NBR AW: Sad drive to work this am...

LunaBug924 · February 2014

I don't know if I can blame this on pregnancy hormones, or just the fact that I am a huge animal lover. I was driving to work this morning in the snow, and on the other side of the road I saw a deer curled up along the snow bank with it's head up just looking around. I could tell it had been hit by a car, it's back legs were obviously broken. I just started sobbing at the fact that this poor animal was just suffering on the side of the road, it's head coated in snow, waiting for some angel of mercy to put it out of it's misery. I hate seeing animals suffer.

I called the non-emergency police line and they said they'd send someone to check it out and put the animal down if needed. I guess this is fairly common in our area. I spent the rest of my drive talking to the deer in my head, saying how sorry I was and that it would all be over soon.

Meanwhile, I know what a nuisance they can be, how much damage they can cause to a car, and that it's usually their own damn fault for jumping out. It just upset me so much to see that this morning, and I'll be thinking about it all day. No point to this story, just wanted to get it out. So if you're an animal lover, say a little prayer for my deer today. I hope she's at peace.

Miggg · February 2014

And now I'm ugly crying. Few things break my heart as much as an animal suffering. I'm sorry you had such an awful start to your day but thank you so much for having the heart to call the authorities.

whitneymarie003 · February 2014

This completely breaks my heart

I wouldn't have been able to handle seeing that. Thank you for calling someone. I hope that poor deer didn't suffer too much.

reneewhite90 · February 2014

I'm far from an "animal lover" and this broke my heart. Poor little guy. I hope someone comes to help him soon. That's awful.

stinamarie412 · February 2014

I can understand you being upset. But I am pretty numb to deer on the side of the road. It happens all the time where I live, and I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere without seeing some sort of road kill. What was the driver supposed to do? Chase it down to make sure it didn't suffer? I also live in a big hunting community where the perception of deer is a little different.

sparklingdiamond · February 2014

And now I am crying :-( I can't handle stuff like that and cry even when I am not pregnant! I am glad you at least called someone to help her out!

limechiffon · February 2014

stinamarie412 said:

I can understand you being upset. But I am pretty numb to deer on the side of the road. It happens all the time where I live, and I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere without seeing some sort of road kill. What was the driver supposed to do? Chase it down to make sure it didn't suffer? I also live in a big hunting community where the perception of deer is a little different.

I think the distinction is that this animal was not road kill, it was still alive and suffering. My impression was that even hunters try to avoid leaving a wounded animal to die a slow and painful death, at least in situations where it's possible to safely put the animal out of it's misery. But perhaps I had the wrong impression of hunting?

ArmyMedic7588 · February 2014

I'm a huge animal lover too and these things always make me sad. Although my family and I are really into hunting and honestly I love venison.

...BUT I am so happy that you actually took the time to call to make sure someone came out to put it down! Granted thats what the driver who hit it should have done (and honestly they're supposed to stop anyways to make an insurance claim and usually you need a police report for that, so where I live they would've put the deer down at that point). Not many people would care or think about calling.

Saying a little prayer for your deer. Poor thing.

meli1025 · February 2014

That is very heartbreaking, especially to see it still in pain. So sad. I would've done the same thing. And I cry at everything lately...I literally cried watching June and Sugar Bear get married on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. LOL. DH was like WTF is wrong with you? He really loves her though, it was so sweet. haha.

QOTR · February 2014

poor deer.

stinamarie412 · February 2014

Absolutely hunters will try to avoid such a thing. But hunting is different. You have a compound, crossbow, or gun. Most people don't drive around with one of these in their vehicles. I don't think you can expect someone to stop and inspect a deer after it is hit to make sure it's okay. The person is shocked enough that it happened, and many times the deer do anything they can to get away from the road. It's not like they are going to chase the thing down and plow it to put it down.

I was saying that I live in a big hunting community with a high deer population and the perception of deer is different. Deer are a nuisance that cause a lot of accidents and property damage out here or they are food. Due to the amount of hunting that happens in my area they often wind up the first description, on the side of the road thus numbing my reaction to dead/dying deer.

LunaBug924 · February 2014

limechiffon said:

stinamarie412 said:

I can understand you being upset. But I am pretty numb to deer on the side of the road. It happens all the time where I live, and I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere without seeing some sort of road kill. What was the driver supposed to do? Chase it down to make sure it didn't suffer? I also live in a big hunting community where the perception of deer is a little different.

I think the distinction is that this animal was not road kill, it was still alive and suffering. My impression was that even hunters try to avoid leaving a wounded animal to die a slow and painful death, at least in situations where it's possible to safely put the animal out of it's misery. But perhaps I had the wrong impression of hunting?

This was my issue as well. I understand that it was an accident, but they should have called someone to have it put down and taken off the road. Even if for no other reason than to make sure no one else hit it.

Mamazon2014 · February 2014

limechiffon said:

stinamarie412 said:

I can understand you being upset. But I am pretty numb to deer on the side of the road. It happens all the time where I live, and I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere without seeing some sort of road kill. What was the driver supposed to do? Chase it down to make sure it didn't suffer? I also live in a big hunting community where the perception of deer is a little different.

I think the distinction is that this animal was not road kill, it was still alive and suffering. My impression was that even hunters try to avoid leaving a wounded animal to die a slow and painful death, at least in situations where it's possible to safely put the animal out of it's misery. But perhaps I had the wrong impression of hunting?

^^^^This. My family and I are hunters. One of the most major things we try to do while hunting is to make sure that the animals suffer as little as possible.

We've seen a lot of game get hit near my home town, and have on multiple occasions, been the ones to stop and make that mercy kill when a deer or elk are crippled on the side of the road

I'm glad OP called someone to help the animal. I'm sure I would have ended up bawling the entire way to work over it.

stinamarie412 · February 2014

Mamazon2014 said:

limechiffon said:

stinamarie412 said:

I can understand you being upset. But I am pretty numb to deer on the side of the road. It happens all the time where I live, and I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere without seeing some sort of road kill. What was the driver supposed to do? Chase it down to make sure it didn't suffer? I also live in a big hunting community where the perception of deer is a little different.

I think the distinction is that this animal was not road kill, it was still alive and suffering. My impression was that even hunters try to avoid leaving a wounded animal to die a slow and painful death, at least in situations where it's possible to safely put the animal out of it's misery. But perhaps I had the wrong impression of hunting?

^^^^This. My family and I are hunters. One of the most major things we try to do while hunting is to make sure that the animals suffer as little as possible.

We've seen a lot of game get hit near my home town, and have on multiple occasions, been the ones to stop and make that mercy kill when a deer or elk are crippled on the side of the road

I'm glad OP called someone to help the animal. I'm sure I would have ended up bawling the entire way to work over it.

Definitely glad the OP called it in. I'm floating on the optimistic cloud that the driver was shaken up and maybe didn't know what to do or had already tried calling. I think I just got cranky over the driver being called a jerk. I don't think that's fair. Thus the rambling.

Eta: fat fingers posted before I was ready

lauralou3x3 · February 2014

Poor guy! I hate seeing these things. I saw a deer get hit in front of me one time and was struggling for its life. I balled like a baby (and I wasn't pregnant so no hormones to blame). It's just so sad!

NorthernGal248 · February 2014

limechiffon said:

stinamarie412 said:

I can understand you being upset. But I am pretty numb to deer on the side of the road. It happens all the time where I live, and I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere without seeing some sort of road kill. What was the driver supposed to do? Chase it down to make sure it didn't suffer? I also live in a big hunting community where the perception of deer is a little different.

I think the distinction is that this animal was not road kill, it was still alive and suffering. My impression was that even hunters try to avoid leaving a wounded animal to die a slow and painful death, at least in situations where it's possible to safely put the animal out of it's misery. But perhaps I had the wrong impression of hunting?

You aren't wrong. Where we live a lot of people carry guns, if/when we hit something we usually call it in and ask premission to shoot it.

Xath · February 2014

jennish11 said:

I'm so glad you are such a good samaritan!
And what a jerk for whoever hit that deer and left it suffering.

Chances are the person didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Deer have amazing capabilities under adrenaline, and when the pain receptors start, their flight instinct kicks in even if they're ridiculously wounded. My dad got hit by a dear leaping out from the side of the road as he went around a cloverleaf. It flipped up on the hood, slid over the windshield (leaving a trail of snot), over the back of the car and bolted back off into the woods. With the impact speed and damage to the car, there is no way that deer was OK, but it was gone before my dad was even able to stop the car. (He did call it in).

A few years ago I saw a deer run out onto the interstate in an attempt to cross. The deer ran into the sides of 5 (yes 5!) different cars going 65+ before it gave up and turned around.

ABColeslaw · February 2014

Awww it happens here all the time but I always cry. The worse was when we saw a baby deer standing on the side of the road with blood dripping off its face

And just a couple months ago we saw a police officer shoot a deer on the side of the road...tough to see.

daisyemerson · February 2014

I wish I'd never opened this post

(

OP I'm sorry you had to see that this morning. I'm a very sensitive person even when I'm not pregnant...I would've been bawling if I saw that.

MamaCheez · February 2014

OP, i'm sorry you have that image stuck in your head! I work between a heavly wooded area and a major highway, I've seen a lot of deer bolt to the road and get hit. It's heartbreaking. Once we had the Fed-x driver come in saying we had a deer stuck in our handicap railing, and i think that was the worst thing i've ever seen. It must have gotten spooked and ran straight into it and had it's hips stuck (which were now broken from flailing to get out). the DEM came and put the poor thing down, but it must have been there for hours before hand, and that made my heart hurt for its sweet face.

Hallil · February 2014

Good for you for calling OP. I live in a heavily deer populated area, my husband hunts, we eat deer all year round but that doesn't exempt me from feeling for an animal that's suffering. And the amount of stress it would be under would be extreme, no doubt, due to not being able to move away from the road.

You can't always blame the driver for not 'taking care' of the injured animal, BUT they should have called and had someone do it. Maybe not everyone drives around with a gun or knife in their vehicle, and that's fine, but you can make a simple phone call (like OP did) and have it dealt with as quickly as possible.

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NBR AW: Sad drive to work this am...

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