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taredog · 09-11-2010, 12:15 AM

Very entertaining thread. It motivates me to tell a couple critter stories, one recent and one very old.

Situational awareness is the key IMHO and paying attention to the road vs electronic devices or passengers.

Old story - late 1970s, "this is no s**t", saw evidence of the truth. A person on a motorcycle is riding along an AZ hghway in a rural area just after dark. Situational awareness/overdriving headlights likelyhood low/high. A coyote comes from the right and gets caught between the frame and front fender. Details about if yote was run over by the front wheel or got a lucky shot are hazy. Biker claims yote started biting everything it could find including his leg. He got stopped and turned the fork and the yote fled the scene. Biker shows up in bar looking distraught. Orders a shot of anything. Bartender (mother/big sister type) gives him shot and glass of water and tells him to calm down and tell us about it. He relates the story, we call bs and ask questions about drink/drug ingestion. We go outside, see blood and fur on the bike and then see the chewed boot and jeans and leg of the rider. Be careful out there bikers.

New story - late July this year - driving from Gardiner toward Livingston MT I am continually reminded by passengers we are late and must hurry. We see elk and deer grazing beside the road and I mention dusk is a time when they are very active. Passengers turn up the music and resume conversation. We turn off hiway to a rural road. I see eyes and ears. I turn down music and point out "bambies". Passengers are enthralled for a moment. One mentions how late we are. Turns up music. I turn off sound system and ask them to help me watch for deer. We see deer at least every 100 yards along the road. Only once do deer come on the road, a pair of yearlings (older fawns, I'm no expert) followed by momma. I brake, go slower. Passsengers mention once again how late we are and complain about no light for photos. We do not hit any deer.

Situational awareness-high. Defensive driving-high. Distractions-minimized.

Bottom line-I was driving a vehicle owned by the person in the passenger seat. If I had hit a deer the consequences of damage to the vehicle and "killing bambie" would follow me to my grave. That person refused to drive.

Point-as stated by other posts maintain situational awareness, drive defensively, ignore or try to minimize distractions and if you hit or are hit by wildlife, report it to someone or go back and get the meat.

09-11-2010, 12:15 AM	#96 (permalink)
taredog EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Phoenix Posts: 87 pickup - '01 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 Sport 90 day: 16.35 mpg (US) Focus - '16 Ford Focus SE 90 day: 31.46 mpg (US) Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Deer and other critters Very entertaining thread. It motivates me to tell a couple critter stories, one recent and one very old. Situational awareness is the key IMHO and paying attention to the road vs electronic devices or passengers. Old story - late 1970s, "this is no s**t", saw evidence of the truth. A person on a motorcycle is riding along an AZ hghway in a rural area just after dark. Situational awareness/overdriving headlights likelyhood low/high. A coyote comes from the right and gets caught between the frame and front fender. Details about if yote was run over by the front wheel or got a lucky shot are hazy. Biker claims yote started biting everything it could find including his leg. He got stopped and turned the fork and the yote fled the scene. Biker shows up in bar looking distraught. Orders a shot of anything. Bartender (mother/big sister type) gives him shot and glass of water and tells him to calm down and tell us about it. He relates the story, we call bs and ask questions about drink/drug ingestion. We go outside, see blood and fur on the bike and then see the chewed boot and jeans and leg of the rider. Be careful out there bikers. New story - late July this year - driving from Gardiner toward Livingston MT I am continually reminded by passengers we are late and must hurry. We see elk and deer grazing beside the road and I mention dusk is a time when they are very active. Passengers turn up the music and resume conversation. We turn off hiway to a rural road. I see eyes and ears. I turn down music and point out "bambies". Passengers are enthralled for a moment. One mentions how late we are. Turns up music. I turn off sound system and ask them to help me watch for deer. We see deer at least every 100 yards along the road. Only once do deer come on the road, a pair of yearlings (older fawns, I'm no expert) followed by momma. I brake, go slower. Passsengers mention once again how late we are and complain about no light for photos. We do not hit any deer. Situational awareness-high. Defensive driving-high. Distractions-minimized. Bottom line-I was driving a vehicle owned by the person in the passenger seat. If I had hit a deer the consequences of damage to the vehicle and "killing bambie" would follow me to my grave. That person refused to drive. Point-as stated by other posts maintain situational awareness, drive defensively, ignore or try to minimize distractions and if you hit or are hit by wildlife, report it to someone or go back and get the meat.