[Cuchulainn]

I always worry about deer while riding my bike through the rural and mountain roads of Colorado.

Apparently motorcycles are not the only ones that have to watch out for suicidal deer. This past weekend, a skateboarder was taken out by one of these deer during a race .

Lookout Mountain holds and annual Wild Bill downhill race event. They close the road, and long-boarders race down the hill at excessive speeds. One was taken out by a deer on the way down, apparently with no injury other that road rash.

This video does include a small bit of "adult" language at the end. Not surprising when you see a fellow racer taken out by a crazed deer haha

http://youtu.be/bi1SPbqdduM

 

[zelatore]

I guess it's a culture thing, but I'm shocked they're racing down hill like that in shorts and t-shirts!

 

[Cuchulainn]

Yeah. Not a culture that I can relate to. I just happened to see the video from Channel 4 news in Denver, and found the clip on YouTube.

The rider claims he was traveling about 40Mph when he collided with the deer. He said "I remember opening my eyes and being on top of the deer. I was pretty much in shock, and so was the deer."

He claims the deer walked away, and he had no broken bones. Just serious road rash and a sore body. But that he and the deer just stared at each other for a few moments after the crash.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle

 

[BrewDudeBob]

A former Jr. High & High School classmate of mine was killed last week when he hit a deer on his way to work:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postcrescent/obituary.aspx?pid=160038562#fbLoggedOut

He wasn't wearing a helmet.

 

[Cuchulainn]

I am very sorry for the loss of your high school classmate. Deer can be freaking scary and so erratic in what they do. My wife and I had 3 incidences of deer running out in front of us a couple weekends ago on an evening ride to Salida, CO. The first one ran out in front of us, freaked out, and went running up the road instead of across it. He almost rear ended the car in front of it, before veering off to the side of the road he came from in the first place.

Luckily nobody was hurt, and his 2 buddies stayed off the road instead of joining the fray.

 

[TucsonBill]

Those trees and guardrails are the really scary things, if the deer doesn't get you, the secondary impact might!

 

[Junipero]

I saw that video of the skateboarder. He was doing something like 40 mph and had no serious injuries. It looks like he grabbed hold of the deer as he was going down which probably helped cushion the fall. Lucky dude.

 

[Kirkus51]

At least they closed down the road. I was heading up Lookout a year or so ago and a couple of "lugeboarders?" (they were laying down on their backs on long boards) were heading down at a prodigious rate. Fortunately it was a long straight so I saw them and they saw me in plenty of time.

 

[Cuchulainn]

They have had some weird "luck" surrounding that race the past couple of years. Those in Colorado at least, will probably recall that last year there was crash involving a helicopter filming the race. The final days of races were cancelled, but again luckily nobody was seriously injured.

 

[HAP]

A former Jr. High & High School classmate of mine was killed last week when he hit a deer on his way to work:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postcrescent/obituary.aspx?pid=160038562#fbLoggedOut

He wasn't wearing a helmet.

My condolences sir.

 

[BrewDudeBob]

Thanks guys. We weren't close. Last time I saw him had to be 1985. But still, it hits close to home when you get news like that.

 

[Silverado57]

A former Jr. High & High School classmate of mine was killed last week when he hit a deer on his way to work:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postcrescent/obituary.aspx?pid=160038562#fbLoggedOut

He wasn't wearing a helmet.

My sincerest condolences.

Deer are completely unpredictable and highly dangerous to motorcyclists. PLEASE ride safe!

 

[TIE-Pilot23]

I think the deer was lured by the deer whisperer on the far side of the road with his magic staff of summoning...

 

[DFUSEME]

Semi related, do those anti deer sound devices they sell for motorcycles really work?


Sent from my Motorcycle iPad app

 

[roxynoodle]

I'll take a mc over a skateboard any day. At least we have brakes.

 

[zelatore]

Semi related, do those anti deer sound devices they sell for motorcycles really work?


Sent from my Motorcycle iPad app

The basic principal seems to be that they work much like magic rocks.

You know - 'I've been carrying this rock with me since 2008 and I've never been hit by a deer, so it works!'

Basically, I've never seen any actual evidence that they work but most people who use them go with the theory that the MIGHT work, they don't cost much, and they can't HURT anything, right*? So why not?


*I have heard some people claim the whistle sound actually attracts deer, but again I have never seen anything to support that claim.

 

[TheLuggage]

I read somewhere (can't find it now) that those deer whistles only work at certain speeds (to generate a whistle at the right frequency) and that if hit by insects or other debris they will stop working, which you won't know because you can't hear the frequency they generate in the first place.

I don't know if any of that is accurate, but I purchased a magic rock that keeps deer away from me and it's never failed, so I don't need the whistle.

 

[Cuchulainn]

Semi related, do those anti deer sound devices they sell for motorcycles really work?


Sent from my Motorcycle iPad app

While there is a lot of anecdotal evidence on the web that would suggest they do, most scientific evidence would suggest that for the most part they do not work. Particularly so for the air powered models, vs the electronically generated signals.

Even in the case of the ones that have shown to elicit a response from deer, there is still no evidence that the deer will react as you hope, perhaps still running across the road directly in front of you. Maybe in some cases the deer would have actually remained undisturbed on the side of the road, rather than reacting in a startled manner to the sound.

You might find this article of interest.

 

[TucsonBill]

They sell the same devices in Australia and call them Roo Whistles. They don't work there just the same amount that they don't work here!
My Tiger with the TOR pipe seems to scare the bejesus out of pronghorns (American Antelopes) but has no effect on deer, elk, buffalo, or cattle. The pronghorns look in my direction from about a quarter mile off then scatter like a living Tiger attacked them when I get close. It's happened in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.