What are your experiences with (running down) wildlife?

[Johnny5]

Originally Posted by DisasterGirl

I've only had my Ducati for 3 weeks, and earlier this week took it on my first long (3 hr) ride. Was riding on a long fairly straight 2-lane road through the NJ Pine Barrens, driving about 60 mph, when a crow flew out of some trees on the right side of the road right in front of me. I watched it for a second, thinking it would continue its path and out of my way, when suddenly it stalled in the air right in front of me, at head height. I sort of just put my head down and it smacked right off my helmet. Saw feathers fly away in the peripheral vision... I'm guessing it didn't make it. Thankfully, my helmet, bike, and I were just fine. Can't say it's something I want to repeat. Or, God forbid--take a bird to the chest on the highway and get the wind knocked out of me!!

I did the same thing about a month ago... except the bird I hit was a Robin. Literally kamikazed itself right into my helmet. It was really fast and there was absolutely nothing I could do to avoid it as it came out of brush right on the side of the road. I felt awful, I even hung a u-turn to see if it might still be alive but it was either dead or out cold. I moved it to the side of the road just in case but I'm pretty sure it was a goner.

[tex-mex]

I hit more insects than anything else. I hate it when they get in my helmet and start crawling around in my ear. Taking a large grasshopper to the throat is painful. Second on the list is birds, mostly small ones. I almost hit a large buzzard once while it was feasting on some roadkill, that would have sucked. I've taken out my share of squirrels and rabbits, they are just a bump in the road. I've never hit a dog, but come close many times. Living in Texas what scares me the most is riding at night and hitting deer, hogs, or cows. I know people who have survived a deer strike, been to a funeral of a buddy that hit a cow. Hogs have invaded Texas, just look at all the TV shows they have about them. The problem with hogs is that you would hit a herd of 8-10 hogs and not just one.