Hey folks, just an FYI as the days get shorter and evenings get cooler, this is when deer start to move around. please keep an eye for deer running across the road. Seen a car just in front of me almost hit one running across in front of it just south of FOTC
Three of us were riding the back of the dragon in Virginia. My buddy, in the lead, 7pm; on comms, just finished saying "this is the time of day the critters come out, we've got to get to the hotel". Deer jumped over the guardrail. He gutted it. Went down. Collar bone, leg broken, bike folded the front end and front plastics exploded.
Within the last year one trip through haliburton around dusk we saw close to 30 deer within 10 minutes. None on the asphalt but some on the shoulder. Most on nearby ditches and lawns. It was crazy.
If you are riding where/when they may be active it is a good idea to just stay behind a car or small truck (that does not block your view of the road). Even if they are going slower than you like, odds are they hit it not you.
I do the same driving my car, no need to plow the way. It has saved me a few times.
Saw wild turkeys crossing the road on my recent ride up north. Not once but a couple of times. I would assume it isn't as bad as a deer but I would still not want to come in contact with any animal, especially on a motorcycle.
On one of the rides up north with a few GTAM folks, we saw a black bear cub as a road kill. First time seeing a bear cub like that. That was on my mind for a couple of days.
I hit a nice sized deer one night in WV, but this was on the I79! I was way behind schedule and pulling into Morgantown at 10pm. I managed to scrub off enough speed down to around 50km/hr and was able to keep the bike upright. The deer was totally stunned and I think it got cooked by some vehicles behind me. Not sure how it made it onto the highway, but I couldn't stop with all the traffic.
Almost met my maker coming home from the Gap one year - biggest deer I have ever seen jumped out in front of the bike while I was heading north on PA 144 - this was around noon. I could have tickled it's butt whiskers, I was so close to hitting it.
Another trip into Ohio, I came around a fast corner and there is 3 deer in the middle of the corner licking the asphalt, not sure why.
Hit some big dogs a few times too in the rural areas down south - they just run out from their trailer parks into the roads and attack the bike.
Always good to take proactive measures, but given how unpredictable wildlife can be sometimes it's just your time.
I know someone that actually hit a bear on a motorcycle. The outcome for the bear, bike and rider were all very bad. He was airlifted out and got pinned up in multiple surgeries, it took years to get reasonably back to functional. He was lucky there were other riders with him to get help.
I take a few rides in the US every year. Mostly NY, OH, WV, VA, MD and PA. The deer population there is insane, they're everywhere. Avoid dawn and dusk.
Last June 5 of us came to an accident scene where a deer had been hit, was still alive, bleeding heavily and obviously in pain and distress. Guy got out of his car, and assisted by one on the riders in our group, they pulled the deer off the road into the ditch. Guy pulls a pistol from a holster on his hip, shoots the deer in the head and reholsters the gun. Not something you'd ever see in Canada.
Guy I know got taken out by a deer in Utah, came from the side, never saw it. Was doing 90 - 100 km/h. Bike totalled, but other than bruises and being banged up no major injuries. Same guy had the exact same thing happen in New Hampshire. He stopped riding after the second accident.
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