by Pa Rock
Dead Deer Dodger
Rosie and I are home after a four-hour drive along some of the backroads (and busy highways) of northern Arkansas. The most iconic images of the drive were the dead deer lying next to the roadways - and the flocks of turkey vultures that would rise into the air each time a car would pass. I have lived out in the woods of southern Missouri for five years now and have yet to hit a deer, but some of my neighbors have smashed into several. In fact, I think a big part of the carnage is intentional because it seems to be used for bragging rights:
My only boast is that two which were hit on the road close to where I live crawled up onto my land to die.
Also, the local newspaper is just now catching up in publishing all of the photos of hunters with the dead deer that they "harvested" in last month'shunting harvesting season. Many of those "sportsmen" were children.
Deer blood and guts, on the highways and in the newspapers. Red is fast becoming our most prominent fall and winter color. Welcome to my world!
Dead Deer Dodger
Rosie and I are home after a four-hour drive along some of the backroads (and busy highways) of northern Arkansas. The most iconic images of the drive were the dead deer lying next to the roadways - and the flocks of turkey vultures that would rise into the air each time a car would pass. I have lived out in the woods of southern Missouri for five years now and have yet to hit a deer, but some of my neighbors have smashed into several. In fact, I think a big part of the carnage is intentional because it seems to be used for bragging rights:
"I've hit four deer this year," Bubba brags. "Oh yeah," Clem strikes back, "I had that many before Labor Day. I'm up to seven now!"
My only boast is that two which were hit on the road close to where I live crawled up onto my land to die.
Also, the local newspaper is just now catching up in publishing all of the photos of hunters with the dead deer that they "harvested" in last month's
Deer blood and guts, on the highways and in the newspapers. Red is fast becoming our most prominent fall and winter color. Welcome to my world!
1 comment:
About 16 years ago, travelling on a rural blacktop, a large buck jumped in front of my car. Although I hit the brakes, only going about 40 mph, my left front bumper banged into the deer's thigh. He continued up an embankment, turned, snorted his displeasure with me, and ran off.
Along the highways going north and south through rural Kansas I have seen deer run parallel to cars going over 65 mph. Sometimes they think they have a chance to cross and the results are bad for both beast and vehicle.
Decades ago, just before the Conway, Missouri exit off I-44, I was driving a Ford pinto at highway speed when a large buck came out of nowhere and leaped over the hood of my little car. That was 1972.
While we have deer in the green undeveloped areas in Merriam, Kansas I have seen no widespread carnage on our roads. That is likely because the speed limits are low and many drivers have small children in the cars with them. This year I saw four deer cross an intersection which crosses over a small stream concealed in a large concrete box under the roadways. One neighbor in particular regularly hosted brunch for the deer from her garden. I don't think that's why she planted her little plot but that's what happened.
My advise for the city folk is that if you see a deer cross the road in front of you then slow down. They seldom travel alone.
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