Two nights ago I nearly wiped out on one. Or, rather, on three on the side of the road. As I was approaching, I slowed, of course. One ran across in front of me while I was about 50' away, the other two slewed off into the woods on their side of the road, then suddenly one of those realized he or she was separated from his or her love, and leapt back across the road. Matter of inches, even at about 20 mph; if I had been going any faster, crunch.
The wild turkeys are actually even more stupid, they just sit in the road watching as you swoop down on them and do nothing. If there's only one, you slow down and go around it. (And really fun when they choose the crest of hills or the sharp blind curve on our road.) But when the flock (about 12) is all there, you can't get through. You have to go right up and virtually nudge them with your bumper to get them to give way. But much less dangerous, because if you do hit them they're low enough that it's only the bumper, and they don't do any damage. Most dangerous part is potentially getting arrested for killing a turkey out of season. (Don't laugh. It's been charged!)
Then, of course, about once a month Jim's cows get loose and you're zipping along a place you know there are no deer, going 45 mph (the speed limit) and your mind wandering, and ZOWIE, there's a cow in the middle of the road.
Give me pedestrians any day! |
