Growing up, my parents had a weekend place in Northeast PA, north of Scranton. I spent lots and lots of time driving in that rural part of the state. I don't know of any other place anywhere with a higher concentration of deer. I managed to hit at least three of them (with cars, all at night). Also hit a bear (also in a car) in 1990, around 4:00 in the afternoon, coming home from 4th of July weekend. He darted out from some brush just as we were hitting 4th gear, so I was probably going around 50. Hit him broadside! The front of the car was mangled and the car was never quite right after that. The bear, a big one for that part of the country, lay stunned for a few minutes, then got up, shook himself off and ambled off into the woods. We called the local sheriff. He pulled his pistol and walked a little way into where I told him the bear had gone, but I could tell he didn't really want much to do with meeting up with that wounded bear.
Anyway, the reason I started this thread. In the early 90's, my wife and I were headed to the house, just after dusk. We came over a rise, and I had to slam on my brakes. There in the middle of the road were three things: a guy lying motionless, a Honda on its side, with the front wheel still spinning and a deer laying there kicking its front legs, but otherwise incapacitated. I had my wife take the car back up over the rise to stop traffic and get someone to call for help, while I went to render assistance. The guy was semi conscious. I knew he was hurt pretty bad so I didn’t want to move him, so I just tried to talk to him and offer some comfort. He said to just move his bike off the road. There was an Agway nearby so I pushed it there. Some locals in a pickup came by, dispatched the deer and threw it in their truck and were gone in a flash. Eventually ambulance came and took the guy away. I heard about a year later that the guy spend several months in the hospital, but he made it.
Bottom line, I always think about that day when I get the urge to go crazy on my bike (and who doesn’t get that urge from time to time). I try and never forget just how vulnerable I am when I’m on my bike.
Glad it wasn’t worse than it was terrysig. Be careful out there!