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Night time riding....

2K views 23 replies 23 participants last post by  ggnutsc 
#1 ·
Hey guys. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Been a while since i posted but i wanted to drop in. My riding has been good during the day but considering the amount of deer where i live I'm cutting myself off from riding at night. Last nite on the way home i rode past no less than 3 groups of deer right on the edge of the road. There were 6 to 8 deer in each group. Most just stood there but the last group started moving around as i approached them. I was only going about 45 mph but the nice friendly car blinding me from riding my butt kept me from even being able to slow down. It's just not worth it. Anyone else had to do this? I live in Cuba, Alabama and there are lots of deer camps here. People come from all over to hunt here.

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#3 ·
I commute 60 miles a day of deer infested Kansas 2 lanes year round. I see deer every day. During the rut (now) is worse of course because they're moving a LOT and its usually dark both ways but it boils down to this:

I'm willing to take it much slower to increase my reaction window AND I'm fully aware that if a deer comes bounding out of the ditch at full speed and runs blindly into my bike...it's probably gonna hurt.

Take it slow and be aware of the risks.

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#4 ·
I try not to ride much at night in the winter months due to deer. When I do go out at night, I do my best to stay on the main roads/highways vs the 2 lane back roads near wooded areas. I also slow it down a bit more than daytime riding just to be a bit safer. I'm ready for warmer months already

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#6 ·
It's kind of the same here in the Hill Country of Texas...I stay off the two lanes at night and stay on the major thoroughfares or not at all. I see too many road kills to take the chance of meeting one up close...besides, I am having waaayyy too much fun with this New HD and with Momma riding 2up with me now...certainly not taking a chance on messing this joy ride up...Y'all be safe out there...
 
#8 ·
I've ridden at night in the hill country and its a scary event. Last time, we followed a car and truck closely so if a deer or more came out to cross the road, we thought they would either be in front of the vehicles or way after we passed.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I've seen deer try to sneak between vehicles, some make it, others don't.
So following too close to the vehicle in front of you won't help. However, do try using their headlights and brakelights to expand your vision and give you advance warning.
I also try giving advance warning to other riders & drivers on the road, using my hazards and/or flashing the brake, and motioning for oncoming drivers to slow down when it's daylight. Whether they heed my warnings or not is up to them.

I personally dread wild horses, your lights don't reflect well off them and they typically only look at you at the last second.
 
#11 ·
Wayne if somebody follows me too close I hit my flashers and lean forward to keep the mirrors from blindnig me. Don't let folks behind you get in your head. As long as they're behind you they can't hurt you.

1/2 of my daily commute is done during night time hours.
Our deer don't know to use the two lane roads. Interstate is full of dear, both dead and alive.

If I see eyes glowing ahead I dim my lights. No sense in blinding the already stupid critters. Deer are not real smart.

I fear deer.
 
#12 ·
smart to cut yourself off if your gut tells you too...if deer is that common a problem in your area at this time of year..its Russian Roulette to ride...i try to be home by nite time if out on my ride for that very reason...during the day..its one thing..at nite..to many what if's knowing they wander about more so now than at other times..
 
#13 ·
Yes, there are tons of deer around here also. Depends on the time of year when they come out though. When riding at night, which is often as we are usually coming home then, I just keep an extra vigilant eye out on the sides of the roads. Often the 1st thing you will see is their eyes as they look towards the oncoming bike, but I don't even count on that.....I just make sure not to get lazy and keep looking.
For me, the worst part of night driving is as I age, my eye's don;t handle the oncoming lights nearly as well as they used to. On dark roads when a car is coming the other way, it seems I pretty much go blind........I just watch the white line on the right side of the road - of course then I am not deer watching :)
 
#15 ·
I've heard conflicting reports on the deer whistles. But they seem to be cheap, I know Academy sells them for about 5 dollars and they just stick on the bottom of your tank. Cheap enough to maybe try, cheap enough not to hurt if it doesn't work. Well, not hurt financially for buying them at least.

Be safe.
 
#16 ·
I don't mind riding at night with the wildlife for me I just slow down or even stop or pull over on the back roads. On the the highway I'm traveling 60 to 65 mph. So I have plenty of time to see things jumping out at me. I also don't want to travel less than 5 mph below the traffic flow. So as not to be a hazard myself.
 
#17 ·
Lots of deer here in NC also, I see them all the time when riding at dusk, but just am aware of the areas they cross and slow down and keep a sharp eye. It is always a risk but I am willing to take it to keep riding...
 
#19 ·
there are studies on the net that say the dont work
some studies even say they make things worse
 
#20 ·
I looked into deer whistles on my previous ride as I always end up riding at night quite a bit. Is one of those things where some people swear by them and others show you research saying they make things worse, so who knows where the truth really lies.
I ended up not getting any (I could be wrong and often am, but I had serious doubts about them actually making things worse) and have just always tried to keep a very vigilant eye on both sides of the roads from early evening on.
I do admit that during the day, my mind does tend to wander at times and I often am "sightseeing" if there are no side roads or cars around.
At night , besides not much to sight see anyway, I am much more alert and never ever take my eyes off the sides of the road.

I almost got a deer once, or actually she almost got me. It was a few hours after dark and I was on my way home after a long days ride (left around 6 that morning). I was less than a 1/2 mile from my home and the road's speed limit is 45, everyone normally drives 55 or so , and there are 2 corners where there are always alot of bad accidents. I am always more worried about cars in my lane coming thru them as people often take them too fast.
So I am really just paying attention for headlights coming the other way, and when I was right in the middle of the 1st curve, a deer jumped out right directly in front of me.
I thought for sure I was going down as I saw no possible way I could miss it, I didn't even really have time to slow down. I immediately let off the throttle and it seemed like the deer was straddling my fender - sure he wasn't but it sure seemed like it. I actually heard his hooves on the pavement....I figured that clacking sound would be the last thing I heard before the scrapping of my bike going down.
I have no idea how, may would say divine intervention, but some how the deer went by me and I did not go down.
I got home and pulled in the garage. Putting my stuff up I glanced at the front of the bike and noticed that there was hair stuck on my fairing (goldwing) - it was deer hair.
I never felt a thing, but some how the left side of my fairing (the deer was going from right to left) caught the deer and pulled some of his hair out.
Fortunately I have never had another incident nearly as close. I have had them jump out ahead of me, but I have seen them and had plenty of room, nothing really close since.
Trust me, if I go down, pretty much at any speed, is all she wrote for me. I figured at least i will go doing something i really like to do........I just hope if I do go down, it is quick.
 
#24 ·
I don't typically leave town at night, and when I do, I play it careful... I try to avoid two lane roads that have no shoulder and easement space to the side of them.

I do commute during the summer months, and that means riding in the dark in the morning (5:30 am) but most of that is on a 4-lane with large shoulders. I ride the inside lane so I have even more time/room to react if a deer comes on to the road from the shoulder. There was a rash of "chronic wasting disease" in Nebraska that cut the deer population by about 40% this year, so that helps my odds too...
 
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