The Deerslayer Strikes Again

Well, maybe not. At least this one didn't jump onto the car, just scurried ahead of us and scared the lights out of the kids. No harm done, at least, to us. We inspected the car carefully this morning, and didn't find too much evidence of a serious impact. I must have hit the deer's hind quarters or maybe its leg as it was passing, because I heard, more than felt, an impact, but like I said last night, the brakes did their job.

We looked along the side of the road this morning and didn't see the animal, so I hope she's OK.

Of course, some of you may be wondering what the deal is with me hitting deer. Get over it, I'm a careful driver. That stretch of road is pitch black at night, and it's still a pocket of forest, although the development is encroaching rapidly. I just think there are fewer areas for the deer, and they are concentrated in that piece of road, where they need to cross to get to a pond.

Unfortunately, one of my neighbors hit a deer a couple of months ago, and the day after he got the car back, struck another one. Poor guy hasn't had a car for two months. I suspect that it will only get worse as the area continues to be developed.

It does beg the question of hunting, though. All the hunters I know explain that the purpose of hunting is to control animal populations. We should declare open season on that road. It's far more humane to shoot 'em, eat 'em, and wear 'em instead of maiming them and leaving them on the side of the road.

I always did want to have a buckskin jacket.