Since it's the start of the fall season I thought I'd share this article from Cycle Canada by Paul Bremner about the bane of every motorcyclist - deer.
Here's a few excerpts from the article
"Charles Alsheimer knows whitetail, and he has a message for riders: stay off the road the last 10 days of October. A life-long hunter, outdoor photographer and columnist for Deer and Deer Hunting magazine ...
(his) theory is that the rut, the most intense period of deer activity, is triggered by the lunar cycle. "Deer hormones peak around November 1st by then the bucks are freaking out to breed. It's like they have ADD - they don't pay attention to anything else. But the females need a special trigger to send them into ovulation. That's the second full moon after the Autumn equinox. We call it the rutting moon."
The most intense period of activity occur in the three to four days before the rutting moon, when males begin seeking potential mates, and the week during and directly afterwards, when the randy bucks start chasing any doe in sight. Forget loud pipes or deer whistles - according to Alsheimer, hormonally charged male whitetails will run right across roads and highways in pursuit of their lady loves.
The rutting moon is elliptical meaning that it can be off by as much as 19 days from year to year. Last year (2011) was November 10th, this year it's Oct 29th.
Alsheimer's advice - "stay off the road the last 10 days of October. There will be very intense deer activity on your roads."
Certainly deer can be a problem at any time of day, and anytime of year but I think this article highlights some of the higher risk times by an expert on the subject.
Good stuff!!!
I was riding during the first weekend of Nov. last year which was full Rut and Deer season.
I was 3rd of 4 riders and running 70 or so on a fav when I spot a deer pop out on the left side of the road from a valley. It ran along the road next to the first two riders then just cut across between them.
Watching this in front of me I slowed approaching the same valley as they hardly ever run solo and sure enough another one pops out on the road. I'm on the brakes now trying to guess it's next move when I glance in the mirror. :ohmy: That's when I see rider 4 hasn't noticed a thing and is flying toward me! I throw my bike to the right side of the road and Brace for impact! I hear a crunch and the next thing I see is his bike Cartwheeling right through the spot I just vacated.
My buddy was Out Cold face down in the middle of the street. Guess when he finally saw me slowing and the deer he just grabbed a hand-full of front brake and endo'ed. He is OK but I was freaked out!
I do NOT plan to ride during the rut this year!
Same here. I'll be keeping it at home for a while. Needs an oil change and I have the PAIR block off plates to install yet.Had a close encounter last year as well. Was riding with two others over in the Loess Hills. I missed the first one but my friend behind me cliped the other deer that I never saw with his left arm/shoulder. He managed to get his Victory TC slowed down enough to only have a few scraps when in hit the grass off to the side. He walked away with a very sore arm and a twisted ankle from the get off along with a brused ego.The other never saw anything and didn't realize we weren't behind him for some time. Took him 10 minutes to come back.
Here we are past halfway the rutting season, it is always from mid september to sometimes mid october. I never heard about the rutting moon, here the activity depends more on the weather with most activity when it is cold and not raining.
Baileyrock, on 03 October 2012 - 08:31 AM, said:
as they hardly ever run solo and sure enough another one pops out on the road.
Yes, during the rut the packs are >10 animals and when a couple have crossed the road, alays expect more to come a few seconds later. This is a video taken on a to me familiar road. The speed limit is 80km/h but this time of year I don't go faster than 50km/h and I am constantly scanning the side of the road for wildlife.
V4 Rosso, on 03 October 2012 - 11:33 AM, said:
Here the rutting season is coming to an end, it is always from mid septemeber to sometime mid october. I never heard about the rutting moon, here the activity depends more on the weather with most activity when it is cold and not raining.
Baileyrock, on 03 October 2012 - 08:31 AM, said:
as they hardly ever run solo and sure enough another one pops out on the road.
Yes, during the rut the packs are >10 animals and when a couple have crossed the road, alays expect more to come a few seconds later. This is a video taken on a to me familiar road. The speed limit is 80km/h but this time of year I don't go faster than 50km/h and I am constantly scanning the side of the road for wildlife.
No kidding! That was quite the herd running across the road. Glad you were able to keep upright and ovoid a collision.
V4 Rosso ......... that's a large heard on that vid........ I've been riding since 65 and have seen a lot of deer, but this year I've hit deer twice Out of season(Apr? & Jul)...... was able to slow it down enough not to damage anything(brake pedal).
But it just goes to show hundreds of thousands of miles with no problem then WAM-O...........
phoenixfire ...... Thx for the more insightful look at what's happening.
No accidents in that video Miguel, or you must refer to the foxes that in the heat of their fight collide with that tree
Duc2V4, on 03 October 2012 - 11:40 AM, said:
No kidding! That was quite the herd running across the road. Glad you were able to keep upright and ovoid a collision.
Not my video, but it was shot on a road I ride regularly and I have had my fair share of herds crossing on front of me.
Monk, on 03 October 2012 - 02:36 PM, said:
V4 Rosso ......... that's a large heard on that vid........ I've been riding since 65 and have seen a lot of deer, but this year I've hit deer twice Out of season(Apr? & Jul)...... was able to slow it down enough not to damage anything(brake pedal).
A large herd? I think this is quite a large herd, shot (again not by me) on a road a bit north of the previous one. This is a road I prefer not to ride after dark on the MC during the rut season.
I have never hit a deer, only once I came into slight contact with a 200lbs boar. I was going through a corner when it came running from out of the tree line. It turned around just in time just scraping my leg. When I got home I found some hair still stuck to my boot.
[image: View Post]V4 Rosso, on 03 October 2012 - 04:20 PM, said:
I have never hit a deer, only once I came into slight contact with a 200lbs boar. I was going through a corner when it came running from out of the tree line. It turned around just in time just scraping my leg. When I got home I found some hair still stuck to my boot.
That's a Boaring tail/tale.........
I think 3 to 4 deer is the largest heard I've ever come across.......
I've been seeing deer in the foothills and mountains nearly every time I've been riding this year. There was even a freshly killed deer on my way to work a month or so ago which was odd because it was a long way from open country. I've had a few close calls but thankfully haven't hit one yet. Rut, full moons or whatever I've stopped riding in the foothills after dark a long time ago. When the heck does hunting season start?
We've had the most deer hits ever this year. Had a really close call on the RT this spring. Little doe ran across in front of me so close I couldn't see her legs. I've seen more in spots where I've never seen them before.
In the Northeast the problem is severe as the population of Whitetail deer, a rather large species ,has exploded in the last 20 years,while applications for hunted licenses have plummeted(even though the last couple of years have seen highs because of the poor economy).The frequency of collisions is a commonplace occurrence.I think the limitations of kills and buck/doe restrictions should be examined as they were limited in the 60's and 70's because of what was thought to be a dwindling population.But from this thread,you can see that from here in the Northeast to Southern California they are not a rare sighting.Until a politician's family member is hurt in a collision this will be a non issue.
I hit one on the ST several years ago and a two in my Jeep.Whenever anyone comes up to ride with me here in Upstate New York I always warn them of the danger at all times of the year and dont ride at night or early morning!
Good advice. The rut also depends on altitude,latitude,temp.Deer in south Texas can still be in rut in Dec.,Jan.
It has to be a real emergency for me to ride at night ,at any time of the year, in north New Mexico or Colorado. You have to watch for both kinds of deer,bear,elk( which are real stealth because their eyes do not glow when hit by light like other big mammals) bison,antelope,landloving cow and then this kind of cow.[image: SDC12151.JPG]
Close to home, biker pal in Cimarron,N.M. got hit by a mule deer , he was going about 35mph, will be out of the hospital in time for next years deer season. Almost killed him! Ride safe.
Watch out for porcupines too. I remember seeing lots of them in pairs on county roads in Northern Wisconsin, great big ones that look like walking quill bushes on the road......God knows what kind of a mess a biker will be in for if you run into those at highway speeds.....
Well,if you want to talk about all things that can put you down, there was an article in the U.K. BIKE mag, about a chap who lost the front end by sliding over a piece of toast that was on the motorway. No kidding.
[image: View Post]texasvfr, on 04 October 2012 - 03:03 PM, said:
Well,if you want to talk about all things that can put you down, there was an article in the U.K. BIKE mag, about a chap who lost the front end by sliding over a piece of toast that was on the motorway. No kidding.
Must the the Marmite and butter on it....... :rolleyes: