OMG I hit a roo!

[+Crafty Turtle]

I cache cos it gets me outdoors. I love the Australian bush. I love our native wildlife.

 

To be technical though, I didn't hit the kangaroo, the kangaroo hit me - he sort of glanced off the side of the SUV. THUMP! OMG, says I. I hit a roo! I stopped to asses the damage. He hippety hopped off though (phew!) At least he didn't go all bloody and flop dead in the road. I couldn't live with myself then. But I still feel guilty. I cache to enjoy the great outdoors, and I nearly killed it!

 

Please tell me your wildlife run-ins (or run-overs?) so I can stop feeling so guilty about a roo that is absolutely fine. ...I hope.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Ha! Don't come to Michigan, if hitting a roo bothers you. You have excellent opportunities of hitting deer (sometimes multiples in one shot), turkey (bad on the windshield as they always lift-off at the last second), an occasional elk (in the Lower Peninsula), rarely a moose (in the Upper Peninsula) -- both of which absolutely decimate a car, and black bear which become rather irritated if you don't kill it outright!

[+Bear and Ragged]

Cache log...

[+humboldt flier]

Glancing blows to two deer and one elk

[GOF and Bacall]

Were you trying to hit the 'roo? Were you doing something stupid like texting while driving? If not then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Things happen.

 

Not a caching incident but I had a close run in with a deer once. I was on my motorcycle. Came close enough to get deer spit on my face shield. So much for those shorts.

[sabrefan7]

No Roos here in WNY (at least i aint seen'em mate) but A White Tail jumped OVER the hood of my pick up once as I was driving. My wife was driving her company car and deer ran into the side of us (no damage to deer or door)

[+humboldt flier]

Were you trying to hit the 'roo? Were you doing something stupid like texting while driving? If not then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Things happen.

 

Not a caching incident but I had a close run in with a deer once. I was on my motorcycle. Came close enough to get deer spit on my face shield. So much for those shorts.

On a bike that would give one cause to have severe brown underwear!!!!!!

 

Riding my bike east bound on the interstate a few years back and came across a turtle migration west of St. Louis Missouri. Dodged them all, barely, another brown underwear story.

[+Sioneva]

Black dog - at night. We felt terrible, but there was nothing we could do.

[+jackrock]

I had a vulture fly into my SUV and do several hundred dollars in damage. I was worried about the bird, turned around and went back in time to see it get up , walk a few feet, and then fly away.

[+bittsen]

I hit a squirrel once. It was committing suicide. I tried to avoid it but it insisted on running right under my wheels.

I really felt bad cuz I imagined it's squirrel family sitting at home wondering when papa squirrel was coming home. I bet they didn't even know papa squirrel was depressed.

 

Weird thing is that when I went back by it was gone. There's no way it survived so I figure that a hawk came by and picked it up since it was still twitching as I drove away after hitting it. Probably makes the mama squirrel think he ran off with a younger, more attractive squirrel but the baby squirrels will grow up needing squirrel therapy because they can't understand why papa squirrel abandoned them and, of course, mama squirrel won't be able to explain it without getting mad.

 

I really wish the squirrel family knew the truth so they could have some closure.

[+popokiiti]

Driving home from work one night, a beautiful (handsome?) buck deer ran into the side of my car. He went down after denting the fender, but got back up, shook himself off and trotted into the bush. He had appeared from an embankment - poor timing on my part and his, a couple of minutes earlier or later and we would have missed each other. Had it been dry, he would have had better grip on the road when he jumped down, rather than sliding towards me. Upsetting, even when you know there was nothing you could do - luckily he was OK.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I hit a squirrel once. It was committing suicide. I tried to avoid it but it insisted on running right under my wheels.

I really felt bad cuz I imagined it's squirrel family sitting at home wondering when papa squirrel was coming home. I bet they didn't even know papa squirrel was depressed.

 

Weird thing is that when I went back by it was gone. There's no way it survived so I figure that a hawk came by and picked it up since it was still twitching as I drove away after hitting it. Probably makes the mama squirrel think he ran off with a younger, more attractive squirrel but the baby squirrels will grow up needing squirrel therapy because they can't understand why papa squirrel abandoned them and, of course, mama squirrel won't be able to explain it without getting mad.

 

I really wish the squirrel family knew the truth so they could have some closure.

One time I was driving one way on a rural roag and everythinh was fine, but 15 minutes later I came the other way and found both a dead squirrel AND a dead bobcat together! I guess the bobcat was either chasing the squirrel or had already cought it and was crossing the road.

 

I drive a big truck, so have tons of near misses(scariest one was a large deer at 65 miles/hr, missed by 2 feet), but the only things I've actually hit were a rabbit and an owl. The owl was eating something in the road and swooped up right in time to catch the CB antena(which it took with it. I don't know if it was killed, but it certainly would have had a broken wing.

 

The most impressive near miss was a Bald Eagle. It was riding the updraft along the slope between the river and the road, and just as I cought up to it, it swooped across in front of me...filling my whole windshield with it's gigantic wingspan!

[GOF and Bacall]

Were you trying to hit the 'roo? Were you doing something stupid like texting while driving? If not then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Things happen.

 

Not a caching incident but I had a close run in with a deer once. I was on my motorcycle. Came close enough to get deer spit on my face shield. So much for those shorts.

On a bike that would give one cause to have severe brown underwear!!!!!!

 

Riding my bike east bound on the interstate a few years back and came across a turtle migration west of St. Louis Missouri. Dodged them all, barely, another brown underwear story.

 

I did hit one once! A big old snapper. I was riding a Suzuki Savage. Let me tell you that bike was NOT meant to fly! At least I hit it square on so it was a jump and not a slide.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Driving home from work one night, a beautiful (handsome?) buck deer ran into the side of my car. He went down after denting the fender, but got back up, shook himself off and trotted into the bush. He had appeared from an embankment - poor timing on my part and his, a couple of minutes earlier or later and we would have missed each other. Had it been dry, he would have had better grip on the road when he jumped down, rather than sliding towards me. Upsetting, even when you know there was nothing you could do - luckily he was OK.

Oh yeah...Losing traction reminded me of the cow in the road!! It had come through the fence somewhere and was just standing in the road when I came around the corner! You can't swerve in a Big Truck, and you're not supposed to slam the brakes either. Since I had a car and another truck behind me, I had to be careful on how hard I braked. I gave it as much as I could, and layed on the air horn...giving the cow a good scare. It turned to run, but lost traction and fell down right there in front of me. I really thought that I was going right over it, but it got up and started running just in time...but not the right direction, I was still bearing down on it's backside at 30/MPH. At about 15 feet to go, it took a quick right turn and a header right through a barbed wire fence and back into the field. It probably got some bad cuts, but it could have been a real mess.

 

I stopped later that day to find a geocache.

[+kh54s10]

Not a caching incedent but once I thought a stick was in the road but in made no sound when I ran over it. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw it was a snake - flat in the middle with both ends squirming. I hope he made a meal for some other wildlife. The good thing is that that is the only living thing that I know I have hit in my 40 years of driving.

[+DragonsWest]

I'm a very careful driver, but did have an animal dash across a highway while I was driving home one night. I think it was an opossum, made a shuddering thump off the side of my Volvo. Not much of a dent, but I think the creature suffered significant injuries and crawled off to die on the verge. I always feel horrible when I strike an animal while driving, even it there was nothing I could do to avoid it.

 

A different sort of encounter (Which is not encouragement to fork the thread, anyone feeling they need to talk about accidents with people or other vehicles, please start another thread.)

[DannyCaffeine]

I was riding home from the airport at 3am in Florida. Apparently there are toads that come out at night and hop on the roads at night so we saw one hop and then we heard a "Bonk" on our grill and knew we got one I felt really bad and I wasn't even driving.

 

Sometimes there is nothing you can do. Sometimes its better not to swerve because in certain areas/sitations people can get killed over trying not to kill an animal. I know it sucks hitting them but sometimes its less sad than a head on collision.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Couple of squirrels, a very large possum, thousands of cicadas. Missed a turkey by a few feet. It took off from the side of the Interstate, and barely cleared the car. I came back from geocaching one day, and found a bear having a chat with my car. But the bear left before I got to the car.

Biggest thing I missed was any years ago in North Dakota, or Manitoba. I was driving a Pinto through the International Peace Garden, when a moose ran across the road, right in front of me. Boy! Are those things large!!

[+jsdad]

We have deer everywhere around here. I've smucked at least 3 or 4 over the years.

[+humboldt flier]

On Short final into Murray Airfield in Eureka, Calif. ( EKA ) one early evening the landing light revealed a significant herd of deer ambling across the runway ... YIKES ... Power on, eliminate angle of descent, transition to take - off configuration and " go around " come in low and hot the next time around to ensure Bambi and friends departed. Then land, on the third attempt. Yowzzzzzer That could have been ugly.

Edited April 17, 2010 by humboldt flier

[+rogerw3]

Here is more unusual encounter I had on the way to Scotchmans cache (GC131EN) here in Australia.

 

On the way up the hill I was run over by a runaway Wallaby! I could hear a fight going on further up the hill between Wallabies probably over territory or maybe a female. At the steepest and narrowest point of the track I heard this Wallaby crashing thru the bush at top speed, next thing I know he is 10m away and coming down the hill like a runaway train. He saw me to late too really do anything, I squeezed to my left and he tried to swerve to the right but it was too late and he hit me in the side, I just had time to grab a handy branch as I feel flat on my... well let's say behind, he crashed into a thorn bush on the side rolled 3-4 times down the hill got to his feet somehow, stopped, looked back at me as if to say "what the heck are you doing here" and then went on his way. I can tell you there is nothing soft and cuddly about Rufous Wallabies they are hard as a rock all sinew, bones and tough muscles, I had the bruises to prove it for a couple weeks afterward!

[+WhoDis]

Were you trying to hit the 'roo? Were you doing something stupid like texting while driving? If not then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Things happen.

 

Not a caching incident but I had a close run in with a deer once. I was on my motorcycle. Came close enough to get deer spit on my face shield. So much for those shorts.

Man I've been there! On my bike and I swerved to miss the one that jumped out into the road and almost didn't see the one right behind it! Went right between the two. Could have touch both of them. The deer didn't get me, but the heart attack almost done me in.

Edited April 17, 2010 by EddieB606

[+WhoDis]

I hit a squirrel once. It was committing suicide. I tried to avoid it but it insisted on running right under my wheels.

I really felt bad cuz I imagined it's squirrel family sitting at home wondering when papa squirrel was coming home. I bet they didn't even know papa squirrel was depressed.

 

Weird thing is that when I went back by it was gone. There's no way it survived so I figure that a hawk came by and picked it up since it was still twitching as I drove away after hitting it. Probably makes the mama squirrel think he ran off with a younger, more attractive squirrel but the baby squirrels will grow up needing squirrel therapy because they can't understand why papa squirrel abandoned them and, of course, mama squirrel won't be able to explain it without getting mad.

 

I really wish the squirrel family knew the truth so they could have some closure.

I'm sorry, we are in a recession and that was lunch!

[GOF and Bacall]

Were you trying to hit the 'roo? Were you doing something stupid like texting while driving? If not then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Things happen.

 

Not a caching incident but I had a close run in with a deer once. I was on my motorcycle. Came close enough to get deer spit on my face shield. So much for those shorts.

Man I've been there! On my bike and I swerved to miss the one that jumped out into the road and almost didn't see the one right behind it! Went right between the two. Could have touch both of them. The deer didn't get me, but the heart attack almost done me in.

 

Exactly how it happened. I know that the second deer is often the one that get you, but getting around the first one is what makes that happen. To this day I have no idea how I kept it upright let alone miss the deer.

 

Anyone know if the white tail is still the deadliest animal in North America?

[AZcachemeister]

When driving down back-roads, I often wonder WHY the rabbits sitting safely on the shoulder suddenly decide the other side of the road is safer...just as you get to their location?

[GOF and Bacall]

When driving down back-roads, I often wonder WHY the rabbits sitting safely on the shoulder suddenly decide the other side of the road is safer...just as you get to their location?

 

Often it is the way the sound echos around. They here it behind them and figure they can get away by getting across the road before they realize that your car is so darn fast.

[Chumpo]

I hit a turtle once. The darn thing darted right out in front of me.

 

In my defense, though, I just plain didn't see it because the setting sun was particularly glarey that day. It was on a stretch of road that goes right between two ponds and judging from all of the stains, I'm not the only one who has hit one. Still, though. A turtle for crying out loud.

[+Ambrosia]

I cache cos it gets me outdoors. I love the Australian bush. I love our native wildlife.

 

To be technical though, I didn't hit the kangaroo, the kangaroo hit me - he sort of glanced off the side of the SUV. THUMP! OMG, says I. I hit a roo! I stopped to asses the damage. He hippety hopped off though (phew!) At least he didn't go all bloody and flop dead in the road. I couldn't live with myself then. But I still feel guilty. I cache to enjoy the great outdoors, and I nearly killed it!

 

Please tell me your wildlife run-ins (or run-overs?) so I can stop feeling so guilty about a roo that is absolutely fine. ...I hope.

 

It's always sad when you run over an animal, and can be dangerous in the case of roos or deer/elk/moose.

 

If you're out caching in the bush, it's unfortunately going to be inevitable. Get a roo bar, and be alert. Because the world needs more lerts.

[+Lil Devil]

I stopped later that day to find a geocache.

I love a story with a happy ending

[+cerberus1]

I remember a game commission officer once explain... From dusk to dawn, critters on road sides see their (now) HUGE shadows behind them from our headlights and run away from it, ending up in the vehicle's path.

 

CJ and I were still in the dating stage of our relationship.

'Course I had to be the one driving CJ's new car while heading for a night cache. Deer ran out and nailed the front of it. Pulled the bumper away from the front tire with a jack handle and piled all her "parts" into the back. Ran magic tape over anything that looked like it may fall off on the way back home. Entire front had to be replaced.

Her reaction? "Well, we are almost there. Might as well get the cache and make all this worthwhile."

She's definately a keeper.

 

Drive a lot of game lands roads and for some reason, to date, I've had four grouse fly straight into my truck grills.

Talk about "ruffling" a few feathers.

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I'm from Los Angeles. I once saw a stray dog.

 

Seriously, though, I was in traffic stopped at a red light. (We spend a lot of time like that.) A bird landed in the street and was walking around among the stopped cars. It was just in front of the car in front of me. I could see it, the driver of the other car couldn't. It was standing right next to the right front tire. It decided to walk in front of the tire at the exact instant that the car started moving. It was crushed flat and never had a chance to evade. It was just bad luck for the bird that it took one step in the wrong direction at exactly the wrong time. I felt very badly having seen it.

[+J the Goat]

I hit a turtle once. The darn thing darted right out in front of me.

 

In my defense, though, I just plain didn't see it because the setting sun was particularly glarey that day. It was on a stretch of road that goes right between two ponds and judging from all of the stains, I'm not the only one who has hit one. Still, though. A turtle for crying out loud.

 

Darted? Nice.

 

I've not hit any animals while caching, however I have hit a few birds mid flight. One was an owl. Just bad timing I guess. You would be amazed the sound an owl hitting an ambulance mid-flight traveling 65 (80) mph can make.

[+42at42]

A cow hit my Mother-in-law's car. She stopped because the cow wouldn't move. After she stopped the cow moved sideways toward her. I hit her bumper and fell on her hood. It jumped up and walked off the road.

[+DragonsWest]

A close call last night on the way back home. After 4 cars ahead of me passed it I saw a doe on the right verge, inches from going into the lane. I seemed to be weighing up what it should do with these big bright things whizzing by. I hit the brakes and slowed down to about 10 MPH by the time I was up to it, so if it did jump into the road it wouldn't likely come through the windshield. Scary.

[GOF and Bacall]

A cow hit my Mother-in-law's car. She stopped because the cow wouldn't move. After she stopped the cow moved sideways toward her. I hit her bumper and fell on her hood. It jumped up and walked off the road.

 

I'm surprised that you feel safe enough to post in the same thread as Chumpo the turtle squisher.

[Chumpo]

A cow hit my Mother-in-law's car. She stopped because the cow wouldn't move. After she stopped the cow moved sideways toward her. I hit her bumper and fell on her hood. It jumped up and walked off the road.

 

I'm surprised that you feel safe enough to post in the same thread as Chumpo the turtle squisher.

 

I know!

After I recounted my turtle murder story I noticed that the op is a turtle too. I'm so ashamed

[4wheelin_fool]

Were you trying to hit the 'roo? Were you doing something stupid like texting while driving? If not then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Things happen.

 

Not a caching incident but I had a close run in with a deer once. I was on my motorcycle. Came close enough to get deer spit on my face shield. So much for those shorts.

Man I've been there! On my bike and I swerved to miss the one that jumped out into the road and almost didn't see the one right behind it! Went right between the two. Could have touch both of them. The deer didn't get me, but the heart attack almost done me in.

 

I've hit a deer on a off road motorcycle at about 30mph. He was in a field and seemed harmless, but decided to cross in front of me and dart into the woods at the last minute. Had to get a few stitches where the handlebar went into my leg, but the strange part was where the fur had jammed in between the wheel and the tire.

[+Lil Devil]

I've hit a deer on a off road motorcycle at about 30mph. He was in a field and seemed harmless, but decided to cross in front of me and dart into the woods at the last minute. Had to get a few stitches where the handlebar went into my leg, but the strange part was where the fur had jammed in between the wheel and the tire.

Having changed my share of off-road motorcycle tires (well, the innertubes) I have two things to say about that: "Ewww!" and "That must've hurt (the deer)!"

[+mdplayers]

A survivor's story:

 

While driving from Maryland to Tennessee in the fall, I witnessed a deer run across 8 lanes of fairly heavy traffic. She dodged cars in every lane on the other side of the road from us, came to the jersey wall, jumped it and then dodged traffic behind us through more traffic.

My brother and I really though that deer was a goner when she started out across the other lanes. We were totally amazed at her skill at dodging cars.

[4wheelin_fool]

I've hit a deer on a off road motorcycle at about 30mph. He was in a field and seemed harmless, but decided to cross in front of me and dart into the woods at the last minute. Had to get a few stitches where the handlebar went into my leg, but the strange part was where the fur had jammed in between the wheel and the tire.

Having changed my share of off-road motorcycle tires (well, the innertubes) I have two things to say about that: "Ewww!" and "That must've hurt (the deer)!"

 

It's odd to imagine the tire stretching for just a split second enough to do that. The deer jumped up immediately, and took off. I walked out of the woods covered in blood and tried to flag someone down. The first car slowed down, and then took off real quick. The second person drove me to a nearby store. (no cellphones back then) The place where the handlebar went in didn't hurt at all, due to nerve damage (it still doesn't), but the minor scrapes from the gravel sure did.

[+Ambrosia]

We were in the Bahamas a few years ago, going to/from a cache, and there were all these large crabs headed towards the ocean, running across the road. They were everywhere, for miles. That was impossible.

 

We stopped for a while and took some pictures and played with a few of them, they were pretty cool. I need to go through my old film pictures and find them...

[+brslk]

An ex-girlfriend of mine had a brother who was killed when he drove my VFR 750 while we were on vacation.

It was estimated that he hit the deer at about 175 kmph coming home from a friends place. He split the deer in half but a hoof went through his face shield killing him instantly.

 

It was a dark country road and from what I heard he he no chance to react.

 

Although I know he was going too fast for that road and he used my bike without permission...

I still feel bad about it. He was a good guy and an experienced rider. Just not so much on a sportbike.

 

RIP Kevin.

[+The Chaos Crew]

I ran over a racoon in Florida once - I saw the mother and baby crossing the road and swerved to avoid them - trouble is, the mum saw me coming and swerved to avoid me - in the same direction

 

I felt awful at having orphaned the poor baby and my kids, 15 years on, still go on about how I murdered Meeko. pah.

[+WatchDog2020]

I almost ran over a FTF Hound once

[+WhoDis]

I almost ran over a FTF Hound once

I've heard you FTF guy were competitive!

[+lil_cav_wings]

No Roos here in Lower Alabama... lots of opposum, armadillos, and squirrels though. There's also tons of deer.

 

I prefer squirrels. They make a very satisfying *thwack* sound when you run them over.

 

(PS. I am not a cruel woman at heart. I love animals, but I have waged jihad against all squirrels due to four... yes, FOUR... trips to the Nissan dealership for squirrels that liked to nest in the engine block of a certain Nissan Titan. When you put THAT kind of money into an engine wiring harness, you get bitter... and then you get even.)

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I hit a BMW once. Does that count?

[GOF and Bacall]

I hit a BMW once. Does that count?

 

No. Come on back when you hit a Jaguar.

[GOF and Bacall]

No Roos here in Lower Alabama... lots of opposum, armadillos, and squirrels though. There's also tons of deer.

 

I prefer squirrels. They make a very satisfying *thwack* sound when you run them over.

 

(PS. I am not a cruel woman at heart. I love animals, but I have waged jihad against all squirrels due to four... yes, FOUR... trips to the Nissan dealership for squirrels that liked to nest in the engine block of a certain Nissan Titan. When you put THAT kind of money into an engine wiring harness, you get bitter... and then you get even.)

 

Was your mechanic rubbing the harness down with peanut butter?

[+Crafty Turtle]

A cow hit my Mother-in-law's car. She stopped because the cow wouldn't move. After she stopped the cow moved sideways toward her. I hit her bumper and fell on her hood. It jumped up and walked off the road.

 

I'm surprised that you feel safe enough to post in the same thread as Chumpo the turtle squisher.

 

I know!

After I recounted my turtle murder story I noticed that the op is a turtle too. I'm so ashamed

 

Hmmm, yes the turtle story did disturb me (a bit more than my usual disturbed existence.) So did that squirrel. And the squirrel's family who are now living in rental trees, getting their acorns from welfare.

But most of the rest of the stories were really funny. Some had me in stitches. I feel better now.

 

Nah... the squirrel story was hilarious!