awful start to the day ;-(

[northernlights]

I saw a truck parked outside my house, and then a cop pulled up across the street. Turns out someone hit a deer right in front of my house. She crawled across my front yard into my rasberry bushes and died. The cop thought he'd have to shoot her, but we watched her carefully and decided she was already gone. I gave permission for someone local to come pick her up, so at least a family will be eating well this winter.

Looks like the person who's going to take her has just arrived -- the cop just crossed my lawn again and I hear cars starting and moving around. :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Kookaburra]

1. Oh I'm so sorry Northern

Sorry for the poor deer and sorry that you had to see it. What an unpleasant thing to wake up to.

:hug:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

2. so sorry... what an odd synchronicity, though

in terms of your sig line......

it's so hard to take, when animals have to suffer :cry:

[SheilaT]

3. Alas, deer and traffic are a bad

combination.

My younger son hit and killed a deer about a year and a half ago, my older son hit one just a couple of days ago, although the deer fled the scene, so he does not know how much damage was done, other than to his car.

The first incident occurred along a rural stretch of highway, and that son was traveling at probably 70-80 mph. The second one occurred late at night on an urban road that in daytime would be extremely busy.

[Delphinus]

4. Oh, my.

:hug:

I'm sorry northernlights. I :cry: with you.

Blessings and thanks to the soul of this special creature who died an ignoble death. I am hopeful that the benefactor recognizes the gift.

[BlueIris]

5. Oh, nl, that is terrible. Why can't people drive with an awareness of wildlife? nt

[Why Syzygy]

7. Deer run right out.

It can't be solely attributed to careless drivers. It's a big problem in central Texas, for example; where it is not at all uncommon to see deer eating foliage in residential yards. You can avoid hitting them on those type of streets. But going faster than about 45 mph, you are instructed not to swerve lest your car flip over. I know people who carry their deer tags with them so they can legally tag the deer. They are just that abundant.

I'm thankful a family will eat this winter. The deer's life wasn't for naught.

We saw a crazy ass squirrel running across a six lane through-way this afternoon! People were slowing down for him. I don't think anyone meant to hurt that deer and won't blame them for doing so.

[northernlights]

9. I blame them here for one reason

Speeding. My street is residential with a speed limit of 35-45 depending on where on the road you are. But too many people go 60+. Sometimes faster, even 100. We've had 2 deaths this summer -- one human and one dog -- to speeders. Plus a young woman flipped her car kitty-corner to my house a couple months ago. A witness said she'd passed her going at least 80 (witnessed admitted *she* was speeding at 60) shortly before flipping, at a narrow, winding hill/intersection in a no-pass zone.

Other than that, as long as people are following the rules of the road, and do the decent thing (this guy did) and report it, than I agree with you. They are supposed to report the hit immediately. The police officer and I searched for and found the deer. He was prepared to euthanize her if we found her alive and injured. I've also know of people tracking an injured deer well into the woods in order to euthanize, even though it resulted in his arrest (he witnessed and didn't actually hit the deer) because technically he was supposed to report the hit and leave it to the police / animal control to handle. But he did the right thing and would do it again.

A lot of people don't seem to realize that because a deer is able to run off, it doesn't mean they are ok. They can have devastating injuries and keep runnin from adrenaline, until they collapse and die slowly.

[Cleita]

6. It's always so sad when a beautiful beast dies because of

our carelessness or lack of attention. I often say a little prayer when that happens asking that the spirit of the beast crosses over into a better place. Any skeptics or atheists who want to comment, I ask that you don't.

[OneGrassRoot]

10. When I get in a car, as passenger or driver, I say "Ahimsa blessings".....

may way of putting out a prayer/intention that no harm shall come to any creatures...that they don't get in the path of vehicles and get hurt or worse.

Breaks my heart. There are always so many dead animals around here along the roads, as we've encroached on their territories so much.

I'm hyperalert to movement on the sides of the road, and try to teach my daughter to be the same way.

:(


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahimsa

[elleng]

8. Its very sad, and I'm sorry.

The good part is that she was able to reach your yard, and that she died instead of having to be put to death.

A few years ago, we saw a deer at the side of the road. He/she was alive, eyes blinking, and I've thought of it ever since.

[liberalmuse]

11. Oh god I just hate that. I'm so very sorry you had to watch that deer suffer.

I wouldn't want that for anyone. :cry: I almost lost it one morning while heading to work to find a racoon that had been hit in the road. He was not going to make it. Luckily a motorcycle cop pulled over and said he would "take care of it". I don't know what that means. It was a few hours too early for a vets office to be open. I felt so helpless. And then there was the time my neighbors let their dog out without a leash. He saw me walking my dog, ran across the street and was hit. Jesus Christ I hope I never have to see the light go out of a sentient beings eyes ever again. I'm just so sorry. Bless your tender heart.

[northernlights]

12. what the cop meant

when he said he'd 'take care of it' was that, after you left, he euthanized the racoon. It sounds awful, but a bullet into the prefrontal lobe is absolutely the most instant death you can have. There is no 'you' to feel the pain.

I'm so sorry you had to see your neighbor's dog die. :hug: