We have deer here

[oldandslow]

They are common to the west off the caprock, and to the east over in Texas where there are draws and gullys but pretty scarce right around here where is almost a flat as a pancake. My granddaughter found one of the scarce ones yesterday afternoon between Hobbs and Lovington. The results are a busted windshield and a ruined left fender. Her and her three daughters are OK. The thing just ran across a four lane highway and right into her. That is the second that I know of causing a wreck on that stretch of road. Quite a few years ago I was returning from Hobbs and saw a dead deer beside the road. I stopped by to see my daughter that worked for an oilfield supply store and mentioned it. She told me they were aware of it as it was the company's brand new pickup that ran over it.

[Dee]

Muleys come into the edge of town here, along turkeys.

[phalanx]

Muleys come into the edge of town here, along turkeys.

I’ve came across several of them bunched up and crossing the road at night in the outskirts of Lubbock.

[ironglow]

  Durig my near 70 years of driving, I have collected 3 deer the same way.  You may have guessed, with  plenty of hills & mountains, woods and rich meadows, deer (Virginia Whitetails) are very prevalent here.

  As with your grand daughter, we speak of "hitting a deer", but truth be known, most often the deer hit you..or your vehicle, that is..

[oldandslow]

She said she never even saw it until it was right there. I can understand as they fit in very well with the color of the landscape right now. At least the air bags didn't blow and get her and her oldest daughter that was in the front seat.

I had the same thing happen with an antelope many years ago. It just popped up out the bar ditch going full blast and was bound and determined to cross in front of me. I steered away from him as that was all I had time to do and you could see him straining to beat me. He struck the back of my truck a glancing blow, fell, and got up and ran off. This might have taken a second but it seemed like slow motion while it was happening. Lucky antelope. I also had a cousin that had the same happen with a horse at night. The consequences were much more though. A dead horse that came thru the windshield, a totaled car, plus a trip to the hospital for her. There is a lot of open range in this area but wrecks caused by cows seldom happen.

[orerancher]

Round Here It's Elk.... Drive into or Back from Town after Dark, You got about a 50-50 Chance at Tanglin with Em....

Folks are Lookin at the One or Two they SEE on the Road....Not the 10 or 12..or More, that come runnin out of the Dark....

[phalanx]

Every story I've heard it was the Deer who ran out and hit the vehicle, not that the driver didn’t see it in time.
Even state police have had it happen to them.

[oldandslow]

I used to travel to Portales, also know as Goober Gulch, some and I hated to return home at night because of a stretch of sand dunes between Cross Roads and Portales called the black hills because of the shinnery that grows on them. The place is alive with deer and wrecks at night used to be frequent and may still be. I had some narrow misses but always slowed down for that stretch of road and managed to dodge them all.

[Mule 11]

I’ve watched mule deer just keep grazing on the side of the road with auto traffic. White tail are almost as bad as squirrel.