Why did Bambi cross the road?

[dna]

We will never know.

On the way home from work Friday, I was on a straight back country road crossing a big field at @ ~60. This one had no corn, and was fallow.
A big vulture was on the side of the road next to a telephone pole, and started flapping when he heard me. I chopped throttle, and slowed as they like to fly across the road and never seem to get too much height. I have almost hit several in the past.

Just as I get close I notice 2 small young deer cowering next to the pole freeking out ready to cross into the road.

Why did they jump? We will never know.

Because there were 2 there, and the bird was flapping, I guess they had to bolt. It has been my experience that if there is only 1 it usually does not run, but if there is more than 1 they do much more often.

So these 2 decide they have to cross in front of me. I grab brake hard, and emergency stop, but do not lock up the front or back tire.

The first one passes directly in front of me by 15 feet (I’d guess I was going 20 mph by that point) and the 2nd is coming straight at me.
I thought I was by when I hear a soft thud – not much really. The bike did not move – just kept slowing straight and true.

I looked in the mirrors and saw bambi on his face doing summersaults across the dashed yellow line. It stopped and did not get up.
I thought about stopping and going back to see if it lived, but I kept on going instead, never stopped completely, never locked it up.

When I got home I found a blood streak on my right side bag.

That was when I realized how close I really was to serious trouble. 3 feet farther, and we would both be down.

Break less - hit #1, break more hit #2. I almost made it through clean, but not quite.

Got lucky for sure, but the bike did it’s part and so did the safety course of 10 yeas ago. The panic and avoidance skills were reflexive and saved me this time for sure, but God gets all the credit.

Thank you God.

[Myrddraal]

Good job on keeping it up! Dang rodents of unusual size, you're the third person I've heard of hitting one this weekend.

[trypcil]

The trouble with animals and roads is that animals don't know what a road is! What time of the day was it, evening? I think during the day many animals tend to take cover perhaps - evening is the time to fed before sundown and consequentially they're on the move a little more - I maybe wrong but typically I see the beasties more in the morn and evening. Glad you're ok but next time carry a rope and a tarp, a freshly killed deer can provide many a meal and quite a photo op. with it spread across the pillion! Glad you're well. :-D

[jefftarlton]

Bambi was probably following Mom. Deer have a strong instinct to follow that white tail. Anytime I see a young deer I start searching for a doe. If they're on opposite sides of the road things nearly always get interesting.
Deer are intensely stupid animals. They have great instincts but nothing else.

[DaveM]

Glad you and bike are ok dna,

bad luck for bambi. I had a very very similar experience 23 years ago with a lamb, I still tell the story.

Take care and stay upright dna

Davem

[mercator]

Glad you and the bike are ok.

I was stopped at a stopsign and had a deer hit the front quarterpanel of my old subaru. Dented the heck out of the panel, scratched the hood all up with its hooves, and cracked my windshield. I figure he was running at 15-20 with 3-4 of his buddies. He slid off and stumbled, but 'limpran' off into the hayfields... They have instincts, but they are sometimes fuzzy, since there wasnt another car in view, and no dogs or coyotes that I could see...

I figure between my town and the next town over there are 1-2 deer hits a DAY. They are like rats, but much harder on cars and bikes.

I had to dodge one on my bike, but nowhere near as close as your encounter.