So what do you do if you hit an animal?

[LittleChickenLady]

I've hit a rabbit once. It was night time and it jumped right out in front of me. Literally.
I cried, and went back to check on it. It was dead, so I moved it off the road.
I then met back up with my friends (whom I left to go check on the bunny) and sobbed about it for the rest of the night.


I've been in the truck with my boyfriend when he hit a (an?) opposum.
It didn't die from getting hit, and you could see it's guts.. so he went back and ran it over again.

Not gonna lie, I didn't feel sorry for that critter..
I hate opposums.

 

[TedJan92_in_Idaho]

I have hit many deer, coons, possums and snakes. I hit one dog and I was sick over it. I use to work driving back country roads during the night and don't think I was ever doing over 40 mph. They just come out of nowhere. The only thing to survive was the dog. It was a beagle and I took him to the vet and then home. I called him Pod, short for Tripod. I had him for about 8 years and then he vanished. He was a beagle and he never slowed down. Be careful about putting animals down if you hit one. Its illegal in most places. Best thing to do is call the cops and ask them to come or what you should do.

 

[Frosty]

The first deer I hit spun around and ran. The last three didn't and were killed on impact. DH did hit a fawn at a slower speed (in town vs on a highway with speed limits of 65 - 70 mph) and the poor thing was hurt and terrified. We called the cops and stayed with it until they showed up. Probably a good thing because shortly before they showed it managed to run into the weeds so we were able to tell them where it was. The sheep I hit ran, too. The bunny wasn't there when I went back and the skunk... I kept going. And the dead frozen bunny I ran over gave me a flat tire. I never even saw it (must have been under the snow), just had a bone stuck in a tire.

 

[gritsar]

I forgot that I actually did hit an animal once, a deer, or rather it hit me. It came out of the woods and T-boned my car. It then jumped my small car's hood and went down an embankment and into the brush on the other side of the road before faltering and going down. I was close to home and sent a neighbor to put it down, not owning a firearm at the the time that would do the job. I was too upset to go to work that night or the next day. Just kept bawling.

Every year about this time - hunting season - I get nervous about driving because I know a deer can come flying out of the woods and across the road at any moment. Others can disagree with me all they want, but when I hear about the number of deer vs. car incidents that occur during deer season I blame it on the fact that they are being hunted. They cross roadways they either wouldn't venture across or would do so with more caution if they weren't being hounded.

Just MHO and everyone is entitled to one.

 

[Imp]

I've hit a couple animals over the years. Not BYC popular ones.
I hit a tiny possum once in the burbs. It was still alive, and as I was trying to decide to finish the job or start looking for an emergency vet at 1am, another car came along and decided for me. I was relieved.
Another time I hit a huge raccoon on a freeway in downtown Seattle, at about 3am. It put a big dent in the front of my car. The raccoon rolled up into a ball and went careening across the freeway. No stopping, so I hope I killed it outright.
Once up in the middle of nowhere, the Yukon Territory in Canada, I think I hit a rabbit. My friend and I got out to look for it. Never found it. As we were getting back in my car. My friend says "Look Imp" there was a huge wolf leaning over the hood of the car staring in the windshield. I quickly got into the car and shut the door. It was awesome & majestic.

Imp

 

[theoldchick]

I was cruising down Dr. John's road many years ago and came upon some kids riding their bikes in the opposite lane. I slowed to an appropriate speed and lo and behold a black lab darted out to chase the kids. I ran smack dab over it and broke its leg. I pulled over to assist the poor thing and was assaulted by the owner of the dog. He grabbed me and slammed me against my ancient Volkswagen. The kids started screaming. The parents of the kids came at a run and started screaming. Then the poor dog lay in the road and yelped in agony.

The cops came and found me kicking and slapping a man who was slamming his fists against my head as fast as he could. Amidst the screaming kids and parents the cops separated us, and I was locked in the police car. My attacker was locked in another police car. Dazed and confused, I watched the dog lay in the road. I asked the officer behind the steering wheel to please make sure the dog was cared for.

I've never hit a domesticated animal since then. I hope I never do as I would probably keep on driving. However, I would call 911 and tell them to contact animal control.

 

[sourland]

Quote:
The idiot who let his dog run at large deserved a good smacking. I once hit and killed a miniature poodle. Went to the house and told the owner. She said, "But he's tied right there--". Not. He had gotten off his tie down and ran in front of me chasing 3 other dogs that I managed to miss. She was devastated, but realized that I was not at fault. I once walked up to a house and asked for a gun to kill a dying deer.

I wouldn't reccommend doing that.

The police were understanding.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I always have a gun so if I need to put one down I can.


I don't advise others to stop if you hit a pet. Just call an report it. Stopping is not always safe.

I stop but again I carry a gun.

 

[redhen]

Depends on what the extent of the damage is...
Of course you NEVER leave an animal you hit.... (unless you are on a freeway and cant stop safely or turn around... )
But if its very bad and sure to suffer until its dies, then i would "try" to put it out of its misery...
But if its only injured, then i would try to help it... (and probably get my face ripped off in the process..)

 

[HLAC]

Quote:
Deer breed in the fall and the breeding season consists of deer chasing and seeking. This increased movement (and lack of attention to their surroundings) is what causes the high number of deer vs. vehicle accidents. Forest preserves and other places that prohibit hunting have the same increase in fall deer vs auto accidents.