Hitting animals | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Hitting animals

I noticed there aren't too many of those disastrous pics of explorers ruined from deer. You know, where a tiny car is missing half its body due to a 40 mph impact. I've hit 4 deer now, one just the other day. The only damage has ever been a cracked headlight that was a $25 fix. I drove right over the first one; I was going about 50 mph, braked hard until it hit, then rolled over it. Hit the back end of the second one with the front right of the truck while accelerating, and I was at about 40 mph. This one was in the dead of an MN winter and was hiding behind a 10' tall snow bank in a driveway. I only saw the head, and actually thought I hit an owl at first. The third one was a solid hit head on, and some part of it hit the headlight at a full 55-60 mph. This one may have bent the front bumper up a little, but its very hard to tell. It may have always been that way. This last one just barely hit the front, and it just ran away; started at 30 mph and braked hard. The other three were dead on the spot. I took them home with me. Actually another one someone hit and like jerks kept going. It was only wounded. It was in the turn lane, and I knew I had the clearance. Last minute the head pops up and I hear a nice clunk as I was towing a trailer shorter than the explorer. I called the sheriff, and he put it down. Just part of living in a heavily wooded area. Who knows how many the truck hit before I owned it, as its a 94. I know in the explorer I am safest just braking hard and not swerving. If I hit it, I'll eat it. I've also hit a few raccoon, and birds, but they are too small to really do anything. The stupid MN salty roads are what really do damage to these things.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Don't have any pics, but I've hit three deer myself in my area, all with little to no damage to the ex! These things really hold up to impacts!
 






Makes me wonder if its a steel death trap in a real accident.
 












I haven't had the experience myself, but I've been told that in a choice of "Hit the Deer/Miss the deer but hit a Tree", the correct option is to hit the deer because without proof the (gov't) insurance assumes you lost control and caused the accident yourself.
 






I hit a deer last November, square on the front end. His antlers went through the grill and took out the coolers (and the grill), and his hips got the drivers side bumper, headlights, and fender.

Total was about $6,500. Everything forward of the fan is new.
 






What?! A radiator, headlight, turn signal, and some body work costed $6,500?! Mother of god! I could buy a dozen of my trucks for what you paid.
 






I've never hit a buck, but what did you have on your vehicle (assuming explorer?) that costed that much. I hit a deer full steam at highway speed, that one came sprinting out of the woods in the middle of the day. Grand total was $25 and about half an hour of work.
 






What?! A radiator, headlight, turn signal, and some body work costed $6,500?! Mother of god! I could buy a dozen of my trucks for what you paid.


"Everything forward of the fan is new." Radiator, AC condenser, tranny cooler, bumper, grill, lights, and all the little tiny pieces that hold it all together.

Do you have any idea of how many parts there are in that space? The grill alone is $300. Its hard to see in the photos, but the left front is about 6 inches shorter than the right side.

http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/bobmbx/library/
 






$300 for a grill? I replaced mine once when I broke it trying to push it out (Yes I know, it was dark, I just put my shoulder into it). I got it from the junk yard for $10. I'm thinking you got taken for a serious ride.
 






BTW I didn't think about the AC, tranny cooler or anything else. Mine is just a fan, a radiator, grill, headlights/turn signals, and a bumper. All that holds it together is some small screws and plastic pin things.
 






$300 for a grill? I replaced mine once when I broke it trying to push it out (Yes I know, it was dark, I just put my shoulder into it). I got it from the junk yard for $10. I'm thinking you got taken for a serious ride.

Cost me $500. Couldn't care less what the rest was. Comprehensive coverage is a wonderful thing. Ins company is GEICO. They do the estimates themselves, and approve (or not) any additional work the shop finds after they start.

Oh, I had to fork out the rental car cost too. Didn't have that on my policy. I do now.
 






BTW I didn't think about the AC, tranny cooler or anything else. Mine is just a fan, a radiator, grill, headlights/turn signals, and a bumper. All that holds it together is some small screws and plastic pin things.

I'm surprised they fixed it, and didn't total it. The airbags didn't go off; if they had, the adjuster said he wouldn't even have come to look at it. He would've just totaled it and sent the wrecker to pick it up.
 






I haven't had the experience myself, but I've been told that in a choice of "Hit the Deer/Miss the deer but hit a Tree", the correct option is to hit the deer because without proof the (gov't) insurance assumes you lost control and caused the accident yourself.[/QUOTE

Or you could just equip your vehicle with dash cams. Withe the rise on insurance fraud it's best to protect yourself, after all no one stops to be a witness these days.
 






Who cares about insurance fraud when it comes to hitting a deer/tree? A deer can be bad (not a big deal in a truck), but a tree is much worse. The very best situation that can happen if you swerve is you go in the ditch and cause possible damage. Do not swerve for deer ever.
 






I hit a fawn once on Alvarado Niles Canyon road in the SF East Bay. Really didn't damage the Ex. It crouched just as I approached it and I pretty much plowed over it. A guy in a semi behind me saw the whole thing and stopped. He took the carcass home for jerky. I wanted to put a jumping deer silhouette on my quarter panel as a merit badge, but my wife wouldn't let me.
Ha!

Chef Duane
Plano, TX.
 






hasnt been in the Explorer but ive hit some wildlife in my moms Sunfire when i go to town at night. countless rabbits, racoons, birds and other small critters. biggest was about a month ago a coyote decided to run out, tore off the front bumper cover and turn signal lights. cost like $100 to get those 3 things off craigslist. same color even lol. had a lot of close calls with deer. living in SW missouri you see a LOT of deer. people say its not if but when... hope i got something to hold up to it when it happens to me.
 






I have had only accident with an animal and i don't it was harsh on the poor thing , it just got up and ran away .
 






Who cares about insurance fraud when it comes to hitting a deer/tree? A deer can be bad (not a big deal in a truck), but a tree is much worse. The very best situation that can happen if you swerve is you go in the ditch and cause possible damage. Do not swerve for deer ever.

Who cares, YOU WILL. Insurance fraud is not only linked to making you at fault and collecting payout it's also linked to medical centres forging signatures for a big payday. Anyway it's good to keep a dash cam, you can continue to to do whatever you do. Difference with me is that I will have evidence to support my "story" and you will not when making a claim. You avoid hitting an animal vs you feel asleep and went into the ditch, insurance company will always win, ALWAYS.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I have also noticed more close calls on roads and highways in the city. This week avoided road kill 6 times, avoid 4 squirrels, 1 dog, 2 chipmunks, 11 bunnies, 3 cats, 2 skunks, and 1 drunk guy. Maybe 6 of those road kill were animals I avoided but were unlucky to a bad driver, who knows.
 






Back
Top