We need to talk about deer

[daifuco]

Recently they have added a sign on a road warning of more than 200 deer collisions in the last year.
Last night I spotted a deer just by the opposite side of the road. She was looking at me. I did not panicked but it got me worried about collisions with them.
Is there anything I can do other than praying?

[mentalboy]

[UncleFester]

It's not the one you see that will have you .....

They're all thick as two short planks, approach with caution - if a full sized one bolts and hits you, you'll come off worst!

My morning commute takes me through / past this lot on the way to and from work

https://www.chdphd.com/Galleries/Panoramas/DeerPark1280.jpg

Loud exhaust seems to keep them away.
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2017 Z1000SX

[WD Forte]

Mmm! they look delicious
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bikers smell of wee

[delsol]

Deer do my head in too, there are few places that don't have them.

Even hitting a Bambi with stunted growth and you and the bike will come off the worst for wear.

I was lucky last year, a fawn darted out from trees on road between Fort William and Connel Bridge, the car in front of me hit it, had it been me I would have been........somewhere not good.

As for original question, loud pipes may well be as good as it gets, there are deer whistles that can be fitted, but I find no evidence that they actually work:

https://www.smarter-usa.org/rider-skills/deer-tips/

[Poseidon]

Nowt much you can do about 'em. Except maybe shoot them for the pot.

I was driving along one evening being tailgated by Mr BMW. I'd slowed as per highway code instruction and a deer bolted out from the hedge. Hit the little bastard with the front corner of the car, but somehow the carcass sort of swung round behind my car and ended up under the beemer. I needed a couple of cable ties to reattach the corner of my bumper. The beemer had nothing left to reattach his bumper to. I laughed. If he'd left adequate space, he would've been fine. I had a call from his insurance as I struck the deer first. I denied this and offered them the details of the deer's family if they wanted to pursue a claim and advised them to be a bit sensitive when they contact them, as they'd recently suffered a loss. They hung up on me at that point. Bless 'em.

I also remember a time I set off for a trip, had the bike fully loaded and was pootling along the little back roads near my house (I lived out in the styx). A huge red deer lept into the road and ran alongside my bike. I must've been doing 20-30mph, so it was quite an experience having this huge beast keeping pace with me. We looked into each others eyes briefly, before the deer leapt off the road into a field. I was both awestruck by what happened and a little frightened at the thought that it could've darted into my path and caused an accident.
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1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[Snop Doog]

There's a story complete with pictures of a motorcycle (I think it was an R1) that hit a deer and sliced it in half. What can you do? Don't be that guy.

[BTTD]

Don't watch the one that jumps across the front of you when you miss it, watch for the fucker following it.
Five of us in a beat up old Defender, only one of us who didn't see the second one was the driver, who was watching the first one. Pure luck that the second one bucked away (looked like it was going under the drivers wheel). Driver "Wow, did you see that deer" while looking at the hedge the first one went through. Rest of us were looking at the other side of the road where the second one that almost took us out went.
You can't beat dumb luck.

[struan80]

What do you call a blind deer?
No idea.
What do you call a dead blind deer?
Still no idea.

Oh deery me, sorry.

Would not like to have to wrestle a large deer on a country road, scary thought. Some large hares round here and it's bad enough avoiding them along with utter stupid, no seriously stupid pheasants, how the hell did these things last so long on the evolutionary chain? They can't even fly!

But none as bad as cyclists, they should have to do some compulsory training before being allowed on the road IMO.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[yen_powell]

They tend to cross roads at dusk. Mind you, the one I hit (and killed) on my bike did his suicidal crossing at about 10pm on a winters night. He hadn't read the rules!
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[Polarbear]

Do you have to report hitting a deer, I presume they are all 'owned' by someone.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Wonko The Sane]

[Poseidon]

[deadwolf]

This looks useful :

https://www.craigvetter.com/pages/Other_Designs/Energy_absorbing_fairing.html
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Motorsapien Art

[grr666]

Even an unexpected pheasant can cause an off, as can the archetypal 'child running out between parked cars chasing a ball'.
If you want none of these things to worry you at all, then a nice big truck is what you need. Most things
bounce off of trucks and you are seated way above the danger.

Don't worry about it, it's probably just as likely you'll be hit by lightning while riding.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[goto10]

Meanwhile, over on DeerChatForums...

[goto10]

[Poseidon]

[Fladdem]

I was green-laning once and three muntjack deer came spilling out the woods on the right straight across in front of me. Very nerve wracking.

Fortunately, I was going slowly and they squirreled away and went charging down the track ahead of me before nipping through to the woods on the left of me. I don't know why they ran towards the sound of my bike.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[yen_powell]

[talkToTheHat]

Do you think prayer will help?

I'd recommend slowing down and concentrating on obs, more likely to have measurable results.

Or take different road with no deer on it.
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Bandit. does. everything.