Deer - how to avoid?

[Sailorlite]

I don't know much about how deer conduct themselves in the presence of motorcycles, but here and elsewhere I've read accounts of serious collisions.

 

What are the basic strategies to reduce the risk of hitting a deer?

 

I've seen roadside signs warning of deer crossing areas, but the risk can't be 24/7/12, can it? Reducing speed and increasing vigilance are obvious strategies, but what about timing? Are there seasons when deer are more likely to be on the road? What about times of day? What else besides timing?

 

 

[bmurphypdx]

Having hit one deer, I have become very vigilent and scan the roadside constantly as I live in a wooded area. The worst times are late afternoon, evening and early night in the fall. However, I have seen deer roadside at all times of the day and at all times of the year. I saw the one that hit me; it was actually traveling away from the road and did a 180 to come after me. They are absolutely unpredictable. Bucks are more aggressive than does. If there is one, there are likely three. They do seem to run away when I hit the horn.

[Albert]

My experience has been that around twilight (near dusk and dawn), deer seem to be active. That said, almost any time after dark there's a threat due in part to reduced visibility. Deer tend to move much more when in rut (usually fall) and will be much more actively on the move during hunting season.

 

Beyond the obvious (slowing down) I tend to favor the center of the road in deer risk areas/times to give myself the most warning and the greatest left/right response area. Sadly, the proliferation of deer in our area has made my night riding (which I always loved) a near thing of the past.

[jmseattle]

Have had more close calls by far with deer than any other type of incident. As others have said, dusk and dawn worst. Given their unpredictability and speed I scrub as much speed as possible if I see them since swerving is a gamble. If in a high deer area, I usually knock 10+ mph off my cruising speed

[EddyQ]

I wonder if something like THIS would work? Call it a deer fargle !

[Kathy R]

I wonder if something like THIS would work? Call it a deer fargle !

 

from the link

Continuous or motion-sensor operation - Built-in infrared motion sensor activates when deer move into its coverage zone

 

If you are riding on your motorcycle, how does this item detect the motion of deer? Wouldn't the fact that you are in motion, cause it to go off?

[RPG]

the quick and dirty answer is they can attack at anytime. Day/Night, all days of the week. You may have read my recent post about getting attacked in MI.

 

Previous deer encounter was in northern Idaho in July of '04. Ten point buck came out of the woods at full speed. My RT saved my life and I walked away with a sprained wrist.

 

Two Saturday's ago, was going 30mph near East Tawas, MI and actively scanning for deer like I've been the last five years everytime I ride. I let my buddy's get ahead as they were doing around 60. Thought I'd be safe.

 

Didn't matter, one minute I was riding in full control, the next I was in an ambulance wondering what just happened. Got a level 3 concussion and some contusions but don't remember the accident at all.

 

The thing I'm wrestling with (that every rider has to at some point) is whether the rewards outweigh the risks. I may have a couple of mint BMW's to sell.

 

Best of luck to you and hope you never have an encounter. The fact you're asking means you're already aware so good for you.

 

IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!

 

RPG

[Selden]

I'm afraid the only absolute answer is "Don't Ride." I'm not ready to go there yet, but a second deer collision might tip me over the edge. They are expensive annoyances when you are in a car, but the odds seem about even on a bike.

[T__]

Sailorlite, deer as a rule are not a problem for motorists or motorcyclists.. Scared deer are a VERY LARGE problem for anything moving on the road..

 

I live in the middle of a very large deer population & seldom go a day without seeing at least few & seldom go a week without having to divert my travel course to go around one..

 

While I tend to see more deer in the very early morning & late near dusk those are usually slowly moving or grazing along the roadside.. Those are easy to spot & easy to ride around or avoid..

 

The ones that cause me the most close calls or near misses are the scared ones at night or even the middle of the day.. Once they are scared they can run without looking or caring where they run to.. Running scared deer are very difficult to predict,, difficult to see,, & can be difficult to avoid..

 

The worst to avoid are the ones running at you at an intercept angle as those have the longest intercept path & you can’t easily go around behind them..

 

While I can’t predict where one will run out in front of me I do things that can help me avoid them.. When riding in deer area or down roads that corn or trees that come right to the edge of the road I ride as close to the center line as possible.. That gives me the most road to use in either direction to avoid the hooved rodents.. If at night if at all possible I try to find a car or truck to follow as the added headlights help as well as the vehicle makes a good deer plow.. Obviously slow down in high risk areas..

One thing I do is keep plying the “what if” game,, what if a deer come out of there,, what if a deer jumps out of that patch of weeds,, you get the idea.. If you are mentally prepared for a deer encounter you are much more apt to be able to avoid if need be.. I usually get a couple of good deer max braking max swerving encounters a year & usually find a way around them.. I did hit a tail earlier this year & that one was close (real close), it was an angle towards me & actually the deer saw me at the last moment & he altered his path or I would have hit him somewhere in the rear..

 

The absolute best advice I can give you for riding in high deer encounter areas is to wear good protection gear.. If you hit one you will probably go down,, with good gear on it will usually be survivable..

 

Twisty

 

[Wooster]

Smart alec answer is to buy a hunting license; sure way to guarentee deer will avoid you. Realistcally, RPG got it right with:

the quick and dirty answer is they can attack at anytime., ...,

 

IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!

 

RPG

 

I suppose use of the word "attack" may be hyperboly, yet after two incidents, I think I understand.

 

Wooster

 

Buck in heat is a doe-nut

 

[gottabmw]

If at night if at all possible I try to find a car or truck to follow as the added headlights help as well as the vehicle makes a good deer plow..

 

Twisty

I wouldn't get too comfortable thinking this would be of much help. It doesn't matter if you're the first, second, fifth or the last vehicle in a string of them, if there is a panicked deer near the road and it takes off, it won't matter what your position in the line is. Unpredictability and randomness is impossible to avoid. The absolute worst time to ride in deer country is during hunting season. Not only are the deer on the move because of rut, but hunters have them running for their lives.

[T__]

If at night if at all possible I try to find a car or truck to follow as the added headlights help as well as the vehicle makes a good deer plow..

 

Twisty

I wouldn't get too comfortable thinking this would be of much help. It doesn't matter if you're the first, second, fifth or the last vehicle in a string of them, if there is a panicked deer near the road and it takes off, it won't matter what your position in the line is. Unpredictability and randomness is impossible to avoid. The absolute worst time to ride in deer country is during hunting season. Not only are the deer on the move because of rut, but hunters have them running for their lives.

 

gottabmw, don’t knock this until YOU try it.. I have been riding in deer country for a lot of years & have never had a close deer call while following a car or truck.. Sure one (a deer) could sneak through the rather small gap between you & the car ahead but that would mean the deer was running pretty well right at that vehicle almost until impact..

 

Nothing is exact when dealing with unpredictable wild animals but anything a person can do to lessen the chance is directionally correct..

 

Twisty

 

[Kathy R]

And it's nice how most cars/trucks know just what you are doing. I've been accomodated many times, even to the point where the driver slows and points their hand when they see deer ahead.

[Lineareagle]

The one I hit, with my pick-up, fortunately, was not in sight until I saw its head at my left front head light, just at dusk.

 

I have had several encounters and read of many. The scarriest was the guy who actually was jumped on top of by a deer. That tells you how unpredictable they are and stupid.

 

I make it a practice to be off the road by 5pm and not rolling until 8 am, if riding back roads. They are 'usually' bedded down by then.

Western deer, prairies and such don't ever seem to bed down and are moving all the time. Buddy and I had three running like hell beside us. They had acres of prairie away from us. We were ready for them when they suddenly turned jumped a fence and crossed in front of us to jump another fence.

 

If you see deer or think you see deer SLOW WAY down, my feeling is you have to be able to STOP not swerve. Hitting deer straight on is more survivable than carroming off them and into some other object, the bike, especially a BMW will take a lot of the impact and save your hide.

 

As well swales, valleys, culverts, copse of trees and bushes are all favorite launching points for deer. Hyper alert when you see these close to the road.

 

May you never tag a deer except with a rifle or bow. If you ride long enough you WILL come close.

[Joel]

Lots of good advice above. One other thing you might consider if you don't already have it is more lighting.

 

 

Some people give me crap about how big those aux lights (LightForce Striker 170s) are, but they throw lots of light (100 watts each) out past the shoulder of the road. I live where the deer and the antelope (and elk) play, and countless times those lights have lit a critter I wouldn't have seen with just the stock lighting.

 

Of course, many times the idiots still charge into the road anyway.

[JonathanE]

Yup Joel, I agree. The fog lights on my GS are hardwired "always on" whenever the bike is on. They may help make me more conspicuous to deer, but that's a fringe benefit. Fog lights make you more conspicuous to cage drivers coming from the sides. MOST important, the fog lights help me see cage drivers, deer, dogs, children, whatever it is that is approaching my path from the sides, with my peripheral vision which is the fastest to respond to motion.

 

All of the deer avoidance ideas in this thread are good (except perhaps the motion sensor thingy), but the best deer detector/avoider system is between your ears.

[Paul Mihalka]

Lots of good advice above. One other thing you might consider if you don't already have it is more lighting.

 

 

Some people give me crap about how big those aux lights (LightForce Striker 170s) are, but they throw lots of light (100 watts each) out past the shoulder of the road. I live where the deer and the antelope (and elk) play, and countless times those lights have lit a critter I wouldn't have seen with just the stock lighting.

 

Of course, many times the idiots still charge into the road anyway.

 

Joel, looks we have the same idea. mine are also yellow when they light up. We all do what we can but it is still a Russian Roulette.

 

[gottabmw]

I'm not "knocking it." I'm just saying deer are COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE. Just because you have a vehicle in front of you doesn't mean the stupid deer won't dart out in front of any vehicle in a line of two or ..... SEVENTY ..... vehicles. They get confused and it doesn't matter where you are. A deer is just as likely to head into the beginning, middle, or the end of a string of vehicles. You're deluding yourself if you think there is any kind of logic involved and that a "lead vehicle" will clear a path for you. Good luck!

[jfremder]

What are the basic strategies to reduce the risk of hitting a deer?

 

Lot's of good information here. Living in Wisconsin, I've had my share of sightings, but luckily no strikes yet. My really close calls have been in Utah, SD, VA... well the list is really too long.

 

I practice maximum braking every ride. I constantly play the 'what if' game and when safe, practice an aggresive brake-swerve-recover. Those practiced skills have come in handy more than once. If you're not skilled with using maximum braking, especially on non-ABS bikes, you're really limiting your options.

 

Lastly, I don't ride at night, dawn, dusk, or at all during rut/hunting season, unless absolutely necessary.

[VinnyR11]

+1...lot's of very good info here.

 

Better lighting, constantly scan, stay as close to the center line as possible, slow down, go through "what-if" scenarios in your head, try to avoid early morning & dusk if possible, be doubly alert, etc....

 

One thing I don't think anyone has yet mentioned is covering your brake when in deer country. Some ride that way all the time. I don't. Those tenths of a second can slow you down that bit extra and could make a big difference.

[Paul Mihalka]

"One thing I don't think anyone has yet mentioned is covering your brake when in deer country. Some ride that way all the time. I don't. Those tenths of a second can slow you down that bit extra and could make a big difference"

 

Good point and yes, do it always. My brake lever has the paint worn off where I regularly rest my index and middle finger.

[Sailorlite]

When is the hunting season, and when is the rut season? If I'm planning a multi-state ride, I suppose I could check ahead with state fish & game depts. or even BMW dealerships there. But, are those seasons always only in the Fall and never in Spring? Would adjoining states be more or less the same? What is the typical duration of these seasons? Is the collision risk twice as high then, or 10% higher, or what?

[Wooster]

When is the hunting season, and when is the rut season?

 

While some variability exists from state to state, north and south, east and west, bow hunting is usually September (given the nature of archery, I do not believe deer are affected, i.e.,prone to greater movement) with rifle season (that's when everybody and their Mother is out in the woods moving deer, intentionally or othewise) is October/November. Coincidentally, the breeding season/rut is late September, October and early November, depending on the weather.

There's no credible odds on deer strikes, e.g., can't say it increases in frequency in October by 23 %. Really, this problem can happen most anywhere at anytime and it's just one more source of rider anxiety. Me, I ride with the knowledge that no one lives for ever, that dead men rise up never and even the weariest river winds some where safe to sea (Collridge, I think).

 

Wooster

 

poem goes something like

"With too much love of living, with fear and hope set free, let's pause in brief thankgiving to whatever gods there may be.

That no one lives for ever, that dead men rise up never and even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea."

 

Pretty good toast for the upcoming holiday

[Bill_Walker]

...There's no credible odds on deer strikes, e.g., can't say it increases in frequency in October by 23 %.

 

Missouri can. From freeshare.net :

 

"More than half of last year’s deer-vehicle accidents occurred from September through December. November was the most dangerous month, with 22.8 percent of the years’ deer-car collisions.

 

Time of day is an important factor, too. Nearly one in five deer-vehicle crashes occurred between 5 and 8 a.m., and another 54.7 percent happened between 5 p.m. and midnight.

 

Only 12 percent of deer-car accidents happened on interstate highways. Sixteen percent happened on state lettered highways. The majority – 51.5 percent – took place on numbered state highways or U.S. highways other than interstates.

 

An amazing 82.3 percent of deer-car crashes – including all five of last year’s fatalities – occurred on wet pavement. All five fatalities also occurred on straight stretches of rural roads. Three took place on hills.

 

Male drivers accounted for 61 percent of deer-car crashes, females for 39 percent. Drivers’ ages did not seem to make much difference in the frequency of deer-car accidents."

[Jim Moore]

An amazing 82.3 percent of deer-car crashes – including all five of last year’s fatalities – occurred on wet pavement.

Now that is particularly interesting. Deer move around more when it's raining, I wonder?

[David R]

Both hands on the bars, Headlight on HI beam. LOOK for the deer eyes. With the high beam on, they look like moving green lights off to the side. 45 mph in the really heavy deer areas (the swamps).

 

I live in the Iroquois national wild life refuge. LOTS of deer. Got 2 with my truck. ABS saved me from hitting one around 11:00 pm a few weeks ago on my R1100RT. I saw a total of 7 that night.

 

I saw 2 run across the road last night 2 places down from mine. I was already slowing down for my driveway. 9:00 pm.

 

And when there is one, there are probably more, so don't look at the one that is already across the road, look for more behind it.

 

Deer are nocturnal.

 

David

[dhanson]

I'm an old deer hunter, killed my first when 14 years old, hunted with shotgun, rifle (270) and bow for the last 15 years or more, both compound and longbow.

 

Deer tend to move when the moon is overhead or underneath, as all animals do, even the best fishing times (couple hours) are at this period.

 

BUT, during hunting season there is a rut and bucks move long distances out of their normal areas looking for receptive does, so they may be seen anywhere.

 

On the roads, be cautious of the low areas, which usually mean water and brush and trees for them to stay hidden while moving. Also funnels, where the woods suddenly funnel down to a little area or point that ends at the corner of the road where you are passing.

 

If a deer is browsing on side of the road, then they mostly will not move unless you spook them as in being the only traffic or loud pipes or whining engine noise (different). If the deer are moving and you happen to pass as they are about to cross then there is no telling what they will do. If one has already crossed expect anymore to follow but wildly as you approach.

 

A good question above, when is the hunting seasons? They are designed to allow hunting when the fawns will be old enough to survive if their mother (doe is killed) and to allow best possible success of finding a Buck which is chasing a doe. In most cases the buck has left his seed with a receptive doe before he is killed so the herd is to prosper. These two things happen around middle of November in Louisiana, but the colder the climate, then the earlier. The fawns are born in late spring, and they should be weaned by september.

[Wooster]

Deer tend to move when the moon is overhead or underneath, as all animals do, even the best fishing times (couple hours) are at this period.

 

While I don't understand it, I'm sure you're right. I recall seeing charts in Field & Stream and other outdoorsy mags, indicating prime hunting & fishing hours according to stages of the moon. As a 15 % hunter (2 deer in 15 years, about a 15% "success" ratio), I'm far away from being expert.

My attitude about riding and the seemingly endless ways it can come to grief (hitting a deer being one) is some what fatalistic (not really happy about the word). As Concrete Blondes sing, "don't grit your teeth and twist up inside, just ride baby ride".

Bill Walker's Missouri stats indicate the odds for close encounters of the deery kind are greater in the fall (arguably, nature's best season) but I just want to ride.

 

Wooster w/too much love of living

 

btw, dhanson, isn't Louisiana the Sportsman's Paradise ?

[dhanson]

That is what the license plates say, but hunting here at least on public land is very tough. Most folks now use ATVs and put out corn, box stands on all the right of ways, with much litter to indicate the frequent use.

 

Not many real hunters left that can locate natural food source (usally good for a couple of weeks at the most) and setup for best ambush. Trailing and finding a marginal hit deer is a lost art or soon will be.

 

You will not find any bow hunters in a box stand, most will either be on the ground (very tough to draw on a deer at 20 yards) or up a climbing tree stand which we carry on our back. Lots of hours and days spent in the woods and stands waiting for 2 or 3 possible shots of 15 or 20 seconds window during the season.

[philbytx]

I live and ride in the state (and prolly the area within the state!) with the largest deer population - TX.

Now....I've had good friends go down, one with a deer actually jumping ONTO him and his bike and he needed an air evac out but I have, so far, not had a deer incident. I've seen many hundreds of the hooved rats, we even have a couple of herds, 20 plus, roaming down our street. Seen 'em do some real stupid stuff....day or night doesn't matter.

 

I have auxiliary lighting on my bike with one light aimed for deer on the side of the road.

 

My take: Day or night, if I see 'em, I will slow down but if I don't see any (bodies, eyes or whatever), I just ride like normal.

Deer, just like sh*&, happen! Nothing you can do about it....they are, just like life itself, quite unpredicable.

 

 

[Indy Dave]

Phil - just curious - do you take into consideration the time of day when you ride (ie Deer)

 

dave

[gottabmw]

Not disputing you, just curious ..... By what measure does TX have the largest deer population? Since it is, by far, the largest state in the lower 48, it seems natural it would have more deer, or is it based on deer per square mile or something else? Does TX have more deer than AK? That would surprise me.

[ThomasJ]

If at night if at all possible I try to find a car or truck to follow as the added headlights help as well as the vehicle makes a good deer plow..

 

Twisty

I wouldn't get too comfortable thinking this would be of much help. It doesn't matter if you're the first, second, fifth or the last vehicle in a string of them, if there is a panicked deer near the road and it takes off, it won't matter what your position in the line is. Unpredictability and randomness is impossible to avoid. The absolute worst time to ride in deer country is during hunting season. Not only are the deer on the move because of rut, but hunters have them running for their lives.

 

gottabmw, don’t knock this until YOU try it.. I have been riding in deer country for a lot of years & have never had a close deer call while following a car or truck.. Sure one (a deer) could sneak through the rather small gap between you & the car ahead but that would mean the deer was running pretty well right at that vehicle almost until impact..

 

Nothing is exact when dealing with unpredictable wild animals but anything a person can do to lessen the chance is directionally correct..

 

Twisty

 

Quite often I ride down Hwy 49 in the Sierra foothills in Northern California (my commute route) and the deer are very plentiful. Seems like a few cycles go down each year due to a strike. I always ride behind other traffic, ride as close to the center of the road, and hood the brake lever to give the best chance of survival.

 

Took the wife on a Toy Run event last Saturday in Sacramento and, in order to get there, went down 49. We were following about 4 cars and a pickup and part way down a couple deer scampered across the road (at about 8:45 am). The rats went across at the front of the group and by the time we passed they were well off the tarmac, though I did slow way down in case others were following.

 

Anyone think an LT would provide more protection in a strike? Then again, would anyone buy a type of bike based on deer strike protection. Thanks to the OP for bringing the topic to mind at a prime time.

Tom

[dsl]

....but what about timing? Are there seasons when deer are more likely to be on the road? What about times of day?

 

This is right up my alley... I've hit 6 deer, 3 on a motorcycle, and they represent 95% of my close calls. Three of the 6 ran into the side of my vehicle. Stayed upright on the two side hits to the bike and went down on one - when it ran into my front wheel (bike is amazingly stable - if you don't take a lateral hit to the front wheel).

 

 

Stats are about the same for all northern states.

 

Time of Day:

 

 

Note: you need to normalize for probable traffic flow... ie, although the greatest # of strikes are at dusk and dawn, that's also when there's the most cars on the road commuting. Looks to me like the greatest risk is deep into the night... hardly any cars on the road, but still an alarming high # of strikes.

 

Time of Year:

 

 

Fall is the mating season (Rut) and the May/June mini spike, I understand, is due, post winter feeding and to the birth of the even dumber fawns.

 

Population explosion/Risk by State:

 

CLICKY

 

 

"Predator"

CLICKY

 

Peter Egan on Deer (and my sentiments exactly):

CLICKY

 

 

For me, I try to use the stats at much as possible; around riskier times of the day or year, I will try to:

 

- stay off the wooded backroads between 4pm and 9am.

 

- stick to routes that have the foliage cut back from the edge of the road

 

- travel West in the AM and East in the PM to keep the sun at my back and glare out of my eyes.

 

- ride when it is windy out (no stats, but I've read on a hunting forum that deer hide when its windy - can't smell/hear predators... made sense to me, and I haven't seen many out on a windy days).

 

- do most of my best riding, well.... right now. After the foliage is down, but before the first snow fall. Also like the spring, after the sand has been washed away, but before the leaves fill back in. You stand half a chance at seeing the dumb animals coming with the leaves off the trees.

 

Otherwise, deer are just a road lottery.

 

A few from my deer "shrine":

 

Ummmm... did I say I was a little obsessed?

 

 

 

[philbytx]

Not really. I see them grazing most of the day in the winter but in the summer months I tend to see them gathered at dawn and dusk.

 

I honestly tend not to get "deer centric" when riding....I just continue with my usual East to West "180", occasional "360", scanning. In my younger days, I rode my motorcycle to work in London every day, rain or shine.

[philbytx]

Estimated deer population in TX is estimated at >4MM.

The one good thing about TX, in general, is that we do not have population/automobile density in the main "hooved rat" areas.

 

Where I am they are a royal PITA! A couple of our local residents feed the bloody things year round!

 

 

 

 

[RPG]

The absolute worst time to ride in deer country is during hunting season

 

I'm just saying deer are COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE

 

So which is it GOTTABMW? Ride only when hunting season is not happening or determine that they're completely unpredictable which I assume you mean anytime of year?

 

RPG

[Polo]

I wonder if something like THIS would work? Call it a deer fargle !

 

You couldl also try this

 

But the only sure bet is this farkle

 

YMMV

[gottabmw]

The absolute worst time to ride in deer country is during hunting season

 

I'm just saying deer are COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE

 

So which is it GOTTABMW? Ride only when hunting season is not happening or determine that they're completely unpredictable which I assume you mean anytime of year?

 

RPG

 

I gather you see some contradiction with my quotes. I don't see how one excludes the other.

 

Yes, they are unpredictable any time but during hunting season, they are flushed out of the woods by hunters and rain; and it is rutting season, which has them on the move. So yes, hunting season is the worst time for unpredictable deer encounters with vehicles.

[HenWin]

What are the basic strategies to reduce the risk of hitting a deer? What else besides timing?

 

Most of the conversation seems to be related to the Midwest and farther west, but not quite the west coast. I ride in the Mid-Atlantic area.

 

What I find interesting in this discussion is there is not ONE SINGLE mention of a little device known as DEER WHISTLES. I know what you're (everyone on the list) is going to say: "there's no proof that they work". And I'd agree with you. It's true: there's no documented proof that they work. However, I've been using them for well over 20 years, and (knock on wood) never had a deer (or other free roaming animal other than the incidental dog) come near me. In fact the deer that I've come across usually act like they knew I was coming!

 

In the county were I live all of the county police cruisers are equiped with them. For what they cost (usually under $10 at your local auto parts store), they're worth every penny. But I repeat, there's no proof that they work, just anecdotal evidence like mine.

 

As to where you can get data on deer strikes (particularly time of day), you might be able to find that kind of thing through your state MVA/DMV, state or county police, or state dept of transportation, etc.

 

A few weeks ago I was on a ride with a newbie friend of mine. We were riding a desolate 2 lane road, and out of nowhere a deer came running, acting like he/she was trying to get on my friend's bike at 30 mph! However, the deer just couldn't handle running on the pavement and skidded and slipped to the point of falling pretty hard and then running away. It was most bizarre!

[Eric S]

I was just at my local dealer picking up a few things. They sell this one: http://www.deerwhistle.com/ and a few there said it made a difference. YMMV YMMV YMMV

 

But for $8 what the hell!

[ully211]

thanks for the website Eric ... just ordered one!!! As you said, for $8 wth....

[philbytx]

 

I've never used a deer whistle and THAT appears to work for me!

 

I'll sell you an "Un-whistle" for $8.00

[Paul Mihalka]

thanks for the website Eric ... just ordered one!!! As you said, for $8 wth....

Same here.

Also I don't believe in witches... but they do fly...

[gottabmw]

However, I've been using them for well over 20 years, and (knock on wood) never had a deer (or other free roaming animal other than the incidental dog) come near me. In fact the deer that I've come across usually act like they knew I was coming!.....

 

We were riding a desolate 2 lane road, and out of nowhere a deer came running, acting like he/she was trying to get on my friend's bike at 30 mph! However, the deer just couldn't handle running on the pavement and skidded and slipped to the point of falling pretty hard and then running away. It was most bizarre!

[scout6]

Had the deer whistles on several of my bikes. Hit a dear with one bike that had the whistles. It might have been the type, as they had the trianglar opening and I know that the deer have trouble getting thier lips to seal ones that are not round.... But really - the guys at mythbusters did a check with several kinds. I don't remember all of the info, but they determined that the things did not work.

[Kathy R]

It might have been the type, as they had the trianglar opening and I know that the deer have trouble getting thier lips to seal ones that are not round....

 

 

I recall a thread about the deer whistles a handful of years back. Someone produced information on the subject that showed that they do not work.

 

Pretty scary to ride with a whistle, believing it's helping. Very scary. Just saying...

[Quinn]

I would think that if they were working there would be dogs barking when vehicles drove by using them.

[Eric S]

Woman gets run over by herd of deer as she opens up her shop on a downtown street!

 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/12/04/wral.trampled.by.deer.wral

[MWS]

Pretty much can't avoid 'em when she jumped onto the road 3' in front of ya.

Didn't have time even to brake, even though I was covering the brake.

 

4 weeks ago around 1:15PM on a Saturday on 555 in southern Ohio traveling about 30 MPH.

 

I spent a week in the hospitle with a collapsed lung and couple fractured ribs, plus hairline fractures on C7 & T1.

 

Lynn was about 6 or 7 car lengths behind, and said the deer jumped off an embankment from a stand of trees. It was like the deer dropped out of the sky.

 

I'm ok now, just a little sore.

 

Shoot 'em all!