Hello, Cherries
I was on my way home from the farm on friday evening. I was just getting dark enough for the headlights to be on. I had been seeing my uncle Dave about some tree and was late getting to the farm. Otherwise I would have been home already. Anyways, I was driving north on Hannan road and crossed the I-275 overpass. As I was coming to the tree line along the farmers yard, I noticed movement to my right. My very near right!
I quickly applied the brakes, but there was not enough time or space. The inevitable happened! I managed to catch a 350 pound american white tail deer.
I did the high speed recording of the event in my memory, because to replay it. I see it all in slow motion. Like the re-runs of a great pitch thrown in the world series. Okay back to my story.
I caught it broadside with the right half of the front of my f-150. I had attemped to steer to the left when I had seen the movement to my right, but being so quick of an impact. I watched the deer sort of dissapear into the front of the truck. then I saw it bounce away because I was on the brakes. the deer bounced about 15 feet straight out from the truck and landed on its feet. Because of my speed which I estimate was at about 40 miles an hour and under brake power. when its feet landed it flipped to its side, spun in a half circle as it came to rest on the shoulder of the opposite side of the road.
As I had seen the deer out of my way i pulled off the road to the right. I looked in he mirror and I saw a car coming, so I turned my emergency flashers on and waited for it to pass. When it had passed I did a u-turn and pulled just past the deer on the shoulder. I got out and Dropped the tailgate, then went to the deer.
It was still kicking, But I knew that the kicks were the throes of death!!!!! So I reached down and grabbed its front legs to find that the left was broken near the knee. Getting a firm grip, I pulled the deer to the back of the truck. When I got there i found that I couldnt just lift this big animal like I was holding it, but I tried once anyway. Still didnt work. So I reached down and grabbed it in a great bear hug. With that I was able to lift its head and shoulders onto the tailgate. When I worked into a position where its upper half staying put i grabbed the back legs to find the left was broken near the knee there also. I lifted it up and closed the gate.
Then i pulled up 100 feet to a farm driveway and started to turn around. I looked down at my gauges and noticed it was starting to get warm so it drove to the store on the corner of Huron River Drive and Hannan. When I got out and looked I found out that the grille was gone, the right side head light assembly was wasted. the bumper was pushed in a little bit the valance above the bumper dented and the radiator got blew out with a crack near the lower mount on the right side.
So I called Dave. Had him come tow the truck to the farm. Once there the deer was gutted and hung to bleed. I took daves truck home.
the next day Dave and I got the parts and fixed the old ford truck $145.00. Thats cheaper than a weekend hunting trip.
I filled four freezers with a portion of over 90 pounds of venison.
The best part was not having to go sit in the cold to get it!!!!!!