I've lived in the country for a good part of my life. I am quite attuned to avoiding wild life whilst driving. In all my years of Wisconsin living, I've hit only one deer - she ran into me. Put a nose-sized dent in the front passenger side quarter panel. Layed stunned along side my car for 20 minutes or so while I awaited assistance from the "authorities." And then suddenly got up, shook her head and slung deer snot all over the trunk of the car, and ran off.
Since moving to South Dakota last year, I've had my share of near misses and vehicle-bird contacts with pheasants. I tell you, those birds just run under the tires, and fly into my windshield. I always feel bad when I feel and hear that t.h.u.m.p that lets you know another pheasant has just been dispatched.
So, anyway. Earlier this week, while driving on a dirt road early in the morning, a rooster pheasant came running up out of the ditch like his life depended on escaping that ditch. Only problem is, he ran right under the tire. Smashed. Smashed bad I'm thinkin'.
And he stuck there. Thump.......thump......thump. While glancing to my right to see if I can pull over at all so I can scrape what is left of the pheasant off the tire, I see a buck - as in male deer - headed my way. On a direct collision course with me. I can tell I can not avoid this collision. I know he is going to cream the side of my van.
"Oh, please, No. Not today. No. No. No." The deer jumps the fence. And in slow motion I see the deer take a header into the deep, deep ditch. And just lay there. Not moving at all.
I don't know what to say or think. I manage to stop the vehicle, get out in time to see the pheasant tumble from atop the tire and check on the deer. Dead.
I don't know. What can I say...
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