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Gary · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:07 pm Post subject: Watch Out For Elk

One of the new guys working with us Dale got hit by an Elk crossing I-40 in Flagstaff the other night. He was on his second load with us. Heard from others there was lots of dead Elk all over the highway around flag the last 2 days. If your passing through Flagstaff watch out.

Don't know what happened I downsized the pic's but they're still to big?
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Brisco · Joined: 14 Nov 2008 Posts: 484 Location: Hurst, Texas

Cosmetic Damage, that's all. A new mirror and 2 rolls of duct tape should fix that pretty easy.

Jokin' aside, stuff like that sucks. That's one of the main reasons I have always hated running after dark. Well, that (critters) and drunk driving morons, of which one almost killed me back in 2004 at 9:20PM at night!!!

Being from Texas and all, I've had many a close encounters with critters, big and small, from Deer to Hogs, from Skunks to Armadillos, growing up driving after dark.

But, the closest experience I ever had with a big critter was when I was driving with Hoosier RV out of Indiana. I was taking this 28ft Cargo Trailer over to Burlington, Iowa for them. It was only like a 5-6 hour trip one way so I decided hell, I could do this in one day and get it over with. I left Elkhart early in the morning and made it to B at about 1PM. The guy I was delivering it to held me up a couple of hours. (you know, what's this fine line of off paint here on the battery box, has it been repainted???? Moron, the things BRAND NEW, shut up and sign so I can get back on the road!! One of those.......) Anyways, I didn't get back on the road til around 3PM. Got thrown off time a little bit going thru Chicago so that put me heading East down 80 Toll well after Dark.

Got lucky and jumped behind these 3 18 wheelers running about 80 down 80. We were about 30 minutes from the Elkhart toll plaza and I don't know what I was doing, I think messin' with the Sat Radio, but I had fallen a good 1/4 mile back from them. I sped up a little to get back on the train and I wasn't but maybe 10-15 car lengths behind the 3rd truck when out of the corner of my eye (periphial) I saw 2 bucks run right between my truck and the 18 wheeler in front of me. Real quick I thought Phewwww when all of a sudden a third damn deer shot right across the front of my truck and I missed it probably by inches. I guarentee you my draft (I had my '04 Cummins Dually then) probably spun him 360 4 or 5 times due to how close we came!!! Now, if I hadn't've been fartin' with the radio, and was still in that train-convoy, I know I would nailed those first 2 bucks running side by side and that 3rd buck would have probably nailed the back of my truck.

Needless to say, I dropped down to about 60MPH, paid my toll there outside of Elkhart, took the '19 Exit. Got my room at The Sup8 all the drivers stay at, and went and changed my drawers.

Yep, I avoid driving at night every chance I get.

Oregon · Joined: 08 Jan 2009 Posts: 153 Location: Newberg, Oregon

That severly sucks, and just starting out, I prefer to sling arrows at those things, not trucks. Hope he can get er fixed soon.
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Dale · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the thoughts guys. Yeah it sucks.

Brisco is right; a cheap strap-on mirror from Camping World and about a half roll of duct tape to hold things together and I'm back in business

Heading east at 0-dark-thirty and sun starting to peak over the horizon. Suddenly, OH-S---

I was able to keep her out of the grill but, as you can see, she rolled down the side pretty hard. This was in the area near Flagstaff with all the signs warning about elk

This was the only elk I saw Thursday AM but Gary tells me that others that came through the area later saw several elk laying alongside the road. Looks like a tough morning for all involved.

Stay safe out there.

Dale

Brisco · Joined: 14 Nov 2008 Posts: 484 Location: Hurst, Texas

Brisco · Joined: 14 Nov 2008 Posts: 484 Location: Hurst, Texas

Oh Yeah, when you hit that Elk, did it go something like this?

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Exploding-Deer_184364.htm

Johnny · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 159 Location: PHX, AZ

Wow! What a video! I prefer to sling arrows and shoot bullets at them also

Driving my F-150 to trade in at Dave Smith Motors on thursday, there was a deer standing on the side of the road right before I got to Wallace, ID. That always freaks me out, you're just hoping they don't decide to dart in front of you

Adam-MN · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 115

I used to drive back and forth through an area in northern Wisconsin that I believe has the highest deer accident rate in the country. There were seriously more deer than squirrels up there.

When I first started driving OTR I would see sections of the freeway completely covered with rust-red stains, but thought it couldn't possibly be from an animal. Like 20ft x 100ft sections completely stained. Then after a few months, I saw one coated with chunks.

I've also read lots of stories about Australian road trains going through the middle of nowhere and suddenly there's an entire herd of sheep on the road and they'll just plow through 100 of them without slowing down... until they're through and they have to clean the guts out of their radiators.

Here's what they look like if you've never seen a picture: http://www.mrupp.info/Photos/2005-Australia/katherine_roadtrain.jpg

Johnny · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 159 Location: PHX, AZ

Dale · Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 10:31 am Post subject:

Wow what a mess in that video.

If you look close you can see the blood splatters along the side of my truck.

I was more than a little nervous as I came up I25 over Raton pass Friday about dusk. There were quite a few Pronghorn feeding in the pasture through there. Needless to say I was quite alert and careful.