I have always thought that insurance companies influenced the Department of Environmental Conservation to reduce the deer population. With fewer deer running wild, there would be fewer deer-car accidents.
Deer aren't the only problems on our highways, though.
I've seen a lot of turkeys while driving around the countryside lately. In fact, three have nearly hit my windshield over the past couple of weeks. They always seem to fly up from the side of the road right in front of me.
A couple of years ago, I was in my front yard when a neighbor drove by with a smashed windshield. Imagine her surprise when some suicidal turkey flew into the glass at 60 mph.
How about coyotes? My son was driving home one morning when a coyote took out the lower bumper and transmission cooler of his small truck. The coyote only weighed 45 pounds, but it did $1,200 worth of damage.
If you travel in the Adirondacks or up across Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, there's a much bigger animal to worry about on the highways. Moose are formidable creatures when you round a curve at night and find one directly in front of your headlights.
Last year, cars hit several moose in the Adirondacks. There are a variety of contributing factors here. Moose are tall, can weigh up to 1,200 pounds and are dark in color. At night, it's virtually impossible to see them standing in the highway until your grill is between their legs.
It's a lot easier to see them when their bellies and chests are about to burst through your windshield. If a turkey can take out a windshield, imagine what can happen when Bullwinkle winds up in your lap. No drivers were killed in the Adirondacks last year, but moose are not to be taken lightly.
Vehicle-animal accidents aren't limited to cars and trucks, either.
A few years ago, I took a three-day motorcycle course to get my license. I remember the instructor saying, "You never run over anything with your bike that you can't sit down and eat in one meal."
That wasn't the case this past spring, when some friends of ours headed out for a motorcycle ride. As they rode down a county road, a young deer decided to cross the blacktop. You guessed it, their Harley nailed the buck. The bike somehow managed to stay upright and pulled to the side of the road. Our friends were shaken but OK, but the Harley and the deer were less fortunate.
I guess you've got to be careful whenever you're on the highway because there are live, moving obstacles everywhere.
Jim Litz, a school teacher in Missoula, Mont., headed to class one morning on his bicycle. As he crested a small hill at about 25 mph, a black bear entered the road about 10 feet in front of him.
There was no time to stop or turn and he T-boned the bruin. Jim went over the handlebars, his helmet hit the bear's back, and they both cartwheeled down the pavement.
The confused bear rolled over Jim's head, cracked his helmet and left scratches on his back when he scampered away. Luckily, neither were badly injured. Jim was treated at the hospital and the police have a ticket waiting for Boo Boo for leaving the scene of an accident.
All joking aside, we travel every day on shared highways. So as I drive down the roads and see the signs for "Deer Crossing," I have to remember one thing: Deer can't read!
Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors column for The Daily Star. E-mail him at robrockway@hotmail.com.
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