Author Topic: Venting  (Read 2568 times)

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Offline Marc St Louis

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Venting
« on: June 15, 2019, 06:04:11 am »
A few days ago my wife and I decided to go to town, it was late afternoon.  About 100 yards down the road from our house I noticed something small moving on the opposite side of the road ahead of us so I slowed down, our road is paved and we are about 1/4 mile from a stop sign.  As I went by I saw that it was a baby Grouse trying to cross the road along with 3 others like it squashed right beside it.  Immediately I stopped and backed up while my wife put the hazard lights on.  I couldn't believe my eyes at the mess.  I had seen this one baby moving from about 50 yards away, how can anyone with eyes in their head miss seeing 4 of them.  There was no sign of the mother and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this baby but I wasn't about to leave it there for another door knob to squash it.  I started to shoo it towards the other side of the road while my wife controlled traffic.  Half way across I thought I should just try to grab it instead but then I heard the mother in the ditch making a purring type noise so I knew the baby would be alright.  After it got to the ditch I went back to look at the 3 dead wondering what kind of idiots we have on the road these days.  Our road doesn't have that much traffic that they wouldn't have seen or been able to avoid this.
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline DC

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Re: Venting
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2019, 06:14:19 am »
Some people just don't seem to value life that isn't human. "It won't hurt my car, so why slow down" kind of attitude. Myself I seem to draw the line at ants. I'll step on an ant if it's in my path but I'll alter my step for anything else. It's just the way we were raised I guess.

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Venting
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2019, 06:19:01 am »
I don't dodge armadillos but dodge stop for everything else.

Offline YosemiteBen

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Re: Venting
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2019, 07:57:28 am »
Social Studies with reptiles (snakes n turtles) have shown that many people will go out of their way to run over things. Kind of like a real life video game. I aim for aluminum cans and plastic cups but generally slow down quickly for animals, though I dont usually swerve for things like squirrels. I think most think that a bird will fly away at the last instant and dont give it any more thought. A friend wrote an unofficial document for Yosemite called "Splat goes the weasel" an unofficial document on roadkill in the park. Squirrels topped the list followed by every other animal in the park. As we become more disconnected from nature, I am afraid the numbers will go higher. Personally, I will stick with nature!

Offline ohma2

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Re: Venting
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2019, 08:34:23 am »
I have seen people leave there lane  to run over turtles ,makes me want to run them down and give them a beating (as if i could anymore)  i dont think you aught to risk your life to avoid wildlife but on the other hand those that find some kind of sick glory in hitting animals on purpose aught to be in a straight jacket.

Offline JEB

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Re: Venting
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2019, 12:23:48 pm »
I know I was driving down the road minding my own business when a grouse on the other side of the road was standing there when a logging truck went by and the logging truck threw the grouse through my truck passenger window. Scared the crap out of me.

Who knows what happened to those babies. I would like to think there death was an accident.

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Venting
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2019, 03:34:59 pm »
I try to avoid everything I can

Accident through stupidity perhaps JEB
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: Venting
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2019, 05:47:52 pm »
It’s sad goin down the interstate too because there is so many dead animals on the side of the road.
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Online bjrogg

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Re: Venting
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2019, 06:34:32 pm »
I have to admit, my wife is terrible at making evasive maneuvers. She once ran over a turtle. When I asked her  why, she said it didn't get out of the way.lol. I guess the turtle wasn't very good at evasive maneuvers either. Honestly she loves animals, she's just not good at maneuvering around them.
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Offline JEB

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Re: Venting
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2019, 04:15:48 am »
They say never swerve to avoid a deer because you may do more damage to your vehicle and self by doing so. Me, I swerve but then again I try not too drive fast anymore.

Your turtle post brought to mind the $360,000.00 tax dollars that the state of Michigan spent on a fence to keep turtles from being run over on a 1/2 mile stretch cross the rive flats in my home town. Hard to believe but this really happened.

Online bjrogg

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Re: Venting
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2019, 05:02:15 am »
They say never swerve to avoid a deer because you may do more damage to your vehicle and self by doing so. Me, I swerve but then again I try not too drive fast anymore.

Your turtle post brought to mind the $360,000.00 tax dollars that the state of Michigan spent on a fence to keep turtles from being run over on a 1/2 mile stretch cross the rive flats in my home town. Hard to believe but this really happened.


I remember riding in our vehicle when our son was taking his driving test. I wasn't allowed to say anything just sit in the back seat and observe. We were driving down the street and a cat ran out. My son never changed anything. He didn't slow down or swerve. I heard a thump thump. Then I heard the examiner say that he did good. Not so sure the cat agreed.

I remember another time. We were digging sugar beets and it was time to call it a night. It was about 11:00 at night and we came across a brand new Camaro that had crossed the centerline and ran straight into the guard rail on our side of the road. It was heavily damaged. There was a young couple inside. They were shaken up but not seriously hurt. They said they swerved to try missing a raccoon.

I usually try to brake in a controlled fashion. I might even make a small evasive maneuver. But I'd rather hit the animal than another vehicle.

The last deer I hit I was almost completely stopped. Literally one more foot and I would have been stopped. The deer never even left his feet. He ran off and it still cost $2,470 for repairs. A whole lot of expensive plastic on the front of these vehicles.

I understand what your saying though Marc. Many times it seems like the animals could be avoided. Sometimes it's easily avoided and sometimes it's not.

Bjrogg

Your story reminds me of four baby ducks that ended up on our lawn. I suspect the mother got separated from them when the neighbor cut his hay. They followed me everywhere. Cutest thing you ever saw. Tried feeding them corn and other stuff but they wouldn't eat anything. Suddenly the wind blew a few dandelion seed across the ground and they chased after them and ate them. We didn't have to feed them anything. They were still little fuzz balls but they fed themselves. They still very much craved the security of a mother who happened to become us.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2019, 05:06:11 am by bjrogg »
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Venting
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2019, 05:47:56 am »
It would be excusable on a major highway.  Our road has little traffic and slowing down and/or stopping even would not have been a problem. 

After rescuing the Grouse we turned at the stop sign to go towards town, that road has more traffic, and saw a truck towing a large trailer suddenly swerve into the other lane just ahead of us, my wife kind of freaked out at that.  When we got up to where he swerved we saw why he did it.  In his lane was a small Snapper crossing the road.
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Online bjrogg

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Re: Venting
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2019, 06:14:49 am »
Yup I totally understand what your saying Marc. I always feel for those poor squirrels who survive the long cold winter only to end up getting run over on the first nice sunny day of spring.
Bjrogg
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Offline JEB

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Re: Venting
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2019, 09:26:06 am »
When I worked day shift patrol I carried a pair of side cutters with me to cut the tails off squirrels that didn't quite make. I use to tie a lot of flies back then and needed the tails.

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: Venting
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2019, 10:58:41 am »
I try to avoid animals when possible and safe, but often there isn't time!  Deer will jump at the last second, and smaller animals often bolt out in front of you.  On the other hand, there was a traffic jam of sorts when a flock of wild turkeys was crossing the highway into town.  Some of them were on each side of the road and every driver just waited for a clear lane to  get slowly through!  Hitting a bigger animal is expensive, avoid deer, elk, and moose as they do a lot of damage!  Years ago, I saw a dead cow elk that had been hit by an 18 wheeler square on - it was a draw - the truck had to be towed to Denver for repairs!  Do be careful! 
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