Bambi basher

[Bluebullet]

Ok setting the scene....Blackhills SD, Sturgis going on, riding to dinner on winedy mtn rd. Deer comes down a very steep rocky hill and is forced onto the road but the white 72 chevy pickup in front of us scares it so the deer (fawn actually just lost its spots) turns and starts to run parallel to the road the direction we are going. Now we are starting to pass the deer and he decides to turn right into our right side. I catch his head in my right knee and turn him a bit and he slides past me and Beth catches him good with her shin and slams him down and flips him over and he rolls a bit. Beth is yelling ow ow ow! so I pull over and get the bike stopped. We look behind us and the fawn gets up, falls down, gets up, falls again, gets up and starts to run but kind of crooked and dizzy like off into the woods. Then two more fawns with spots come out and follow along with two does. The second doe stops in the middle of the road and looks at us for a bit then takes off after the rest. Beth and I are a bit bruised but not bad and we ride the rest of the way to dinner. Deer lived we lived all is well.

Thanks MikeH for bringing this to my attention.

Aint it amazing how she can sit behind me a take pictures at high speed (see photo in TEST for speed verification) and beat the deer off while I drive.

Nate

 

[Toecutter]

Deer comes down a very steep rocky hill and is forced onto the road but the white 72 chevy pickup in front of us scares it so the deer (fawn actually just lost its spots) turns and starts to run parallel to the road the direction we are going. Now we are starting to pass the deer and he decides to turn right into our right side.

Glad you're all OK. From what I've seen/ heard about regarding deer, I'll be mashing brakes anytime one comes into view with possible impact implications. The deer will have to hit my stopped bike if I have anything to do with the outcome.
It sounds like this incident could have been avoided by giving the critter some more space. After all, you didn't hit the pickup that almost hit the deer. Also, anytime you see a fawn or yearling, they're seldom solo. Big Mama won't bounce off as easily.

Sorry to preach, but after our friend's experience with a deer at 30 mph that may leave him as helpless as a toddler, I can't help myself.

 

[Groo]

Sounds similar to my encounter on the way out to WFO... crossing one of those wide open valleys between mountain ridges in Utah/Nevada... Deer in the middle of the road... I slow down and try to go left around the deer, deer starts running in my direction and runs next to the bike for 20 yards...

Fortunately for me, my deer turned away from me.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I grew up in a canyon chock full of deer in Colorado and this kind of thing was common. They'd get down on the road and amble down far enough to be in a place where they couldn't climb off of the road. They were stuck running down the road to get back to where they could get back up the hill.

Maybe 1 out of 30 times they went down the hill on the other side. I think this is because they prefer to see their escape route.

In a cage I was side swiped just as you talk about twice...therefore on a bike if I am alongside a deer like this, I give space and I get away (brakes or gas) quickly. I prefer outrunning them...as soon as you run away from them, they realize they aren't being hunted.

 

[TheAxeman]

My problem was not so much with the spotted forest rat that was standing next to the road, but the dumb ass citiot from NYC that was stopped dead in the middle of the road on a blind corner in order to take a picture of the little *******. I can tell you through experience that ABS works just fine on these bikes...

 

[Bluebullet]

Toecutter... I fergot to mention all of the above happend in less than 5 seconds. We never saw the little bugger till it hit us and Beth thought the pickup had kicked up a log! Our usual mode of operation is she screams DEEEEER! and I test the antilock system. We almost broadsided one in the middle of town when it came out of a dark alley in Keystone SD on the way to WFO but the above plan worked and we totally missed it.

 

[odot]

Sounds similar to my encounter on the way out to WFO... crossing one of those wide open valleys between mountain ridges in Utah/Nevada... Deer in the middle of the road... I slow down and try to go left around the deer, deer starts running in my direction and runs next to the bike for 20 yards...
Fortunately for me, my deer turned away from me.

Sorry, dude....didn't see that one. Maybe I was hungry.

Nevermind....on the way out...ok....just a bit drunk right now.

 

[DocDanDC]

Lucky again! Pawtracks and I nearly hit one on the 395 southbound between June Lake and Mammoth 203 turnoff homeward bount from WFO. Its amazing how fast they can appear out of nowhere. We were counting our blessings after that. It was a Homer Simpson moment......DOE!!!