A few weeks ago, I was driving home about 5.30.pm, along a quiet, twisting, forested country road. It's a busy enough road and I notice, despite the fact that it's a typical two lane Irish country road, many people drive on it as though it's a motorway. Anyway, on the above journey, a deer ran across the road in front of the car ahead of me. The car had to brake, as I did also. No panic, plenty of distance and I was doing my customary 30mph on this particular stretch.

So, last night, about 5.45pm, I'm driving on the same road, same direction, same speed, when out pops a deer on my side of the road. He paused for a moment, then went for it! I was already on the brakes when he appeared and had to stick it to the ground when he jumped out. I had practically no distance between us and despite pulling in (slightly) to the left as I braked, I clipped him with my front, drivers side corner. I was practically stopped at the point of impact and it was as much a case of him running into me.

He disappered into the undergrowth on the opposite side of the road and I carried on home, about 3 minutes further on. Closer inspection revealed a broken indicator lens, dislocated drivers light and a bend in the front of the wing/ light surround. See pics.

It could have been a whole lot worse, had I been travelling faster, as it's a 60mph limit on the road in question. So, today, I spent my time straightening things out and putting things back together. The actual headlamp mounting was smashed and I did a temporary repair until I get to my donor car for a replacement, along with an indicator lamp.

This evening, same time, same failing light, same speed, a car passed me doing the permitted 60mph. Understandable, as I was an overcautious old fart doing 30mph. But you just never know!

 

That's quite a nice repair job!

 

Well done, if you had not told us. we would be none the wiser.

We have that same happening down here, but with Kangaroo's, and Wombats, and they really make a mess, no matter what you drive, and how slow the impact is.

 

Great repair. And you are smart to be cautious in deer country. Where I live it is a must or you will adorn your hood with deer antlers.

 

Good job on the repair! Keep traveling that bit at 30-40 Mph! We dont want more damage to your car or yourself. ;-)

 

Similar damages as my XJR
I did to mine just before Christmas using the gate post

 

HA, forgot about the gate posts, you have watch for them all the time, they kinda leap out at ya.

 

In East Texas where I live we have another criter that presents a real road hazard. That is big black wild hogs. A few weeks ago I had an encounter with a hog. It was on a small back road in a very rural area. when I hit the hog it was fatal for the pig. I stopped and got out and discovered that he was dead and didn't appear to be a wild pig, but somebodies farm animal. I looked all around and there were no farms nearby or farm buildings where he could have come from. So I just left him and went on home to survey the damage. A few days later I got a summons in the mail from the local sherriff for leaving the accident without reporting it. I was really taken back as there was no one around when I hit the pig. No farms around and I could not figure out how the law discovered I did the deed and why all the concern about a dead pig. Well, I finally discovered how they found out.


Are you ready for this?


The pig squealed!

 

Just like a Texan! LOL!

By the way: I bought some "save a deer" whistles. Naturally I researched it after
the purchase and found out they do not work.

 

Glad you're ok. As you said, it could have been worse not only to the car but more importantly, you!

Had you a headlight washer unit on the bumper you might have been replacing that and the chrome
strip it sits on, too, and they're usually a little more difficult to locate used.

It's a beautiful site to see them running in the open fields but awful scary when the area is thick
in brush right up to the road line as you have little reaction time.

 

Here in Australia we have all sorts of wildlife but Kangaroos are the worst
That's why I don't drive at night in the country the small ones are 50 to 70 kg but the big ones are scary they will hop along next to you at 50 or 60 km,s an hour and do a right turn straight in to the car goodbye car

Last time I hit one was back in the late 90,s he put the water-pump into the first cylinder so car was a write of only 2 weeks old

They are Similar to the wild hogs in Texas but when they are on the hop and you hit one they come through the windscreen all kicking and thrashing like I said I don't drive at night or early morning that seems to be when they are out

Just look at the side of the road when you are travelling there are heaps of dead ones the big trucks that go all night clean them up all the time

 

My house is on the edge of the ninth fairway and there are deer in my lot frequently. And I mean sometimes as close as ten feet of the windows. Wonderful experience to watch them. When it rains they play in the water puddles. Interesting also watching the bucks during horny season and the fawns being born in my back yard. Never thought I'd have such a wonderful environment to live in with the wildlife we have, fox, armadillo, opossum, skunks, squirls and lots of birds.

 

Well, I got the parts needed from my donor car on Thursday and fitted them on Friday. New front indicator and front headlamp assembly, replacing the original which had been temporarily repaired, following my "incident".

Anyway, this evening (Sunday), same time (5.45pm) same place, SAME DEER!!!! It is obviously using the same track, to and from it's base camp, returning home each evening. This time, I saw it well in advance, as it was in the middle of the road, several car lengths ahead of me. I know it was the same deer as it was limping, pretty badly, moving quite slowly, with the damage confined to its rear leg, on the side it impacted with me.

I felt sorry for it, but it was unavoidable and the original damage could have been a lot worse, for both of us! Incidentally, a car driving close behind me, looking like he might overtake, got a serious wake up call and slowed right up, so much so that I soon left him in the distance, even though I was only doing about 30mph!