Deer Hit

[Big Arm]

I took a deer hit last night to the left side of the spyder. It was approx. 9pm and just getting dark with rain threatning, and on my way home from the weekly bike rally, in the little town of Bronson, just south of Sioux City.
I was traveling on the by-pass, approx 62 mph and never seen the deer coming. He hit me on the left side, approx the location of the windshield/mirrors, with such a heavy force, I hope I never feel that again. For several seconds, I didn't know what I'd hit, and realized that it was a deer, then tried my best to maintain control. I never hit the ditch, but was able to keep it on the hiway and the shoulder, and traveled several hundred feet, because he'd hit my left hand and I was not able to operate the clutch handle, other than just pulling it in with my fingers. After I got it stopped, my thumb was lying in the palm of my hand, dislocated. I tried moving my hand, and it wouldn't do what I wanted it to do.
I called my wife, and told her I'd just hit a deer and that I thought I had broken my hand, and for her to call the emergency personnel. When the first officer showed up, I was standing by the Spyder, with just a sore leg and hand, but I did get my thumb reset, by the time the fire-rescue showed up. All were expecting to see a two wheel cycle, and me in the ditch.
After loading the Spyder onto a roll-off wrecker, (still able to start and run) and watching how they tied it down, my wife drove me to the hospital for ex-rays. They ex-rayed my hand and left leg, and thankfully did not find any breaks, cracks, or chipped bone. Doctor put a splint on my thumb, packed in ice, wrote a perscription for pain medication, and sent me on my way.
Got home around midnight, had a good nights sleep, but was more sore in the leg, than hand today, but I'm doing great.
I am so thankful that I was on the Spyder. I cannot, and don't want to think of what could have been, had I been riding a two-wheeler. ..........( The Spyder just paid for it's-self )
Called State Farm this morning, so I'll let you know how that part goes, and will probably be taking the Spyder to Omaha, NE if the adjuster don't total it. ........we'll see.
Anyway I'll attach a few pics, and if you want to see what the deer looks like, you'll have to look in my album.
RYDE SAFE !
http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/9.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/10.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/12.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/11.jpg

[jabba11]

glad you are well and thanks for sharing. I travel at night a lot and in areas where there are a lot of deer. I am encouraged to say the least about your experince and you are right a hit on two wheel from a deer can and usually is a VERY serious event. This is one of the reasons I bought a spyder.

[Capt John]

I'm sure glad you are ok. Hope you get the spyder back or a new one soon.

[Mo Lee]

Glad to hear you are Ok, Deer do worry me early of a morning going to work.

[groundeffect]

Could have been much worse. Really glad you're not seriously injured.

[wyliec]

Good to hear that you are okay. Hope you're riding soon.

[SpyderWolf]

Glad to hear you are okay after a hit like that. Did they bother looking for the deer to see how big it was? Just curious about how they do things where you live.

Best of luck with the insurance adjuster, and definitely let us know what happens with that.

[FANG]

Glad you are well and safe. Spyder can be replaced. God's speed to a quik recovery and back on the road soon.

[pierrelogic]

You reset your own thumb? :yikes:
Now that's pure animal brother.

Get any meat of of the deal? :joke:

Glad you're ok.

[VaughnCat]

:yikes: So thankful to hear you are safe! We have those 4 legged locusts (aka deer) running all over the place here. My husband has hit deer twice on the 2 wheel motorcycle. None of it is any fun.

Thanks for posting the pics too. I've always wondered how the Spyder would do with such an impact.

Good luck with the insurance adjuster. We'll be looking forward to an undate as you wade through the process....
Cat

[dltang]

Larry, so glad you are okay. Thank you Lord for watching over our friend. The spyder has proven itself more than once now to be safer in this kind of incident than a two wheeler. Definitely let us know how the insurance issue comes out as well. I hope you continue to heal well and stay safe.

[Smylinacha]

An angel was watching over you! Glad you are ok!

[xpeschon]

Wow that was a close one right? Glad to hear your alright Larry,,, Now I must ask, did the deer hit you or did you hit the deer?? Just kidding brother, again, I'm glad you ended up in good health..

Joe

[Roger]

WOW!!!! Glad you are ok mostly. from the pix it looks repairable but we cant see the hidden damage.

[NancysToy]

Glad you are OK. Looks like the deer did a lot worse than dislocate his thumb! Man, what a hit!!! Hoping you are back on the road real soon.

[retread]

Glad you came through okay, hope the sprains and bruises heal quick.
Make sure your dealer checks the frame and front suspension real close.

john

[glynnk]

Wow...scary...glad you weren't hurt more seriously.

Glynnk

[jimclarkf1]

I hope everything turns out in your favor, and you heal quickly, Let me know when you come to Omaha, :pray: I know you did everything right.:thumbup:

[jedd]

Wow, so glad you are OK thanks for posting I ride alot at night and good to see a hard hit as yours is survivable. Get her fixed we need to meet up later this summer..nojoke

Jim:thumbup:

[Blue Star]

Glad to see that God was watching over you. I showed this to my wife to read what happens in a crash like this, as she is afraid I will get hurt again on a two-wheeler.

[MoonChaser213]

From the looks of that deer, had you been on a 2 wheeler, I shiver to think of the outcome. I do hope you and your Spyder heal quickly and are on the road soon. I might invest in a "whisler" since I live in the forest. I doubt it would have helped though, when I had to Yield to a gator crossing the road. :spyder: And that's the 4 legged gator not 2 legged that are found all over Florida!!

[canam9]

Good to hear you are okay!
Ryde on!!

[Lamonster]

Man I hate to hear that Bro.:yikes: Glad for the most part you're okay. Take it easy and heal up soon.

[dryheat]

Dang Larry! You are one lucky guy. Hope you heal up fast and get back on the road soon.
Jim

[RTGENE]

Your OK---- good news---now you don't have to worry about that happening again-----next you win the lottery.
You have a story to tell at the Rendezvous.
Really glad your OK

[Firefly]

Glad to hear this worked out about as good as can be expected!

Know of a few Spyders that have hit deer and all came out with very minor injuries. :thumbup:

Thanks for sharing.

[jrl.spyder]

Larry, sounds like a scary several hundred feet as you got the Spyder back under control. and you are so right...two wheels could have been very bad.

Heal up quick and hope to hear you are riding again soon.

JOEL

[IWN2RYD]

VERY pleased to hear you're OK... It sounds like you may have hit the head or butt of the deer. Had you of hit it dead center.... This quite easily could be a different end result!

State Farm is one of the best ran companies in this country. I am confident they will take good care of you.

I am afraid they may try to total the bike. There is so much electrical mombo jumbo in that front end I cannot blame them if they do :thumbup:

Good luck with whatever the best path there is for you! :pray:

[BumbleBee]

I am glad you are okay, and that you didn't have any broken bones.

Sorry about your Spyder :(

[Chezeburger]

Feel Better and Glad your OK!!

[retired1]

Sorry to hear about hitting the deer. I hope you heal fast and get a :spyder2:back on the road soon. The dislocated thumb would be a good excuse to make the next one an SE!

[Peoriafirefighter]

I took a deer hit last night to the left side of the spyder. It was approx. 9pm and just getting dark with rain threatning, and on my way home from the weekly bike rally, in the little town of Bronson, just south of Sioux City.
I was traveling on the by-pass, approx 62 mph and never seen the deer coming. He hit me on the left side, approx the location of the windshield/mirrors, with such a heavy force, I hope I never feel that again. For several seconds, I didn't know what I'd hit, and realized that it was a deer, then tried my best to maintain control. I never hit the ditch, but was able to keep it on the hiway and the shoulder, and traveled several hundred feet, because he'd hit my left hand and I was not able to operate the clutch handle, other than just pulling it in with my fingers. After I got it stopped, my thumb was lying in the palm of my hand, dislocated. I tried moving my hand, and it wouldn't do what I wanted it to do.
I called my wife, and told her I'd just hit a deer and that I thought I had broken my hand, and for her to call the emergency personnel. When the first officer showed up, I was standing by the Spyder, with just a sore leg and hand, but I did get my thumb reset, by the time the fire-rescue showed up. All were expecting to see a two wheel cycle, and me in the ditch.
After loading the Spyder onto a roll-off wrecker, (still able to start and run) and watching how they tied it down, my wife drove me to the hospital for ex-rays. They ex-rayed my hand and left leg, and thankfully did not find any breaks, cracks, or chipped bone. Doctor put a splint on my thumb, packed in ice, wrote a perscription for pain medication, and sent me on my way.
Got home around midnight, had a good nights sleep, but was more sore in the leg, than hand today, but I'm doing great.
I am so thankful that I was on the Spyder. I cannot, and don't want to think of what could have been, had I been riding a two-wheeler. ..........( The Spyder just paid for it's-self )
Called State Farm this morning, so I'll let you know how that part goes, and will probably be taking the Spyder to Omaha, NE if the adjuster don't total it. ........we'll see.
Anyway I'll attach a few pics, and if you want to see what the deer looks like, you'll have to look in my album.
RYDE SAFE !
http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/9.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/10.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/12.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc325/larryspic/spyder/11.jpg


Glad your Okay. You probably won't think that Deer are near as pretty anymore. They need to thin them out. I have hit 9 in the last 10 years and was lucky not to get hurt, 1 was on a Goldwing. Makes you a little timid for a while.

Good Luck!

[Bootie]

Jeez, Larry. Glad you are OK.:D We have an area in our National Park with something like 128 Deer/Square Mile. Going thru there always worries me.:bowdown: Animal Rights folks have prevented culling the herd.:(
Get back on your Spyder soon.:lecturef_smilie:

[Gimpy Girl]

Glad to hear your ok and nothing is broken! Rest up and take care of that thumb!

[Clicker1944]

So happy you were with us to tell the story!:D

[DynamoBT]

Glad you are here to tell the tale!! It was bad. But it could have been so much worse. Hope you heal quickly and that the insurance is hassle free to get you back on the road one way or another. Good job controlling the Spyder after the deer hit!

[JimAlpha]

Glad to hear you are safe! I hit a deer with my Mercedes at about the same speed. Came out of nowhere. Scared the .... out of me. $5,000 damage to the car. You have been blessed and protected!

[bikeguy]

Glad that you came through that with nothing more than a dislocated thumb. Likely would have been a worse result on a two wheeler. Hope the insurance company treats you well.

Cotton

[jnt]

Wow! A big thanks to the One in power that you walked away from that. Pain goes away. Pain meds work. We have a few tricks for pain - PM me if interested.

Spyder will be fixed. Glad YOU weren't broken!

[spyder3rdr]

I'm glad to see you are ok and hope you heal up soon

[krb1945]

I'm just glad it wasn't a big buck and you are basically ok. Thank the good Lord you weren't injuried too badly. A Virginia friends neighbor had a 10 pointer go through the windshield of their mini van and 2 people spent several weeks in the hospital and sadly one person was killed. Deer are definitely a road hazard. Ken krb1945

[AutumnCat]

Very sorry for the accident - but, it's good to hear that you were mostly ok. The Spyder can be replaced.

The description of your thumb - I groaned very loudly when I read that.

Let us all know how you & the Spyder make out.

[CSX4350]

Glad to hear you're OK, the ryde can be fixed/replaced. Just like my crash last year, I shudder to think what the outcome would have been if you'd been on two wheels.

I also had State Farm, and they had absolutely no idea how to adjust a Spyder or really any motorcycle for that matter. I had to get it to the dealer for an estimate. The estimage actually took two weeks, as the parts weren't all listed back then. Once my estimate was done ($25,000!) SF wasted no time in getting me taken care of.

[StanTheMan]

Wow, that's scary! Being a city boy, you never imagine something like that happens while riding. I've read and heard stories about cars demolished after hitting a deer; but don't even want to think about it happening on a bike. Glad you weren't seriously injured. Get well soon.

[musicarcade]

Happy to hear that you are ok.:2thumbs:
I think Seth hit a deer on his :spyder: as well.
Maybe BRP should make a pin for surviving deer hits:yikes:

[ntxYguy2009]

Wow! :yikes:

Glad that you are the one telling the story.

David

[Barbary]

glad you are ok... Thanx for sharing... :yikes:

[Jornie1]

So very thankful you are ok.. this event could have easily been your last. God was good.. your guardian angel was right there with you.. Here's hoping you are back on the road again very soon.. Len

[3tracs]

Glad to hear you're okay. I hope the thumb heals quickly and the insurance company gets your Spyder taken care of.

[SethO]

glad to see you are ok for the most part, I had geico for my deer hit and they did not have a single claim yet, did not have adjusters north of the cities and did not know what a spyder is.

I had a shop that was not a can am dealer do an estimate and it was only 2k, so I have put it back together myself but mine was more in the front and left not so high.

Hope it works out, I will have to come see ya with jim when I get down that way.

[PCBeachBum]

So happy to hear your alright, except for the soreness and the damage to your Spyder.

Haven't had a problem with deer here but do know a few that have and the biggest problem here are Minivan drivers, owners and tourists with minivans. Being behind a minivan reminds me of my courier days in Fairfield County in Ct, during rush hour. Not a day went by that I wasn't locking up the brakes.

I honestly believe that minivan owners were once Chevette owners. Just my opinion.

Shakes head and wonders how an insurance company can come up with a price to insure a Spyder and haven't a clue what they are insuring.:roflblack::D

[kman]

Glad to hear you are okay.I was hit by a deer in the side of my pickup this past winter,really dented it up.Makes me leary of driving in the dark on our roads,lots of deer.Good luck with your Spyder and recovery.

[SilverSurfer]

Glad to hear you're okay. You'll see a post from me as of today about getting 'deer-pedo'd' yesterday evening. I didn't hit it. It hit me broadside. I must've been passing by just as it came bounding through the woods for a break across the road. No injuries. Damage: It just knocked off my LH mirror assembly, and while I have it basically back together and returned to the bike, there are some scuffs, as well as stretched mounting clips.

Without foreknowledge of what you'd written, we almost harmonize in our being thankful that we were on our Spyders vs. two wheels. I'm sure I would have ended up into a tree or barbed wire had I been on two wheels and had that thing hit me.

Again, glad you're okay.

[SpyderWolf]

Glad to hear you're okay. You'll see a post from me as of today about getting 'deer-pedo'd' yesterday evening. I didn't hit it. It hit me broadside. I must've been passing by just as it came bounding through the woods for a break across the road. No injuries. Damage: It just knocked off my LH mirror assembly, and while I have it basically back together and returned to the bike, there are some scuffs, as well as stretched mounting clips.

Without foreknowledge of what you'd written, we almost harmonize in our being thankful that we were on our Spyders vs. two wheels. I'm sure I would have ended up into a tree or barbed wire had I been on two wheels and had that thing hit me.

Again, glad you're okay.

Wow, glad to hear you are okay as well because that could have been a whole lot worse.