Re: 15 Bison killed in 3 accidents West Yellowstone

Breaking news story:
Three collisions kill 15 bison on Highway 191 ... Apr 16, 2009 ... The crash was one of three over three days that left 15 bison dead, all on the same stretch of Highway 191 north of West Yellowstone.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/04/16/bnews/br30.txt Link may not be allowed until April 17.

Bison are terrible drivers.

Ranger Story
Heard at ranger wildlife presentation:

What did the mama bison say to her little boy bison on the first day of school?

"Bye, son"

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2009 11:54AM by eeek.

I was actually happy to be going home from Tahoe in the summer of 2007 when I narrowly avoided hitting a black-tailed deer on US-50 somewhere between Placerville and Shingle Springs. Of course that wasn't the end of it. A full sized pickup truck in the next lane didn't avoid it. Couldn't miss that sound. My girlfriend completely freaked out. We didn't see the actual impact, but eventually we looked over at the pickup and the bumper was hanging from a strange angle.

The odd part was when she dropped me off at home, there was a small buck running through my driveway.

I believe I've told this story before.

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y_p_w
I narrowly avoided hitting a black-tailed deer on US-50 somewhere between Placerville and Shingle Springs. Of course that wasn't the end of it. A full sized pickup truck in the next lane didn't avoid it. Couldn't miss that sound. My girlfriend completely freaked out.

In 2006 I was driving late at night (on way to Yosemite) on an Interstate and hit a deer with a Chevy Suburban. No human injuries but I concluded:
1. The glass from the mirror is not safety glass and the shards from that were more injurious than the broken windshield or passenger door window (luckily all passengers were in the back seats)
2. I am certain that the best option is to slow down as safely as possible and AIM at the deer. I thought I would pass in the adjacent lane and the buck jumped into the way just as I thought I had passed.
3. Testosterone poisoned territorial male deer only re-think their reluctance to move at the last minute.

With the windshield completely out, still headed down the interstate, I turned to the passengers after the screaming stopped and asked: "Are you getting enough air back there?"

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
3. Testosterone poisoned territorial male deer only re-think their reluctance to move at the last minute.

Elk during rutting season:

http://mfile.akamai.com/27176/wmv/nationalpark.download.akamai.com/27176/prod/yell/photosmultimedia/video/wildlifesafety/256/chalfant_elk_256.asx

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y_p_w

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Frank Furter
3. Testosterone poisoned territorial male deer only re-think their reluctance to move at the last minute.

Elk during rutting season:

http://mfile.akamai.com/27176/wmv/nationalpark.download.akamai.com/27176/prod/yell/photosmultimedia/video/wildlifesafety/256/chalfant_elk_256.asx

Good video. That looks like Mammoth in Yellowstone. It is actually illegal to use animal calls in Yellowstone; as the video demonstrates, probably a good regulation.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter

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y_p_w

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Frank Furter
3. Testosterone poisoned territorial male deer only re-think their reluctance to move at the last minute.

Elk during rutting season:

http://mfile.akamai.com/27176/wmv/nationalpark.download.akamai.com/27176/prod/yell/photosmultimedia/video/wildlifesafety/256/chalfant_elk_256.asx

Good video. That looks like Mammoth in Yellowstone. It is actually illegal to use animal calls in Yellowstone; as the video demonstrates, probably a good regulation.

I hiked where there were elk. Tomales Point at Point Reyes National Seashore is a Tule elk preserve, where a large group is now flourishing from what was reintroduced from captive stock. I would have given them a whole lot of latitude though, since I don't particularly want to get gored.

That was taken by some NPS staffer. That's one of their wildlife safety videos. Still not quite as interesting as the bison throwing a guy five feet in the air. Dude thought he could view it close up from behind a small tree.

http://mfile.akamai.com/27176/wmv/nationalpark.download.akamai.com/27176/prod/yell/photosmultimedia/video/wildlifesafety/256/bison_1992_256.asx

Bringing this thread back to Yosemite...

Route 120 between Chinese Camp and Yosemite is deer central.

I saw a near miss a few cars ahead of me just west of Mocassin on Sunday. I often see dead deer along that stretch. This is where state route 120 runs alongside Don Pedro reservoir. It's a straightaway, and it's very tempting to speed through that stretch. I don't.

A friend of mine hit a deer in Groveland last fall. He was only going 25mph, and it took out his new SUV's bumper.

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RobE
Route 120 between Chinese Camp and Yosemite is deer central.

It certainly was a couple of weeks ago. Plenty of deer and one very large bobcat too.

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A friend of mine hit a deer in Groveland last fall. He was only going 25mph, and it took out his new SUV's bumper.

Those things aren't built as solid as they appear. By brother's Yukon was totaled by a little Toyota hitting in the rear.

I didn't mention earlier, but my Suburban had "deer whistles" on the bumper. After driving with them for many years, I did not get the impression that they were effective (at best, the deer just look up; rarely run off). Don't know if there is any new info but found the following links which support the idea that the ultrasonic devices are probably useless:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/11/14/deer_crash/index.html?iref=newssearch

http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/021118/02111812.htm


http://www.berrymaninstitute.org/journal/spring2008/Messmer_131_135.pdf
Best (most comprehensive and seeminly scientific) site:
http://www.deercrash.com/
http://www.deercrash.com/Toolbox/index.htm
http://www.deercrash.com/Toolbox/CMToolboxWhistles.pdf


November is Deer Collision Month:
http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr103008.html
http://www.iihs.org/news/2004/iihs_news_111804.pdf

good basic summary:
http://www.iihs.org/research/advisories/iihs_advisory_31.pdf

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

I've found honking the horn at the deer sometimes works. At least it breaks the hyponotic stare.

My Mustang had this argument with a deer in July 2006, I think the deer lost, but the picture indicates a tie:



The deer hit my car just north of Lee Vining on July 5, 2006.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2009 05:51PM by Vince.

Looks pretty much like every other Mustang that I've ever seen.

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Vince
My Mustang had this argument with a deer in July 2006

How did you manage that?