The Deer Wandered Out In Front Of My Truck

Boy, was I glad when I could steer out of the way and not hit him.

I've almost hit deer dozens and dozens of times. There was one time when a fawn moseyed up in front of me on a dirt road, then disappeared under my front bumper as I skidded to a dusty stop. I was driving a jacked-up truck and to my relief, and the deer re-emerged out of the dust behind me, hopping up and running off. I couldn't believe I hadn't killed him, and I may in fact have not even hurt him.

Another time I was in the passenger seat when I saw a deer off to my right running at about a 45 degree angle. Towards the car. We were going about 35 mph and he had the peddle to the deer metal himself, running about as fast as deer run. And he kept coming. Coming right towards me. Angling for the door I sat an inch away from. He got so close I could see the fear in his eyes. And then he hit and I could feel the impact on my shoulder, and hear that metal collide with flesh-n-bone. We stopped the car in time to see the deer get up, look really embarrassed like "man...what kind of idiot am I??" and then bound off over a fence onto the neighboring ranch.

Here in the Hill Country, deer are a dime a dozen. They're really a pest hereabouts, growing in such numbers that they threaten the new crops of the indigenous hardwoods trying to grow. As little red oaks struggle to get tall enough to get the light their fresh, young salad-like leaves need (you see where I'm goin' with this?), deer come along and have an afternoon snack on those tender little leaves. That happens a few times and young master red oak never gets to become a mister.

But I must say, one of the images I've always wondered about with deer is this: they're so secretive and quiet as they move through the woods. They kinda hang together, maybe a half-dozen or more of them. I wonder sometimes if one group of deer, moving along with almost no sound, ever come across another group of nearly soundless deerfolk...and then at the last minute one sees another and nearly jumps out of their pelts shrieking in fear
"Man, you scared the hell out of me!"
"No dude, you scared me!"
"Don't you come sneaking up me like that...for all I know you couldda been a coyote!"

I imagine this scene often, to my delight. Kinda helps kill time inbetween bizarre real-life deer episodes on the highway.