Well what to follow up on last night's commute with? Obviously we need to go to the other extreme this morning, as I'm driving down a remote mountain 2-lane road at zero-dark-thirty. Suddenly, without so much as even a courtesy wave, Bambi's dad runs out of the woods and jumps down off of a rock ledge right into the roadway ahead of me, close enough that the impact came before I even got my foot down on the brake. WHAM!!!
Great. Just great.
I banged a U-turn and went back to find a good-sized four-point buck lying right next to the road, obviously dying but still trying to get back to his feet to flee. But his neck appeared broken and he wasn't going to ever get up again, so I did the only humane thing I could--I drew my pistol and sent him on his way. Then I called the Sheriff's Dept. and told them who I was and what I'd just done. As expected, they had no problem with it, and certain protocols have to be followed.
The damage to my Jeep was incredibly light as far as I could tell in the dark, appearing to consist of just a dent on the corner of the hood where his head snapped over and antlered it. That came as a surprise as the last couple that I've hit have practically demolished the front end of whatever I was driving at the time. (Yeah, I average one every couple of years.) But it looks like I just caught this fella in the neck. Looking back now, I wish that I'd called in sick today and dragged the deer home for some field-dressing and then found a good local processor.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda... Now I'm pissed because:
A.) I played a part in destroying a beautiful creature for no reason; and:
B.) all that meat went to waste.
The dented hood is just icing on the cake.
Hope your days all go better than this one's starting to.
Happens so often around here that USAA doesn't even ask any questions. "Hey, I hit a deer." "Take it to the Body Shop and have them send us the bill".
ReplyDeleteA freezer full of meat is a small consolation for the time without your wheels and the cost of the damage. If I ever hit a deer, it's going home with me. I found out that Iowa DNR will send out a game warden and issue a transport tag. Mmmm backstrap and steak.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the IA DNR info....the next deer I hit is coming home with me! :)
DeleteYow. You're just full of good luck today.
ReplyDelete11 years and I haven't hit one yet. Have had to stand on the brakes a couple times but so far so good.
Slow as you drive, the deer stand a better chance of hitting you.
DeleteI have actually been hit before by a deer! I was stopped for a herd that was running across the road when one of them ran into my driver side quarter panel, slid across the hood, and ran off into the cornfield. When I called it in, nobody believed I had been hit by a deer....til the responding officer actually saw the damage. Crazy deer!
DeleteThe important thing is you are okay!
ReplyDeletegfa
Glad you are ok.
ReplyDeleteHere in Indiana, you get to take the deer to a check station and buy a tag right there. You take the deer home too.
Dang dude! You are having the luck lately.
ReplyDeleteRats with hooves...
ReplyDeleteIIRC, in NY, if you hit a deer and there is any damage to your vehicle, the deer is yours.
ReplyDeleteAnd what EricN said.
Hate to hear that, and agree with Eric!
ReplyDeleteDang I hope your ok
ReplyDeleteLiving now in the country, we see a lot of deer piled up in the ditch at the roadside... I figure they're' like pigeons, nearly too many to kill the "right" so they get taken-out by all manner of wrong ones. Sorry about your jeep.
ReplyDeleteWow. I heard that call come through on the scanner. That makes us almost kin now! ;-)
ReplyDeleteJim Miller, Inwood