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Thanks for the advice so far. I don't think that people realize that most of New York is deer country. I'm trying to move towards Buffalo suburbs just to get away from this Bigfoot country. Snow is only a few months but these deer are constant!
I live in Whitetail Deer country. They are everywhere, and I have counted 25 on my property at one time. I drive more slowly this time of year, especially at night, and watch each side of the road for movement. I also use my high beams more.
I was also going to say drive more slowly, use your brights if you're alone because you'll see eyes from a mile off, and be aware of mating season. Their brains are more or less one track then and they run after and away from each other like chickens without heads. The young deer are worse, just silly things, and will hop out in front of your car in broad daylight. They're small and all skinny legs, so a lot less likely to hurt your car.
Mostly you need to calm your nerves. Take some deep breaths before you get in the car and then think of being home and something you're looking forward to there. Then just drive safely. And don't listen to alarmists who are cruel enough to rattle your nerves for you. That's mean. Even all these posters here who have actually had a deer collision are still here to tell the tale.
A couple of years ago, my one son and I flew to PA and picked up a car and drove back to FL. While we were driving through NC and SC late at night, we would suddenly see a deer or 3 standing right next to the interstate. Scared the Hell out of us a few times, especially at 4 in the morning when it is pitch black.
Every so often, we would see where one had been hit and killed. I never realized that deer would come so close to the highway.
Every so often, we would see where one had been hit and killed. I never realized that deer would come so close to the highway.
I saw two dead ones 2 weeks ago on the Northway going up to Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. One of them had obviously been hit by a semi because there wasn't very much left of it.
Last edited by ContraPagan; 11-16-2017 at 11:46 PM..
Be glad you don't have moose. A lot of commercial trucks up here are outfitted with some serious bumpers and protective bars on the front.
One of the OP's posts alludes to being in NY. If the OP is in upstate, absolutely we have moose up here. And not just in the Adirondacks, either. There have been several that have come into the Albany area in recent years.
I uses high decibel electronic deer whistles. They do improve chances of not hitting a deer by altering their path, or stopping them in their tracks when they hear it. I live in a rural area in Kansas that is fairly wooded and seem tons of deer crossing the roads this time of the year. Some of the bucks are enormous and have huge racks.
A couple of years ago, my one son and I flew to PA and picked up a car and drove back to FL. While we were driving through NC and SC late at night, we would suddenly see a deer or 3 standing right next to the interstate. Scared the Hell out of us a few times, especially at 4 in the morning when it is pitch black.
Every so often, we would see where one had been hit and killed. I never realized that deer would come so close to the highway.
Where I live the state often plants rye grass and red clover on the roadsides, I assume for erosion control. That stuff is like candy to deer, and they'll stand right at the edge of the highway eating it, completely ignoring passing vehicles.
Stay alert and probably most important remember that when a deer leaps across the road, there are almost away others following being once the first makes it across. All too often deer 1 or 2 darts across and the motorist says that was lucky, speeds back up and slams into deer 3 or 4 or 5.
Be most careful at dusk dawn and night time. This is when they are out and about.
Still there i s little you can personally do. Being alert etc will only help so much. Sometimes they leap out of the woods right into the side of your car. Sometimes it happens even if you are not moving. Your car can be totaled and you can be killed if you hit them. Staying in the middle of a pack of cars can help.
Where we live they started having the police kill some of them off every few years. They give the meat to a homeless shelter. There were just too many and they were starving in the winter, spreading diseases to each other etc. In a community of 10,000 people we averaged about 30 deer car collisions each year. Now it is down to maybe 5 - 10.
We also have a lot of collisions with geese, raccoons, opossums, and occasionally coyotes, foxes frogs and turtles. The biggest danger with smaller animals is that people swerve to avoid them and end up crashing or hitting someone. Do not swerve. Unless you know you are alone, do not slam on your brakes. Just hit them.
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