Tales from the Faulkner Files: Vehicle vs deer

[tinkerer]

In some jurisdiction's it is not legal for someone to "put the animal out of it's misery". One has to inform LEO or CO and they have to 'put it down'.

Probably helps with the poaching problem.

Like the gator guy found out, no good deed goes unpunished...

 

[wuluf]

Sir, I have read many published law enforcement memoirs that are not nearly as well written or interesting as your stories. I'd buy your book..

 

[pharmer]

Stupid deer, I bet it didn’t cross by a “deer crossing” sign. Joe

 

[Rule3]

Another classic tale!

I thought at the beginning it was gonna be the Pickup with TAB license. Wouldn't that have been great!

 

[16thVACav]

Good story. Could have been a great story if you had included a picture of Daisy.

 

[gjgalligan]

what is a TAB license?

 

[LVSteve]

what is a TAB license?

The plate had the letters TAB in it.

 

[llowry61]

I guess you can't blame folks who grew up in the urban jungle for their ignorance. You did what you had to do and anyone who has had to do it knows there is no joy in it.

I live in east central Ohio, and we have an ever-growing deer population. Several years ago, I was heading out to go duck hunting and as I drove out of town at 3:30 am a very large buck is standing right in the middle of the road. I stopped and flashed my lights at him thinking he was blinded by headlights, well as he took a step forward, he collapsed on the road from what appeared to be a broken hip. I assumed he had been hit by another car earlier. I had a gun etc. but there was no way I was going to shoot him. I felt sorry for him as he struggled to his feet and stumbled away. I called the local PD, who said they would send an officer to the location.

I had a long drive to where I was hunting so I headed out rather than waiting. I have no idea what happened, but I always felt bad because I should have been allowed to put him out of his misery without fearing arrest.

Who knows maybe he survived.

 

[gjgalligan]

I thought at the beginning it was gonna be the Pickup with TAB license.

From that line I thought maybe it meant something special, maybe derogatory, that I had never heard of before.

 

[65-2x2]

I heard a woman complaining about the deer crossing signs, she thought they should have been in a lesser traffic area.

 

[30-30remchester]

A friend and I just finished a late meal, and we headed to our homes. A few minutes later my friend called and requested my presence at the local radio station. Seems he came across a frantic lady that had just hit a cow elk and broke its front legs. The lady was beside herself, however my friend assured her we would take care of it, and she went about her way with a beat-up new Ford truck. As soon as she left, my old Colt Woodsman was drug out from under the seat, and a quick shot at muzzle, to keep the noise down as we were inside the city limits of our little town. We quickly loaded her in the truck and took her to the barn and processed her and into the freezer she went. We did not lie to the lady when we told her that we would take care of her.

 

[Phenix]

I patrolled an area with a large deer population and we handled a lot of deer vehicle crashes each year. During the fall rut, again in the spring during the birthing season and the planting season, it was not unusual to handle multiple deer/vehicle crashes in an 8 hour shift.
For whatever reason, (Ohio loves to put up signs along their highways), the state/county puts up deer crossing signs, it's a huge waste of money. I've never been able to find anyone at ODOT or the County garage who can explain to me the criteria for where the signs are posted. It almost seems like the Road crews are sent out with a certain number of signs and they are told to get rid of them.
Like most LEO's who have handled deer vehicle crashes, it was not unusual to have a living, breathing adult, usually a woman, (seriously) ask why the deer were allowed to cross the road where there were no signs. When you try to explain to the person that the deer is a wild animal and is unable to read the signs, the person would just look blankly back at you with that completely confused head tilt. (Some times you really had to wonder how folks survived to be as old as they were and be so dumb.)

What is just as scary is that a lot of them vote.

 

[Faulkner]

Good story. Could have been a great story if you had included a picture of Daisy.

Daisy seldom goes out on patrol with me, but off duty she tags along with me most of the time. She loves going new places and meeting, ah, new people.

 

[Kanewpadle]

That is just a nod to another time early in my career. I was partnered with a very experienced FTO and we were always getting into stuff and the rest of the patrol deputies referred to us the dynamic duo. He has since retired and passed on and I use the moniker out of respect to him.

He trained you right. He must have been a good man.

 

[steelslaver]

Most of the urban deer around here have learned to look for cars. MOST, but not all. Once out of town they are a lot more careless. I don't think I know of any long term resident that hasn't hit on or more. Both the wife and I have hit 3 at different times. Very few trucks don't have guards on the front. But, if you in to looking at eagles there is always some great viewing in the winter as they have learned that deer and highways can make for easy living.