fully outstretched when the trucks bumper drove into the side of er. Causing it to cartwheel horizontally off the right side of the road in a lifeless blur. Nothing could've been done. Timing was just terrible. Which as you say, and I know, is in God's hands.

My mom and brother have both had deer run into the side of their vehicle. Deer are goofy sometimes.

 

Honest accident and nothing you could've done to prevent it. Id feel the same way. I've come close a few times around here on the back roads and am mind full around dusk coming home from the wood yard. I've hit a couple smaller critters in the past.

Few years back her and I were coming back from up North on I84 in Tolland county. Light traffic, it was dark. Im doing 65-70 in the center lane, I see something brown in the road and by the time I realized it was a deer carcass it was too late. Centered the Murano over it with a good thud. Pulled over. Plastic bumper damaged, blood and fur on frame. Other car pulled over said we were the third to hit it. Just run over.

I did my good deed of the day this afternoon. A reservoir near the woodyard someone posts home made turtle crossing signs. Decent sized turtle in the gutter. I pulled over, put my gloves on to get it around the guard rail. It wasn't very happy that I helped it. Ugly A$$ ornery snapping turtle. Took some good coaxing to get it in the right direction once I placed it under the guardrail.

 

I hit one on the way home from Walt's GTG a few years back...same deal, saw a flash of brown literally a microsecond before WHAM! (Bump thud thud)
It had come up outta the ditch (which was lower than the road, as the field adjacent sloped downhill)
So it was kinda up under the truck to start with, I think it's head hit my bumper (old school chrome bumper) cracking the black plastic air dam underneath, then run over by the RF tire, bounced off the step bar, run over by the rear truck tire, then both trailer axles. I went back to look for it, but it was dark and I couldn't see too far from the road. Continued our trip home, no repairs needed. But I did feel bad that it happened, and that I couldn't find it then...just to make sure it was not suffering any longer.

 

That's a bummer, Dave. At least the deer didn't suffer. Miz Carol had a young buck almost total our '18 Elantra ($8500 damage), when officer went to check on deer, it got up and ran off. I've hit several and have added a couple hit me in the side. Glad you weren't hurt, I've seen many folks have a worse wreck trying to avoid a deer or even squirrel collision

 

Can't like that.

Sorry it happened to you, Dave.

 

I've dodged a few. A small buck caught me broadside during rut early 2000s. Not too bad..$1400 in damage and he ran off as if nothing had happened. His antlers may have saved him as he was full speed head down. Saw him 1.5 seconds before impact and nearly got slowed enough for him to miss. Hit passenger front fender. The ones I encountered on the motorbike were sketchy.

 

It's unfortunate, I know the feeling. I had it happen to me once also. Mine was kind of gruesome. The deer almost looked like a newborn, it was so small it only put a small dent in my bumper but there was what I believe to be the spinal cord or brains left stuck in my grill and bumper. I didn't see it until I was right on top of it. Felt like chit but nothing I could have done different to avoid it.

 

I knick name them Kamikazes as they seem intent on running into your vehicle no matter what!

 

I know the feeling it’s happened to me before more than once. Doesn’t seem to matter how diligent and careful you are sometimes they just appear out of nowhere. As bad as I feel about it if the animal isn’t dead from the impact I use my pistol to humanely dispatch it, not a pleasant task but have had to do the same with farm animals and I feel it’s a much better death than letting the animal suffer.

 

Fwiw, no lie, I had a friend who was riding a bicycle in the woods who got run over by a deer. He ended up in the ER.

So, they do manage to notch a win every once in a while.

 

Hilarious. Reminds me of this clip.

 

Since i started driving I've killed ten deer with vehicles. 2 last year. One of which was my 2017 Harley Road Glide. See them everywhere. And its like they all have a death wish

 

Within the last couple of weeks, a 74 year old man was killed while riding his motorcycle with 14 other riders and struck a deer.. That happened a couple counties away from me.

 

I’ve probably killed 75 or more deer when hunting, but I still feel horrible about the one I hit with a car and the fawn I mowed over with my bush hog.