Joined the club...hit a deer. How many of you have banged a deer with your vehicle?

Finally happened to me, never hit a deer before this evening. Interstate hit, good thing I poke along at 55 mph. Not my Tundra but my '05 GMC Canyon. Pulling trailer with a light load of shrubs and small tree branches, about 5 miles from home, just past dusk, she just appeared.

I slammed the brakes (ABS has been out for 4 years), truck jack knifed a bit, BOOM, I straightened out and began to pull over. Headlights and signals still work, although right side ones no longer point strictly ahead .

Big wad of spit about halfway down the bumper, just a single drop of blood. Passenger fender pushed back a bit, far enough to keep door from opening all the way. Headlights damaged and bent towards center. Wife pretty sure we run her over....I'll look under her for fur tomorrow.

Collision insurance only.....so headed to a small shop for an estimate sometime next week. She still runs and drives, I'll get around to a repair when I can.

So, how many of my fellows here have banged a deer?

 

@Tundra2

 

Dang. That was low hanging fruit man.

 

Deer strike #1. The “Venison T-bone”




Deer strike #2. “Sneak attack from the bushes”

 

Thanksgiving 2022.

 

Was a few inches maybe a foot away from one the other day. Don’t know how it didn’t hit the 8’ wide trailer…

 

French Toasty has a point, had it been my Tundra, which sits up so high, probably no damage. I'd probably have run her right on over and kept going.

I WISH my trailer was all to have hit her! My trailer is 6 x 12 tubular steel, not angle.

"Venison T Bone"? That looks rough...how much was the repair? Did you DIY?

 

Maybe 9-10 years ago I hit a deer on I-70. Section of the road I was on the speed limit was 55. I was probably going 65. I come around a corner and see it just standing there in my lane. I lay on the horn and apply a hard brake. Thing never moved, and neither did I. Hit it maybe around 35 or so. Ended up cracking my bumper cover and not much else. After I smacked it, it bounded right off like a proper Bo Jackson RB would in his younger days. No other damage and never fixed my bumper cover. Thankfully that is my only deer or elk experience I ever hit. Although I have seen lot of them just standing on the side of the road when I was driving by.

In the end I'm happy for you to be able to drive away from this, just like I was. Keep the rubber side down and keep your eyes peeled.

 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJr_TkfFkRLWq9_oXVYibqExrD5dgYyXC&si=y3hNjjq6GHoQSPia

 

Quoted $5800 to fix 2 doors and the dented bedside. I declined to repair at that cost. One day I will stumble upon a set of thunder grey doors to replace mine. Until then, not concerned with the dents.

second deer strike I replaced the front bumper and grille myself at a cost of around $600 all in.