Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Do you remember your first time?

Been lucky here, had one scratch a pickup door with his antler, as I dodged him. Nearly hit a huge bull elk in NM, near the Quemado gathering, but luckily he was smart and spun a 180 rather than try to beat me across the road. Missed him by maybe 3 feet.

Had one spike buck jump out one afternoon, near our lease. I was on the brakes immediately, and he turned and ran beside me for a few yards. I came to a complete stop so he could go whichever way he wanted. He angled down the road for maybe 150 yards, then cut across and disappeared behind a cedar tree. I drove on, and saw him crumpled at the fence. I got out to check on him, and it was clear he'd run into the fence and broken his neck.

At some point I guess I'll have to put a grill guard on the truck. From what I hear they don't eliminate the risk of damage, but help prevent the vehicle being disabled in the middle of nowhere, which gets real expensive.

Same here, but probably only because there weren't any in my part of the world when I crazy-redneck-young and driving a Mustang...or a GTO...or a Trans Am...or a...

One dark night my wife and I hit a moose, centerpunched it at 55mph with a Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser, killed the moose and the Tojo both instantly, don't know why it didn't make road kills out of us, both came out without a scratch.

It's a huge problem here. We have our share of Coma-cozy Deer. I've hit 2 and had 1 hit me.

The first one was out of no where, a whole string came running out of the brush and I ducked and dodged in between them, but a doe slammed into the side of my truck and knocked off a piece of trim.

The second one happened when I was on my way home from muzzle loader hunting. Came around a corner and a line of them were walking nose to tail with nowhere to go. I slammed on the brakes and almost stopped but punted one doe about 30 feet. She laid in the street, still alive. So I grabbed the gun and when I stepped into the light, she saw me and ran off. $1300.00.

Number 3 was similar. A doe and a Bambie ran across in front of me. I missed the doe, but punted the Bambie in the same fashion. Another $1300.00.

I've not hit a coyote yet.

Not due to lack of trying, though...

I have never hit a deer with a vehicle. Came close a time or two, like the time in SW Virginia, driving on US 58 out of Damascus. Damn thing jumped right over my car as I drove along a cut.

I had a friend back in Maryland who owned a black truck and worked nights. His truck was hit by more deer than I can remember. The last time it was hit the insurance company told him he had to put marker lights down the side of it or they'd drop him.

My first was a hog...wait what we talkin' bout here?

The EMS company I worked for spec'd a new rig (Ford Turbo Diesel) with a HUGE deer guard on the front.

Just for me.

Never did get to test it though.

Wait a minute, I did have a number 4 two years ago.

Coming back from hunting again, it was snowing pretty good on a narrow back road. Popped over a little hill and an 8 pt. jumped over the guard rail, I hit the breaks to no avail. Hit it's hind quarter and spun him around and his head hit my side view mirror. He got up and ran off. He think he lived, but I'm sure he was pretty sore. No damage to the truck.

Hit a goose on time coming off an exit ramp doing 55. He was flying quartering away and bounced him off the grill and then off the windshield and he kept on flying. No harm, no fowl.

Hit an owl about a month ago, again coming home from hunting. He was flying straight across in front of me and I hit him hard and bounced him off of the windshield. I came back through there the next day and looked for him, but didn't see him. I'm sure he died.

I'm still a virgin.

Got to second base once........

I've got a neighbor that's a cop and works nights. He's got a lead foot and haul azzes everywhere he goes. Who knows how many he's hit, but I'm sure he gets at least 2 or 3 every year. He's always complaining about the f__king deer. I told him to slow the f__k down and keep your eyes open. I should ask him sometime how many he's hit. He probably doesn't even know. More than you could count.

Har!!

The first and only deer I've hit so far was late at night going home from work 20 years ago.

Driving a '94 Explorer Sport, running 55-60 mph, straight stretch, nothing in view on or to the sides of highway. All of a sudden out of nowhere there the deer was not even 5 yards directly in front of my vehicle. Impact, and off it went flying and spinning through the air.

Small to medium size younger looking doe, deader than a door nail, but surprisingly, not as much external damage as I would have thought to the deer or my vehicle, though it still cost insurance close to couple of thousand in body and paint work to repair.

Threw her in the back of my vehicle, called and reported to KYSP when I got home. I don't know if they still do but back then KYSP had a call list for folks who wanted salvageable road killed deer. Not really feeling up to dressing out the doe as late as it was so I just donated it.

Not more than maybe 20-30 minutes a local man I already knew pulled up in my drive way, loaded the deer up in his truck and thanked me.

A few years later one of our daughters hit a deer head on with her Pontiac Grand Am. Car was so badly damaged that insurance totaled it out.

Moose are far worse than deer or elk and not just because of the obvious size difference... their eyes do not glow like deer...

Had an idiot pass me on a blind corner at Cooper Landing and nearly got us into a head-on with a truck. Less than a mile later he pasted a moose and we got to have a discussion about the passing on the blind corner.

Riding around out in the hills one cold winter night drinkig with my old uncle in his late 70's ford ltd and out of the ditch pops up this yotie.

Snow packed roads we average about 20 mph on these journeys more because we're drunk than because it's slippery. (you can still drive around out there and only see another motorist about every halh hour).

He gripped the wheel, started laughing, and accelerating.

Between bright headlights and snow banks blocking exit ramps it just ran full speed ahead right down the center of the road.

We chased that dog half a mile before it finally disappeared below the hood ornament and went thump thump thump underneath.

It looked over its shoulder as it disappeared.
We still laugh about that one.

Heading out to Lake McConaughy about 10 years back or so, doing 75 down I80 about 11pm in my Cherokee pulling my 17' Tracker and a coyote pops out of the median and I hit him dead center. I think the boat bounced 2' in the air when he hit that axle.


Coyote smoothie.. underside of the boat was covered in red and gray. No damage to the Cherokee or boat trailer tho.

I've had two hit me, but I've never hit one. The first one, I was creeping down a sunken road in the fog at 0400 when I saw some legs on the embankment over me. She jumped down, landed on my hood and bounded off. I was heading out deer hunting and that was the only one I saw that day. The second hit me as I was bringing my largest buck ever to the processor, she came into the highway, I swerved, and she hit the right rear quarter panel and took off. No damage in either case. I've missed a few, though.

1964 in a 56 Chevy. Going to graduation at Penn State,State College PA. A deer jumped off the left bank, cleared the opposite lane and landed o my hood ornament. Half went down the grill, half back on the hood. Blood came in the front windows. I had no extra clothes. I attended graduation with the gown covering the blood ,but all that sat next to me commented on the smell.

Worst thing I ever hit was a skunk with a 53 Chevy.It must have jumped at the last minute, and stuck on the grill,right in front of the fresh air vent. I had to buy the girl I was dating a a new suede coat. Never did get all the smell out of the car.