Oh deer

The first test you do - organised by the government.
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Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
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Re: Oh deer

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Fri May 06, 2016 8:47 pm

PLEASE don't all become fixated on the idea that once you've seen the second animal (OK deer are the focus here), it's all over and you can breathe a sigh of relief. Slow down and keep slowing down until you're absolutely sure there are no more of whatever it is. Another lesson I've learnt is when the countryside looks as if it will produce wildlife, trust your instincts. My last encounter with deer (another member on here will remember) involved about 4 of them, trotting out of the wood to our left in the misty early morning, and not two minutes beforehand I'd said to him "we need to watch out for deer here". I then forgot my own advice and accelerated down an inviting straight, only to have to brake hard as the deer appeared, right on cue.
Nick

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Horse
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Re: Oh deer

Postby Horse » Sat May 07, 2016 9:08 am

They use an re-use the same paths, so if you've seen them in one place expect them again, and again, and . . .
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

TheInsanity1234
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Re: Oh deer

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Sat May 07, 2016 9:53 pm

I've encountered a deer only once, and it was at night, and I was in a 30 limit on an uphill, and approaching some NSL signs, so was in 3rd ready to speed up, when I saw some weird bright little dots at the side of the road, I immediately started slowing, at first, thinking some biker was in trouble or something, when all of a sudden, the dots morphed into a smallish deer, which flew across the road. I was pretty much in 2nd for the next few miles scanning for any more creatures.

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Horse
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Re: Oh deer

Postby Horse » Sun May 08, 2016 11:44 am

I was up on the Newbury > Wantage road one summer evening with a trainee. We'd just decended the 'staircase' from the Ridgeway and stopped in the farm entrance just before the long slope down to Wantage. Chat for a couple of minutes, then back to Newbury.

In the field on the left just as the road goes 'up', right out in the open, were several deer. I can only assume they were in the bushes and hedges alongside the road when we passed by . . .
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

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GTR1400MAN
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Re: Oh deer

Postby GTR1400MAN » Sun May 08, 2016 5:58 pm

It was dusk and I was leading a group of riders back home from the chippy and was well ahead. A deer appeared through a hedge that ran alongside the road. I just managed to apply enough steering input to go behind it and my right shoulder passed a few inches behind its hind quarters. This was no muntjac or cute Bambi, but a huge stag with full antlers! I glanced in my rear view mirror to see the other riders waiting while 4 or 5 does ambled across the road behind the stag.
Mike Roberts - Now riding a Triumph Explorer XRT. My username comes from my 50K miles on a Kawasaki 1400GTR, after many years on Hondas of various shapes and styles. - https://tinyurl.com/mikerobertsonyoutube

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Strangely Brown
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Re: Oh deer

Postby Strangely Brown » Sun May 08, 2016 6:56 pm

I'm sure this has been posted before but... on a road not far from me.
Road sign on the B2026 in Ashdown Forest
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fungus
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Re: Oh deer

Postby fungus » Sun May 08, 2016 8:41 pm

It's not uncommon to see five or six deer alongside the A35 in the middle of the day at Yellowham Hill a couple of miles East of Dorchester.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.74128 ... 312!8i6656

Nigel.

IcedKiwi
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Re: Oh deer

Postby IcedKiwi » Mon May 09, 2016 6:32 am

fungus wrote:It's not uncommon to see five or six deer alongside the A35 in the middle of the day at Yellowham Hill a couple of miles East of Dorchester.

Yup, that's where I saw my last ones. About 5 of them grazing right on the verge of the opposite carriageway (to me and the google maps link)

Imsensible
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Re: Oh deer

Postby Imsensible » Tue May 10, 2016 3:30 am

I once drove in to the Peak District, on the A515 I think, only to find a large cow standing on the carriageway, on a bend in a 50mph section and completely blocking the opposite lane. I hate to think what would happen if somebody had hit that. Free beef steaks for several weeks... assuming you survived the impact. :D

Astraist
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Re: Oh deer

Postby Astraist » Tue May 10, 2016 6:53 am

I reviewed a couple of deer related collisions at the time. They are relatively frequent in the north. In the south (and we're not talking big travel distances here) the deer is replaced by a much more massive camel, with which the collisions are particularly nasty.

There are also the occasional wild boar, and in towns there are a lot of stray cats that cause issues.

It was suggested to me that occasional flashing of the main beams (at night) tends to scare them away from entering the path of an oncoming vehicle, and that daytime running lights (dedicate or simply low-beams) might also help.

In terms of driver response it's quite usual. Some driver go for steering first and end up in the ditch or not quite managing it in time (decision time for steering is longer than for braking) and some brake hesitantly and again end up in the deer's bowls.


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