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26th AMENDMENT SIGNING | MEMORIES

Hello Deer/Oh Deer!/Goodbye Deer

When we were building our new house in Michigan in 2004, we would often drive up from Kentucky to observe the construction. I was also working with our son, David, who is a veterinary ophthalmologist and owner of The Animal Ophthalmology Center in Williamston, a suburb of Lansing. One day we were driving back to his home at the end of the work day. We were on a narrow, heavily wooded road when an automobile approached us from the opposite direction. Suddenly a deer ran out into the road. The approaching car hit the deer and it flew high up in the air and landed directly on the windshield of David's truck.

I was in the passenger seat directly in line with where the deer landed on the windshield. As you can see, the glass shattered and destroyed the windshield. The photo below shows the damaged portion of David's truck. It is amazing that no human was hurt. I was covered with debris and deer parts. David is shown holding a piece of deer meat that flew through the hole in the windshield and landed in my lap when we hit the deer.

This is as close as I have come (thus far) to being in a serious motor vehicle accident. This is certainly a very vivid memory (or, should I say, nightmare.)

No photo of the poor deer exists, thankfully.

Deer-vehicle collisions are unfortunately common in Michigan, particularly during the deer mating season. According to data from the Michigan State Police, there were over 50,000 reported vehicle crashes involving deer in the state in 2021.

Michigan has a large population of deer, and their habitat often overlaps with roads and highways. As a result, we drivers in Michigan need to be cautious, especially in areas with high deer populations or where signs warn of deer crossings.

Even if we take all necessary precautions, deer can still appear unexpectedly. If you drive near our area, maintain caution at all times. We don't want you to have an experience similar to ours.

We have lots of wonderful wildlife in our yard througout the year - squirrels, foxes, skunks, groundhogs, muskrats, raccons, turtles, birds of various kinds, and LOTS of deer. To see some photos of those wonderful animals that allow us to share their space, click here.