Full moon
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,667
Likes: 159
Full moon
I go to work around 4:30 - 5:00 am, and you see a lot of things that time of the morning. Thank goodness for good brakes on our vettes. I was only going about 25, but an armadillo darted out, and I only slightly bounced him out of the way.
But last night, a mockingbird was maybe not so lucky, it glanced off my hood. I think it flew away, just barely heard a thud.
A few full moons ago, I dodged a black panther in the state park area near my house late at night. Yea, I know what one is, I'd seen it before, but not on the road. Brakes to the rescue again.
Other animals dodged here in Florida over the past year include:
Too many deer to mention, wild boars, bobcats, alligators, skunks, bears, more armadillos, turtles, foxes, coyotes, lots of walkers and bicyclers (that refuse to walk the sidewalks at night, and also don't always wear bright clothes....), many different kinds of snakes, tons of rabbits, house cats, and I'm sure other critters that I've forgotten to mention.
Until this full moon though, no collisions, after 36k on the vette. Gotta be more careful..... Whew! I feel better now
But last night, a mockingbird was maybe not so lucky, it glanced off my hood. I think it flew away, just barely heard a thud.
A few full moons ago, I dodged a black panther in the state park area near my house late at night. Yea, I know what one is, I'd seen it before, but not on the road. Brakes to the rescue again.
Other animals dodged here in Florida over the past year include:
Too many deer to mention, wild boars, bobcats, alligators, skunks, bears, more armadillos, turtles, foxes, coyotes, lots of walkers and bicyclers (that refuse to walk the sidewalks at night, and also don't always wear bright clothes....), many different kinds of snakes, tons of rabbits, house cats, and I'm sure other critters that I've forgotten to mention.
Until this full moon though, no collisions, after 36k on the vette. Gotta be more careful..... Whew! I feel better now
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 144
From: on Barnegat Bay Joisey
Here in Jersey there are herds of deer along the Garden State Parkway in the pine barrens. They come out at dusk to graze along the side of the roadway and oddly enough very few wander into the road and get clipped.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,231
Likes: 451
From: Maryland
Seadawg, I think I know where your coming from. I have only hit & killed a few animals in my time. I have always felt bad about it for a good while unless it was a rat. Someones dog would really be terrible.
Last edited by C7/Z06 Man; Sep 18, 2013 at 12:05 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,642
Likes: 450
From: Texarkana Texas
Hit a buzzard in the wife's Lexus. It went up the hood and hit the windshield. Lots of scratches in the hood but luckily, the windshield didn't break. Those things are huge. Made an awful noise too. It got up and flew off.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 12,921
Likes: 777
From: Huntsville AL
I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks on every street. I fail to understand why people walk or run in the street at night wearing dark clothes! I have come close to hitting a couple of them.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,231
Likes: 451
From: Maryland
They "think" you can see them or they really don't think very much!
Signed: THE THINKER
PS: Those people are "not" Conservatives.
Last edited by C7/Z06 Man; Sep 18, 2013 at 02:28 PM.
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 9
From: South Fort Myers Florida
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,636
Likes: 1,185
From: Lake Worth Beach, Florida
I work in the claims side of an insurance company and here in Florida we pay a lot more claims for collisions with wild pigs than with deer, but up north the deer win out by far. Both can really cause some damage.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Another thing that irritates me is a bicyclist that pedals along at 15 mph on a heavily used 2 lane road during rush hour. Perfectly legal, but also perfectly stupid. And can back traffic up for miles.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
What kind of damage was done? That's really expensive for such a small animal that can't fly.
I've only seen one live armadillo in my life, and that was when I went out to get the paper one morning and he was running right toward me on the driveway.
Not sure if they're dangerous or not, but I gave him leeway. And he ran on by, totally ignoring me. The others I have seen have always been 4 toes up, dead on the highway.
We've only had armadillos about two or three years in my part of the country. They seem to be migrating north very rapidly. When I was in elementary science class, we were taught that armadillos were a SW desert animal. No more.
I've only seen one live armadillo in my life, and that was when I went out to get the paper one morning and he was running right toward me on the driveway.
Not sure if they're dangerous or not, but I gave him leeway. And he ran on by, totally ignoring me. The others I have seen have always been 4 toes up, dead on the highway.We've only had armadillos about two or three years in my part of the country. They seem to be migrating north very rapidly. When I was in elementary science class, we were taught that armadillos were a SW desert animal. No more.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 29,113
Likes: 2,194
From: Big Bend Country, TX
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
Tough little critters they are ......... 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,394
Likes: 281
From: cumming ga
We had a mommy bear and 2 cubs come thru a subdivision down the road. Hey this area is less than miles from Atlanta Ga. for god sakes and I have deer trailing me and the dog.
The mountains are up the road 20 miles its rained all summer so food is not the problem are they lonely. Oh coming out of daughters subdivision in N.J. near Newton I spied 1 buck 2 fawns and 5 does just standing in the neighbors yard.
z51vett
The mountains are up the road 20 miles its rained all summer so food is not the problem are they lonely. Oh coming out of daughters subdivision in N.J. near Newton I spied 1 buck 2 fawns and 5 does just standing in the neighbors yard.
z51vett
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,667
Likes: 159
Yea, I was up in WV a couple weeks ago, and the deer eating on the side of the roads were crazy thick. The only thing that would make them move was letting the vette burble with the NPP exhaust in open mode. They must have thought a gun was shooting at them.
I looked close at my car last night, and I only have a couple small chips just above the rubber, so I may try to touch it up myself for now. The only animal I dodged this morning was a raccoon, I was ready for him though, saw him early and both of us were OK for the better.
Heading up to BWI, then driving thru DE around midnight this Friday, so I'll be dodging more critters in the rental car for sure then too!!
I looked close at my car last night, and I only have a couple small chips just above the rubber, so I may try to touch it up myself for now. The only animal I dodged this morning was a raccoon, I was ready for him though, saw him early and both of us were OK for the better.
Heading up to BWI, then driving thru DE around midnight this Friday, so I'll be dodging more critters in the rental car for sure then too!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 16
From: Sugarhill Ga
I ran over a gator on I75 north of Ocala on my way back up to school once, it almost launched me into a swamp. thank god i was driving a truck at the time. I have had many meetings with wild life on I4 over the years, not counting love bugs 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 4
From: Palm Beach County, Florida
One furry victim with the Vette:
Once hit a squirrel in the right lane at about 60mph..
He came from the right, and there was no chance to avoid.
Heard a clunk, and looked in the rear view mirror and were 2 pieces rolling across the lane. Don't have a clue as to how I could have cut him in half. Never found any evidence on the underside of the car.
Once hit a squirrel in the right lane at about 60mph..
He came from the right, and there was no chance to avoid.
Heard a clunk, and looked in the rear view mirror and were 2 pieces rolling across the lane. Don't have a clue as to how I could have cut him in half. Never found any evidence on the underside of the car.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 25
From: NY NY
Yes I was thinking the same thing the other day almost grazed someone walking in the street with perfectly good side walk to use. What gives?
That would be a good one for Sigmund Freud.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4,138
Likes: 171
From: Missouri
St. Jude Donor '13-'14
There's no end to the deer, raccoons, coyotes, possum, foxes and miscellaneous critters here. You'd think we were all drunk the way we swerve on our back roads around here.