White tail deer avoidance strategies

[Nic in Western NYS]

I do my best to avoid dawn, twilight, or night riding.  My head is like a clock pendulum back and forthing the sides of the road, I slow when I see one, even well below the speed limit, slow WAY down when one crosses the road in front of me assuming its buddies are coming.  No do-dads or whistles.

Deer have come up in a lot of previous threads, but what is the current best practice to avoid this potential killer?  Don't know around here whether the deer or the cell phones are more of a threat - both are out of control.  Thoughts?  This creature will kill us.

[fotoguzzi]

All the gear all the time

[pmillar]

All good strategies. the only thing i would add is that I refuse to swerve for deer. I will brake hard but no swerving as I'm pretty sure even they don't know which way they are going until they do, let alone me guessing which way.

[Paul Brooking]

Not sure how big a White Tailed Deer actually is ...

In Australia we have to put up with these big b*stards.
Dawn and Dusk see them moving across our unfenced roads and they will make a mess of a car never mind a motorbike
A  further downside is the Road Trains barrel them over at night and the Wedge Tail Eagles feast on them
Those birds are big enough to knock you off your bike and steal the keys 

[Gliderjohn]

Not sure how big a White Tailed Deer actually is ...

In Kansas most will be in the 200-300 pound range.
GliderJohn

[canuck750]

I always ride with an eye scanning for deer, stay to the center line when in known deer areas, have big auxiliary LED lights for rare night riding etc...

but after having struck a deer in a compact car about 12 years ago I know how most people do not have any time to react.

I was traveling on a narrow 2 lane country road at dusk at around 50 miles a n hour, all I saw was the tail end of the deer in flight as the hind quarters struck the passenger side of the windshield, took out the front end, right side doors and rear quarter panel, car was destroyed.

There was no time to react, the deer was suddenly just there, made ne realize that if I do hit one on my motorcycle it won't end well.

Yesterday a moose ran out ion front of the Jeep I was driving, thankfully I was only travelling around 45 mph, it was mid day, good weather and had time to brake / swerve as the big beast just walked across the road.

It just hasn't been my time yet, I don't think about it too much.

[Moto]

Speed kills. As speed goes up, the kinetic energy of our bodies -- which must be dissipated in any crash-- increases exponentially. So we shouldn't hit deer fast.

Around western Wisconsin -- the Driftless Region -- curvy roads, trees and undergrowth go together, so the best stretches for playing the racer are the most likely to evoke deer. Curvy roads with clear lines of sight are typically found at race tracks.

What to do? Slow down, cover your brakes, and do the things you mentioned.

As I was out today on my Griso, deer hunting for all intents and purposes, I was wondering what the point was in riding a heavy, 130 mph machine in such conditions. Maybe it's time to outgrow the attitude that I must ride as fast as I "safely" can on the back roads. Maybe there is no safe speed that is fast enough to be technically challenging there. Maybe what I should aim for is the slowest speed I can enjoy.

The glut of deer and cell phones has created a new ecological context that requires us to adapt or die, like any other critter. We can't ride like we used to. Slow down and smell the roses.

Heresy?

[JeffOlson]

Where we live, out on a peninsula, there are 10 miles of two-lane road from the highway to our house. Forest on both sides. Deer everywhere! Even in my wife’s pickup truck we exercise caution, especially at dusk. (At dawn, the deer are in our garden!)

[Paul Brooking]

In Kansas most will be in the 200-300 pound range.
GliderJohn

Big reds, according to Wiki, top out at about 200lbs so your deer are significantly larger 

Of course we have the very large flocks of "Swift Chooks" (Emu)
as tall as a man and with absolutely no road sense

[Guzzistajohn]

I was just having a drink and watching the moonrise and four of the little four legged vermin across the road in the hay field. They are everywhere in the Ozarks. Ride slow at dusk and dawn.

[Nic in Western NYS]

]
As I was out today on my Griso, deer hunting for all intents and purposes, I was wondering what the point was in riding a heavy, 130 mph machine in such conditions. Maybe it's time to outgrow the attitude that I must ride as fast as I "safety" can on the back roads. Maybe there is no safe speed that is fast enough to be technically challenging there. Maybe what I should aim for is the slowest speed I can enjoy.

The glut of deer and cell phones has created a new ecological context that requires us to adapt or die, like any other critter. We can't ride like we used to. Slow down and smell the roses.

Heresy?

You summed it up.  Deer and cell phones have made me adjust how I ride in a big way.  Adapt or have a higher likelihood of dying on the road from predictable risks.

[Shorty]

Half of my riding is after dark. I have seen my share of critters. Bright lighting, slow speed, be extra keen where the "enemy" has cover leading right up to the road. My advantage is using the same roads all the time after dark, and knowing where the cover and food plots are. Hunting/rutting season? All bets are off, them bastards are everywhere and lose any sense of self preservation... 24/7

[ray bear]

I went for a sunday morning ride on my 47 HRD a few years back  and a big buck kangaroo was standing in the middle of the road with his doe so I stopped and waited for them to move off into the scrub and as they eventually jumped into the scrub a 3rd one come from out of know where airborne and hit me in the chest, smashed my iPhone in my top pocket and broke 3 of my ribs  and instead of the bike falling away from the impact it came back on top of me and the roo was underneath me and as I attempted to get out from the carnage the bloody thing came to and as it took off it had its back leg against my thigh and my leg took as long as the ribs to mend having to have fluid drained every couple of days from the swelling at the doctor. I wasn't even moving with both feet on the ground I WAS STOPPED, when I got better I travelled that road a lot looking for the bloody thing as I was determined to take it home and cook it on the BBQ but to this day we have not set eyes on each other again..ONE DAY  
Oh mustn't forget the broken head light and mirror

[Paul Brooking]

I went for a sunday morning ride on my 47 HRD a few years back  and a big buck kangaroo was standing in the middle of the road with his doe so I stopped and waited for them to move off into the scrub and as they eventually jumped into the scrub a 3rd one come from out of know where airborne and hit me in the chest, smashed my iPhone in my top pocket and broke 3 of my ribs  and instead of the bike falling away from the impact it came back on top of me and the roo was underneath me and as I attempted to get out from the carnage the bloody thing came to and as it took off it had its back leg against my thigh and my leg took as long as the ribs to mend having to have fluid drained every couple of days from the swelling at the doctor. I wasn't even moving with both feet on the ground I WAS STOPPED, when I got better I travelled that road a lot looking for the bloody thing as I was determined to take it home and cook it on the BBQ but to this day we have not set eyes on each other again..ONE DAY  
Oh mustn't forget the broken head light and mirror

LOL ... I can relate to this

My dear old Dad taught me how to drive on the outback roads. I can remember slowing to a stop with a large mob of roos on the road. They slowly moved off and I started to take off. He told me "wait"' "Wait" and sure enough a very large roo bounced out of the bush and over the bonnet just missing the windscreen. Would have come through the passenger window if we were moving.

[Lannis]

All good advice so far.

We've had one car smashed by TWO deer, and one Buick totalled by a deer.

And all three hit the cars from the side.   Never saw them coming, first we knew was a "SMASH" as the deer hit at full speed, running blind I suppose.

I minimize riding at night, head on a swivel, max 55 MPH on a wide four-lane (you can do that here without getting run over) and max 45 MPH on the back roads.   That way you can generally stop for the ones who are standing in the road already, or who you can see ahead, running.

The ones coming from the side?   ATGATT, is all.

Lannis

[Nic in Western NYS]

HA - I post on white tail deer and get back great stories about ROOS.  Where else but here.  Raybear what do you suppose that kangaroo was thinking - you were stopped!  Was it out to kick your human behind for being in its way or didn't it see you?

[kirb]

On my way to a Sunday motorcycle gathering on my fairly new 2012 Stelvio- deer bind-sided me, totaled the bike, broken fibula, broken ribs, 8 days in the hospital for rehab. Helmet saved my bacon, gear everything else. That was as close to punching my ticket on a bike as I had been. Note to self- avoid the day before bow season riding back roads.

I don't take two lane back roads in the early AM or late PM (or dark) if I can avoid it. I take the super slab if I can at those times...much easier to see them and deer usually avoid crossing. Usually. Light up the bike with some LED fog lights.

Not much else you can do...other than take up deer hunting.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 If you are involved in a deer, vehicle crash, (note I don't say accident) first check all the nearby yards for deer bait and salt blocks.  If you find any, sue the people with the bait and blocks for luring the cute little killers out of the woods.
 They have made pets of the deer and are as liable as if any other pets caused the crash.
 After a few lawsuits establish a precedent, fewer people will bait the deer into the road.

[kballowe]

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Make sure that ya got enough bungee cords
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[John A]

I had one run along side of me on the left side. I didn't know what to do other than gradually slow. As I looked at it, I realized it didn't know what it was going to do, it's eyes wild and foam streaming out of its nose and mouth. It suddenly slowed and jumped over the back of my bike and I could hear it's hoofs hitting the rack. When we stopped the girl on the bike behind me asked "How long did you work with him to get him to do that". Hilarious  fun

[BrotherJim]

Gear.  Hit a whitetail on my GSF1200S back in '04 with my wife on pillion.  Travelling at about 55 to 60 mph right around dusk, a six point buck just appeared in front of me, much as canuck750 mentioned.  Panic-braked (three feet of skid from my front and rear tires), as I muttered an expletive to myself, fell off the low side and tumbled into a slide along the pavement, arcing my body on my helmet and boots.  My wife didn't know any of this was coming as she was flicked off the high side of the bike and tumbled on the pavement.  After I came to a stop, I looked around for my wife, saw her on the side of the road, got up and ran over to her.  She got up and we embraced.  Deer was just a few feet from my wife, laying there injured and kicking on the side of the road.  It died moments later.  Miraculously, we were okay aside from a few scrapes, bumps and bruises.  We went ahead and went to the emergency room just in case.  Good insurance covered pretty much everything.  They claimed the bike was totaled, but my Givi Wingrack and cases saved the bike from too much damage.  It looks, runs and rides like new to this day.  I was sore for a couple of weeks, and that moment when I saw the deer played over and over in my head for some time.  I was pretty shy about riding after dark after that, but I've gotten over it.   I decided that if I had to hit a critter again that I would just ride through it, but who knows how it would really go down.  I've since hit a fat raccoon and a possum on my TW square on at about 45.  Not quite the same, but my theory held in those instances.  Bottom line... keep your eyes peeled when two-wheeled and hold your line.  BTW, the wife decided she was done riding with me after that!

[rdbandkab]

I scan, but if a deer happens to jump out at the last second, there's not much I'll be able to do.   
While on our way to Indy for the MotoGP race (a while back), we were traveling around 70mph(112kph) on the interstate when a buck jumped onto the pavement and between our bike and the bike ahead of us.  Happened so fast, I don't even remember being able to react.  (covering the brake might be a little bit of help).
We also have quite a few wild turkeys in this area.  I imagine getting hit with one of them might be like getting shot with a cannon ball.

One of my fears is that since my wife and I ride 2-up almost exclusively,  a catastrophic even would take both of us out.   We weren't lucky enough to be blessed with children, but who would mind the cats and birds!?

[oldbike54]

 The only defense mechanisms deer possess are speed and complete unpredictability .

 A couple of things to never do are bright light one , bright lights cause temporary blindness which is why the appear to be frozen in place , and never honk at them . Last Fall I was riding just South of Cedar Vale right at dusk , just entering the South side of Chautauqua , slowed down to about 40 MPH going thru a gentle right curve . There was a doe standing in the road looking confused , I stopped and pointed my headlight as far away from her as possible , she decided that pavement was not her preferred habitat , and hopped away . We are loaded with White Tails in this area , if you look at a deer population map Eastern OK and Kansas are in the highest density zones for deer. Simply a fact of life , and if you see movement on either side of the road stopping quickly and getting to the shoulder are really the best strategy .

 Dusty

[blakestree]

Finally a use for the flash-to-pass button?

[Lannis]

I decided that if I had to hit a critter again that I would just ride through it, but who knows how it would really go down.  I've since hit a fat raccoon and a possum on my TW square on at about 45.  Not quite the same, but my theory held in those instances.  Bottom line... keep your eyes peeled when two-wheeled and hold your line.  BTW, the wife decided she was done riding with me after that!

I've found a good rule for both car and bike regarding varmints in the road.

If I could eat it in one sitting, I don't dodge or brake ....

Lannis

[Dilliw]

I've found a good rule for both car and bike regarding varmints in the road.

If I could eat it in one sitting, I don't dodge or brake ....

Lannis

Up here they have porcupines; that's a combination of a brier patch, a skunk, and a beaver.  I'm thinking that the not dodging thing could be a mistake on those.

I had a deer cross in front of me and just as she got to the white line she pulled a "squirrel" and headed back right in front of my wheel.  Never relax on a near miss as you never know what they will do next and there's probably a couple more of them too.

[Roebling3]

Moose will always out weigh a MC. Sometimes they out weigh a car. Years ago I hit a Moose just South of Orono, ME on I-95 @ 2:30 am. Managed to flag a car down and got to a truck stop for assistance. A fine looking state trooper was waiting for me.
"you know what we do to out of state people when they injure our wild life?" Well no officer. 'We lock 'em up'.  Easy to realize those 5 guys among 3 p/ups not only had jack lights, a port-a-power, bolt cutters and rifles they fore warned the trooper by radio. I had New Jersey tags. The real reason for all the help? To put meat on the table.  R3~

[canuck750]

About five years myself and two friends were riding north from the Copper Canyon in Mexico to the US Border when we passed a few skinny cows on the side of the road in rural Mexico. I just swerved a bit to the left and road on by, I was a few minutes ahead of the two other riders. By the time the second rider passed the cows were moving onto the pavement and the 2nd bike had to swerve hard to miss them. The third bike was not so lucky, one of the smaller cows decided to hold his ground and started to move for the motorcycle. Rider #3 is a big fella, close to 300 lbs and was riding a Honda Valkyrie tourer. Rider #3 decided he could not get around the cow and straightened out the big Honda for a perpendicular strike, braked and struck the cow mid section of the body at under 30 mph he figures.

On impact the cow let go of his bowels and said waste ended up acting as an air bag (s**t bag in this case) and softened the blow, rider, Honda and cow went down. When rider three collected his thoughts, realized he was alive and the Honda was still running puled the bike up and slowly moved forward at which time the cow got to his feet and charged him. Rider #3 held his ground and prepared to hit the beast a second time but the cow blinked and trotted to the side of the road as rider and bike passed.

When we met up the smell of rider and Valkyrie was something to behold, the bike suffered a bent wind screen, signal lights, damaged headlight and some scraped plastic, the rider had big bruises on his forearms and was real sore for a couple days.

I don't know if I could have purposely chosen to aim for a square hit and hope for the best like my friend did, but I think it saved him

[Lannis]

On impact the cow let go of his bowels ....

If that had been most people (including me), that would have made two of us ....

Lannis

[Moto]

...  I decided that if I had to hit a critter again that I would just ride through it, but who knows how it would really go down....

My own experience, such as it is, confirms the value of holding your course until impact (while braking). It's worked for two dogs and one human so far. I rode through, uninjured, in each case. The other parties weren't so well off!

Moto