Who else has hit a deer, moose, cow or other large animal while pulling a boat?

[Bubba 460]

 

A couple years ago I was on my way to a lake at 5 am. I was driving a full sized Ford F-350 and pulling a 17 foot jet boat. I was traveling at 58 mile per hour in a rural area with woods and hay fields. Heavy clouds blanketed the sky so no moon. The first thing I see is a doe's head just above the hood and lit up brightly by the headlight, then the impact. She went under the left front tire, the back tire then the boat trailer tire tossing the trailer 3 feet into the air on that side. I was doing a bit of the Watusi all over the road for a few seconds but finally got it straightened out . Pulled over and got a flashlight and checked the deer. Luckily she was killed instantly and probably felt nothing. The truck muffler was twisted and smashed and would need to be replace. Front bumper bent and the trailer was slightly damaged but usable. As you so often hear "It happened so fast."  I was still able to make it to the lake but I sure felt bad for the poor deer....

[HaydenS]

22 minutes ago, Bubba 460 said:

 

A couple years ago I was on my way to a lake at 5 am. I was driving a full sized Ford F-350 and pulling a 17 foot jet boat. I was traveling at 58 mile per hour in a rural area with woods and hay fields. Heavy clouds blanketed the sky so no moon. The first thing I see is a doe's head just above the hood and lit up brightly by the headlight, then the impact. She went under the left front tire, the back tire then the boat trailer tire tossing the trailer 3 feet into the air on that side. I was doing a bit of the Watusi all over the road for a few seconds but finally got it straightened out . Pulled over and got a flashlight and checked the deer. Luckily she was killed instantly and probably felt nothing. The truck muffler was twisted and smashed and would need to be replace. Front bumper bent and the trailer was slightly damaged but usable. As you so often hear "It happened so fast."  I was still able to make it to the lake but I sure felt bad for the poor deer....

Wow, glad you were okay.  

We've almost hit a deer a couple times, but not yet.

[A-Jay]

Deer herds up this way are fairly abundant

and I've come pretty close a couple of times.

But I don't want to jinx it so that's as far as I'm going. 

I did smash down a chicken a couple of springs back.

#6piecewithbiscut

A-Jay

 

 

 

[12poundbass]

16 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Deer herds up this way are fairly abundant

and I've come pretty close a couple of times.

But I don't want to jinx it so that's as far as I'm going. 

I did smash down a chicken a couple of springs back.

#6piecewithbiscut

A-Jay

 

 

 

You have bear, are the elk far enough west to come across a random one or two. 

[Scott F]

Not an animal, but I hit a wheel and tire laying in the road this past spring while towing one of my boats to a guy who was going to sell the boat for me. There was a car ahead of me that dodged the wheel at the last second which gave me almost no time to react. It took out both tires on the driver side of my truck and the fender on the trailer was broken off. Between the tires and the tow, I was out $600. 

[Bubba 460]

5 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Not an animal, but I hit a wheel and tire laying in the road this past spring while towing one of my boats to a guy who was going to sell the boat for me. There was a car ahead of me that dodged the wheel at the last second which gave me almost no time to react. It took out both tires on the driver side of my truck and the fender on the trailer was broken off. Between the tires and the tow, I was out $600. 

 

 

Yeah, that counts. Could have been a lot worse!

[A-Jay]

18 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

You have bear, are the elk far enough west to come across a random one or two. 

Elk herds are right in town ~

https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/get-outdoors/elk-viewing-in-the-gaylord-area/

Rarely see them on the road.

btw, the bear and I have an agreement.

A-Jay

[Bird]

Not pulling a boat but every member of our family has hit a deer and I've hit a bear and coyote. 

 

Keep insurance on speed dial. 

[Log Catcher]

I was riding with a fellow I fished with a several years ago. We were coming back from a fishing trip. We were in a Chevy Colorado and pulling a Nitro bass boat.

 

This was probably around 4 P.M. I saw two deer on the other side of the road and this was a four lane road. They suddenly decided to cross the road in front of us. One made it and the other one tried to jump over the front of the truck. It hit the truck and bounced off the top of the truck and front windshield. Luckily it didn't break the windshield. It landed beside the truck and finally got up and went on.

 

There was no major damage to the truck. We found a few little dents in it and some deer hair around some of the weather stripping when we checked it out after we got back.

[Bubba 460]

20 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

I was riding with a fellow I fished with a several years ago. We were coming back from a fishing trip. We were in a Chevy Colorado and pulling a Nitro bass boat.

 

This was probably around 4 P.M. I saw two deer on the other side of the road and this was a four lane road. They suddenly decided to cross the road in front of us. One made it and the other one tried to jump over the front of the truck. It hit the truck and bounced off the top of the truck and front windshield. Luckily it didn't break the windshield. It landed beside the truck and finally got up and went on.

 

There was no major damage to the truck. We found a few little dents in it and some deer hair around some of the weather stripping when we checked it out after we got back.

 

 They are almost as crazy as squirrels

[Log Catcher]

1 minute ago, Bubba 460 said:

 

 They are almost as crazy as squirrels

I guess over all it was a good day. We caught fish and the deer didn't break through the windshield and land on top of us. That is what I thought was going to happen and we would end up in the hospital.

[huZZah]

I saw a guy run into his own cow with his little Jon boat in a tank once. He was digging in his cooler for beer and not paying attention…

[Bubba 460]

2 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

I guess over all it was a good day. We caught fish and the deer didn't break through the windshield and land on top of us. That is what I thought was going to happen and we would end up in the hospital.

 

 

 My wife knocked down two moose in Alaska on black ice roads while we lived there. I don't think they were hurt, it was a slow motion impact. I was lucky, came close a couple of times but  avoided them.

[Way north bass guy]

I’ve hit deer, but not with the boat on. Years ago I was heading to a tournament about 4 in the morning, and managed to hit a skunk with the left side truck and trailer wheels. Managed to get some “skunk juice” all along the side of the boat too ?. Good lord did that ever stink! Didn’t realize the smell at all until we got to the ramp to launch, sure didn’t have to worry about anyone else fishing too close to us in that tournament. 

[12poundbass]

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Elk herds are right in town ~

https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/get-outdoors/elk-viewing-in-the-gaylord-area/

Rarely see them on the road.

btw, the bear and I have an agreement.

A-Jay

From my experience which is very limited thank god the faster a deer runs the less damage it does. Did have one run into me last year with very little damage thank god (company vehicle). 
 

Elk and bear.....game changer. 

[Bubba 460]

8 hours ago, Way north bass guy said:

I’ve hit deer, but not with the boat on. Years ago I was heading to a tournament about 4 in the morning, and managed to hit a skunk with the left side truck and trailer wheels. Managed to get some “skunk juice” all along the side of the boat too ?. Good lord did that ever stink! Didn’t realize the smell at all until we got to the ramp to launch, sure didn’t have to worry about anyone else fishing too close to us in that tournament. 

 

Skunk  ~ not a good sign on a fishing trip.

[Way north bass guy]

2 hours ago, Bubba 460 said:

 

Skunk  ~ not a good sign on a fishing trip.

Wasn’t too bad other than the stink. We got about 19lbs of smallmouth, good enough to get in the money that day. 

[Chris Catignani]

11 hours ago, Way north bass guy said:

...Managed to get some “skunk juice” all along the side of the boat ...

<at the weight in>

"I got skunked today...but I caught a bunch of fish."

[BrianMDTX]

Not towing a boat, but deer several times. First one was on my way back home from Western Maryland from deer hunting. Had a buck in the bed of my 1990 Ford Ranger. It was dark and I was driving behind a Ford Explorer on a small two-lane highway. I felt a large bang/bump and then saw the Explorer stop and make a U-turn. I followed. The Explorer went back down the road, made another U-turn and pulled off on the shoulder. I jumped out and asked if something fell off her SUV. She yelled “did you see that deer”? I walked around the front and driver’s side and everything looked fine. When I got to the rear, I saw the left rear taillight was broken. A deer (the lady said it was a big 8 point) had ran across the highway and hit my truck just forward of the wheel well. There was a big schmear of deer snot down the bed until it got to the busted light. It ran off, so likely made out with no more than a headache. 
 

The second was on a small side road about two miles from home just starting my morning commute. A small doe partially ran out of a hidden driveway and stopped with her head dead nuts in front of the right bumper of my ‘05 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4. I heard the whack and saw it roll to a stop as I pulled off the road. Snapped its neck and it was killed instantly. Took a napkin and wiped off the smudge from the bumper and went to work. 
 

The worst was several years ago. My wife left early Sunday morning for work at the hospital in her 2016 Mazda CX-5.  She was gone maybe two minutes and called my cell. I thought she left her coffee at home, but all I heard was “Car! Deer! Ran over! Help!”  I hopped in my truck and reached her in less than 60 seconds. She said a small deer had ran out and went right under her SUV. She felt the bump like running over a speed bump, it came out the back and took off. I inspected her SUV and saw some cracked fascia and blood smeared on the oil pan, but that was it. But she was shook up and afraid to drive it without having it checked out at the dealer. We called the police to file a report, then I drove the SUV while she drove the truck back home and I made a claim to the car insurance folks. She asked me to drive her to work, but not in my truck, so we left in my 2016 Mazda 6. Drove 25 miles to the hospital, dropped her off and left for home. I was one exit away from home on I-95N when I saw a deer run across the southbound lanes, jump the Jersey wall and head straight for me like a torpedo headed towards a freighter. It ran in front of the left bumper and I smacked it at almost 70 mph. It flew feet in the air and landed about two lanes over. I was fine but it destroyed the front of my car. I called AAA for a tow, the police for (another) report and finally the insurance company. Two deer collisions in less than 1-1/2 hours. 
 

Yes, it died!!! 

[Bubba 460]

• • ^^^^^^^^^^^

    Note to self: DO NOT RIDE WITH THESE PEOPLE!

[Bird]

I worked with a guy years ago that was very particular with his truck. It was tricked out with lots of after market and custom 2-tone paint job, beautiful truck. 

 

He was on his way to work during deer season, it was doe day and hunters were performing a drive in a large cornfield. 

My coworker drove by the cornfield at an inopportune time as 4 does running at full speed rammed into the side of his truck......4 big dents about a foot apart. 

He was absolutely livid. 

[Bubba 460]

27 minutes ago, Bird said:

I worked with a guy years ago that was very particular with his truck. It was tricked out with lots of after market and custom 2-tone paint job, beautiful truck. 

 

He was on his way to work during deer season, it was doe day and hunters were performing a drive in a large cornfield. 

My coworker drove by the cornfield at an inopportune time as 4 does running at full speed rammed into the side of his truck......4 big dents about a foot apart. 

He was absolutely livid. 

 

 INCOMING!

[slonezp]

Close but no cigar

[gim]

I hit one as a passenger in the truck. My brother was driving home with our family boat and it was about 2am. We had been walleye fishing with lighted bobbers. He hit it about 1/2 mile from the house after we were fishing 40 miles away. It was a small deer but did about $4 grand worth of damage to the front of the truck.

 

I have hit an 8 point buck on my way to the deer stand early in the morning darkness during the 9 day season. Talk about ironic. I was towing a small trailer and the ATV. I hit it in the head and both antlers snapped right off. Another car coming at me hit the back of the buck after I hit it, and severed it right in half. After checking with the other driver, I picked up both antlers and went on my way to the stand. Never did see a deer from the stand that day either!

[BrianMDTX]

24 minutes ago, gimruis said:

After checking with the other driver, I picked up both antlers

That’s a heckuva way to get a set of rattling antlers!