Deer Bumper

I hit a deer once driving an Oldsmobile Calais. It was about 3:45 in the morning, dark as a cave at night, skipping along 50 mph on a highway, all alone after getting off work at 3:30 am. All country roads, minding my own business, when all of a sudden ... there's a dear head looking in my windshield. His tongue is sticking out licking my windshield. His eyes are bulging like two beach balls. His body is laying on the hood of the car. I slam on the brakes in absolute horror shock! The deer slides off the hood. He's behind me now. I bring the car to a complete stop, open the door and look behind. The thing is laying in the road, then all of a sudden, springs up, and hops over the fence and gone! And $4000 damage to the front of the car!

A couple nights later, I was driving the Chevy S-10 pick-up, same road, same time of night, same conditions.

All of a sudden I saw this "thing" standing on the side of the road. It caught my headlights. I slammed on the brakes. It didn't move! I then started moving forward slowly. It was playing "chicken" with me, almost defying me to come forward. It stood there just as stout as can be! The headlights weren't quite on it enough to identify it yet.

I moved forward, literally, a foot at a time. It just stood there, waiting, waiting, waiting. Finally, I got forward enough my headlights finally landed on it! It was a mail box!

Oh, if only I would have had my shot gun with me that night, I would have blown that mail box away!

Would a deer bumper have helped? Maybe for the deer, but definitely NOT for the mail box!

I hit deer at 60 mph with 1999 F450. Small Montana highway at 10 PM.
The truck had very strong factory bumper, what sacrifice itself to protect the row of radiators behind.
It was not a pleasant experience.
I was researching front guard mainly for front hitch on my new truck and there is lot of stuff that "hangs on front grille".
Good stuff like ranchhand.com/ford.html, hammerheadarmor.com not only adds 100's of lb to the truck, but cost hefty money.
With my camper setup - I carry Honda 3000 on front hitch.
How much that would protect the radiator in collision with deer at 60 mph?
Hope to never find out.

Bedlam wrote:

fpoole wrote:
Yep, I'm looking at them too.. Buckstop Bumpers... with a winch, so curious to what gets posted... Same thing with headlights.
thanks..

Blue Lake Off Road and Buck Stop make wider versions for the wide track axle on the chassis cab. You will not get full coverage with a pickup model, so talk to these guys before committing money. I wanted to replace mine with one of these, but time and money has been scarce and I've only hit one badger and a few birds since I started driving.

Yah, I hear that... Buckstop has the HD 5500 model. I've been in contact for last year or so, as you note, $$$$ but, like a Fire Extinguisher, you don't need it till you need it...

I'm looking more for 'Recovery' thus the Warn winch 16.5 (and tracks etc).. again, $$$ sigh, Lotto time.. heheh thanks..

fpoole wrote:
Yep, I'm looking at them too.. Buckstop Bumpers... with a winch, so curious to what gets posted... Same thing with headlights.
thanks..

Blue Lake Off Road and Buck Stop make wider versions for the wide track axle on the chassis cab. You will not get full coverage with a pickup model, so talk to these guys before committing money. I wanted to replace mine with one of these, but time and money has been scarce and I've only hit one badger and a few birds since I started driving.

Those little black deer whistles work pretty good.We put them on our logging trucks and it really cut down on the encounters but did not stop them all.A silly little deer can do a major job to a logging truck.

I’ve had the notion to a few times. Never have but the upper Midwest is brutal w deer and the mountains have a lot of elk.
Pick a style or price point imo. I like the looks of the ones without headlight and grille guards but of course they’re less effective depending where you tag one!
As I type this, after 30 years either in N WI or mountains most of the time I’ve luckily never taken an ungulate thru the grille but have side swiped a couple.

Yep, I'm looking at them too.. Buckstop Bumpers... with a winch, so curious to what gets posted... Same thing with headlights.
thanks..