Anyone else ever run into a deer?

FRED/LI · 10-25-2001, 08:55 AM

Just curious as to how many others have had this happen. I had one bounce off the left front fender last December. Luckily, damage was minor. Amazing how structurally strong the 964 fender is.
Years ago I saw the results from a slant nose hitting a doe at over 100mph at Bridgehampton. Again, damage was limited. The front lid was collapsed, no windshield damage at all and witnesses said the poor animal sailed 50 feet into the air.
At night, we have to constantly watch for them on some roads where they feed.

jsmarcus · 10-25-2001, 09:23 AM

I hit one 2 summers ago, rather, it hit me.

I was on rural Rt 6 in PA at about 5AM and came around a bend doing about 50 to see a group of deer up ahead, so I slowed to about 35 and WHAM. Out of nowhere it jumped and struck the front right corner.

No damage, but there was some deer hair to clean and pull out of creases: stuck under the rubber smile, and some in the headlight retainer. Freaked me out, but the car withstood it!

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Josh
'84 Carrera Coupe

gaijinda · 10-25-2001, 10:05 AM

The strange thing is... the closer you get to suburbia, the more deer there are! I hit my second coming home from Lime Rock a few weeks ago. At last weeks DE event at Pocono, the 996 drivers were asking if I saw all the deer on the way up? It seems they can see things on the sides of the road that the rest of us cant...

rscupper · 10-25-2001, 10:11 AM

No. We don't have many where I live. I've heard terrible stories of damage & injury from deer strikes, so you guys who live in the woods be careful.
Re P-car body strength - I once hit a hay bail during a time trial (I still relive it in my dreams occasionally). My left front fender was pushed in to the wheel. I pulled the fender out on the track, drove to the paddock, and nobody could tell it had been bent. Not a bit of crease and the 20-year-old original paint was perfect. Amazing.

Zendalar · 10-25-2001, 10:38 AM

We have lots of moose here, if you hit a deer, its all over you because of its long legs. Have had couple close calls, and seen their "gleaming" eyes in dark and this has saved me.

When its fall and there is no snow,its very difficult to spot them from a distance, even though you had good lights.

85eurocarrera · 85eurocarrera's Garage

We get them inside the grounds at the track (Brainerd International) At the morning driver meetings they tell us to keep an eye out for them. You will see them walking around and eatin grass. We also get turtles.

ljonespwc · 10-25-2001, 11:57 AM

Hi, I have not hit a deer with my car, but my best friend struck a deer head-on while riding his Suzuki TLR-1000 at 150 km/hr. He stayed on the bike believe it or not--but split the deer in half at the waist. He took pictures afterward--the legs on one side of the yellow lines and the head/upper torso on the other. I couldn't believe it. Lance.

ClayMcguill · 10-25-2001, 12:32 PM

Nailed a buck a few years ago driving my '88 Mustang home from the graveyard shift at 5:30 in the morning. It was a country road, no other traffic, and a little foggy. I had just settled into my hour-and-a-half drive home when this deer materialized in front of me as if Scotty himself had beamed it there-I had just enough time to yell "WHA-" when deer and left front bumper met at about 55 mph-I didn't feel anything, but Mr Deer sailed off into foggy mist twirling like some kind of surrealistic frisbee. I slid to a stop on the shoulder, got shakily out, looked in vain for damage to the car, then noticed the buck twitching in the median between the lanes, nearly 50 YARDS AWAY! I didn't know if he was dead, unconcious, or maybe just dazed (I know I was)-but I didn't feel like finding out. I took another look at my car, got back in, and beat it.

Never did find any damage...

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Clay McGuill '66 912 My 912's restoration website, '97 Jeep Cherokee, '70 Ford Bronco My Bronco's rebuild site

Pillow · 10-25-2001, 12:46 PM

Here is my speal on "finishing" hurt animals.

When you hit an animal you will probably break on of its legs or cause internal bleeding. That animal will gimp off and die slowly after a few days or weeks from starvation or a predator will finish it off.

Please carry a knife or handgun to finish any animal you may hit and wound while driving. You can even use a screwdriver through the jugular if you are tough enough.
When I am in the mountains I always carry a pistol just in case of these scenarios, and ratlers/cottonmouths of course (be kind to black snakes and all other non-poisonous snakes, they are our friends). I have seen and heard many bad stories of using a bat on an unconscious deer so do not do that... They get up and kick your ass

Be kind, you would want to be finished off if you were in the same position.

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Adrian Pillow
1979 911 SC
1966 VW Microbus
PCA - Peachstate Region

BKOMAR · BKOMAR's Garage

Hit a button buck last fall and took out the whole front of my Quantum Syncro Wagon...try gettin parts for one of those in KANSAS! There are certain areas I ALWAYS slow down for cuz I know theyre out there! I drive 100 miles round trip each day...so my odds are pretty good for hittin one! Its not fun! Brian

jabb · 10-25-2001, 02:15 PM

Hit one a while ago in an 88 mustang $3800...
damage. After that had one run into the driversside door on an F150 $800...

Saw a BMW last year towed away on a flat bed after hitting a buck....

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Joe A.
84 911 Targa
75 914/6 3.0

BlueSkyJaunte · 10-25-2001, 03:04 PM

Here in AZ it's birds that dart into (and across) traffic. Some sort of dove, I think. They're everywhere and every once in a while you'll see a pickup with a dead bird half-buried in its grill.

Pillow, if I were in the same position I'd much rather you used your cellphone and called the paramedics.

howie944 · 10-25-2001, 10:20 PM

After spending 10 years stationed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan I learned to look for the gleam of their eyes off the side of the road at night. They would come out to lick the salt off the road. At the time I had my "Finlander Ferrari" (Blazer)and was very fortunate to never hit one. Had some very close calls though. Don't believe that they will all freeze in the headlights. Will bound out of the woods unexpectedly. Had more problems with skunks. Seems like the UP had the market cornered on those goomers! for those that have been unfortunate enough to hit one of those deer take heart. I did get my quota every year there bow hunting!

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Howie
79SC

Zendalar · 10-25-2001, 10:26 PM

My cousin (female) was getting married in USA with her boyfriend who was an American. One day her boyfriend was riding with his motorcycle and hit a moose. Actually his head hit the moose, the bike and his body continued to run the road for about 300 meters before entering the nearby forest.

When the cops came, the moose was beside the road, still alive.

And this is a true story

//Zen

EDIT: His her, blahblaa..

[This message has been edited by Zendalar (edited 10-25-2001).]

sweater914 · 10-26-2001, 07:25 AM

at least it wasn't a skunk, the car would never smell the same, some poor individual in germany that i knew had one get wrapped around the radiator fan, he tried everything but never could get the smell out

Pillow · 10-26-2001, 07:44 AM

>Pillow, if I were in the same position I'd much rather you used your cellphone and called the paramedics. <

I do not carry a cellphone. No need as I see it. Just a waste of $30-40 a month.

Paramedics, who wants to nurse a wild gimp deer back to health? Out in the country the police will come and just shoot the deer/animal. Then offer it to anyone who wants the meat or haul it off to the county animal death pit. When I worked for the National Park Service they had an animal death pit too for road kill.

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Adrian Pillow
1979 911 SC
1966 VW Microbus
PCA - Peachstate Region

10-27-2001, 01:37 AM

I don't think he was talking about the deer...