One of our group just hit a deer...

He's ok - broken collar bone... otherwise alert and well. He's been released from hospital. He was enroute to a small group ride in western Ontario and caught a deer 30 miles from the Canadian border. Our guys are going to pick him up in a support truck and collect his bike.

Another warning on deer I guess. Anywhere there could be deer watch out. This guy is a veteran rider so I suspect that this one jumped out of the ditch at him... not much you can do in these scenarios... certainly local knowledge goes a long way.

Cheers,
woot.

 

wow that sucks. We have them around here everywhere. My cousin has hit 3 this year (in his van). It took me hitting one in my truck and swerving around 3 to convince me to go buy some deer whistles. Put them on my truck and my bike and haven't really had a problem since but ive only had them a month.

Get well soon to your friend

 

I'm sorryto hear of his accident and relieved to hear he is ok. The collar bone is the most broken bone in the body and will break with about 9 lbs of pressure according to a medical article I read once. Lucky him! Better than an arm or leg! Best wishes to your buddy.

 

He's a tough guy - I imagine he'll be back on two wheels in no time... with one heck of a story!

(Hey Robert - you need an avatar picture )

 

I'm shy (yeah, right). I'll ask the wiff to hit me soon as I bathe me FZR, arrr....

 

Sorry to hear about your friends mishap.
Thought I would add this about deer.
As expected, the number of car-deer collisions relates directly to the overall intensity of deer movement. Mid-Spring and mid-Fall (during the rut) require special attention. In mid-Spring, deer cross roads frequently as they try to graze on new herbaceous vegetation. . . . In northern states, the salt-drive phenomenon also causes deer to frequent roadsides as they search for residue from winter road-salting operations.

 

My best to your (our) biker pal Woot!

The only deer I ever hit...knock on wood...caused nearly disabling havoc to my 1 ton pick-up. I could only imagine what potential one would have on an unprotected motorcyclist. I'm not sugarcoating this, but a collar bone is pretty small entry fee in that game. Bad part is that a guy really needs those two bones to hold on to handlebars adequately!

I hope he's up and riding soon ... keep us in the know.

Jeff

 

Sorry to hear about this. Yet glad he is recovering. As always it could have been worse. Is this anyone I would know from the XJ list on micapeak?

 

I sure wish we didn't have to hear stories like this. Certainly glad the injuries were not worse. Our best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

I second the question, whether we know him from the XJ Owners List?

Z

 

Not a micapeaker.

I've gotten a phone message saying they picked him and his bike up. The hardbags apparently saved the bike. He lost the windscreen and instrument/headlamp cluster when he broad sided the deer... went down face first apparently... breaking his collerbone then.

I do know he's an all weather all gear rider... sounds like his stich did a wonderfull job.

He got up and was right next to a house of a first responder, got a lift to the hospital - bruised ribs and broken collar bone.

He's now at the host's house - where he will drive the host's support vehicle for the group... at least he can still be involved in the ride.

Also at the ride were some fellow Washington area folks (who had trailored up) so he's putting his bike on there and getting a lift home with them after the ride.

The bike is unridable but sounds repairable.

Very lucky and very helpful group of riders... a real family. It's why we wave isn't it?

Thanks for all of your concern and support - I've passed it along to him,
woot.

 

No - they don't work (or at least the varieties I know of)

They claim to emit a high frequency sound (that humans can't hear but that deer can). For this to make sense, deer would have to have the ability to hear higher pitch sounds than humans... and I don't think that is the case. Being a prey animal they need to hear sounds that carry, low frequency sounds, not high pitch sounds for details.

There has been alot of 'statistical' evidence provided supporting them. Many people say I hit a deer without them and haven't since, therefor they work. Stats being what they are this isn't a proof at all - and I do know people who have had deer whistles, hit a deer, and argue that maybe this one didn't have time to get off the road.

If they work for you then by all means continue using them... it won't hurt I suppose.

Woot.

Further reading:
http://www.ibmwr.org/prodreview/deerwsle.html
http://lutra.tamu.edu/klr/hearing.htm

 

I have to agree with Woot on this one. The only way I've seen these whistles work is by scaring bucks out of the consumers pocket, into the retailers pockets. :lol: Besides, if they did work the way they are hyped, don't you think insurance companies would offer a discount on your premiums if you installed them? Just my 2 cents...

 

Well, if you think about it from the deer's viewpoint, how could they work? Is the deer supposed to know what the sound indicates? Which way to run? As a moose, I shouldn't criticize, but deer aren't the brightest animals anyway...

 

lol - it's true... I hadn't thought to ask a moose before

 

I've always heard that they don't work. Here's an article that seems to prove it.

http://www.advance.uconn.edu/2002/021118/02111812.htm

I imagine they still don't hurt though.

Greg

 

From my experience, the high pitch perks their ears and curiosity up to the point where they stand still and look to where the sound is generated from.
You can try this experiment; When ther are deer grazing or standing about in a field, give a loud whistle... they'll all stop what they are doing and look at you!

I've tried the deer whistles on the vehicles and it certainly does seem to get their attention ,even if just for a moment, more so compared to the vehicle w/o them.

this case study is thrown out the window when that stupid oversized rat bolts out from nowhere right into your whistle-saturated path!

A scan-type-view of the ditches is about the only defense I can safely say has got me out of quite a few situations ...and someday, even that may not be enuf.

I guess we all take our chances every time we get on the ride...I strongly feel it's worth it!

Just me talkin'

Jeff

 

I live in the PA mountains, and I have deer in my back yard every single day.
My wife and I use deer whistles on all our vehicles.
We are the only people in our nieghborhood that haven't hit a deer.
Based on this, I will continue to spend the $5 for a deer whistle for my vehicles.