Have you ever been involved in a deer/vehicle collision?

A so-so deer guard can be bought for a few hundred dollars. It mitigates the extent of a damage. Each time, hitting deer without one, definitely, is going to cost a few hundred at the least.

 

I absolutely can attest to the benefits of a great guard. I drive regional Ag Commodities in UT, ID, NV .... Often at night on two lane highways through mountain and farm land. You're going to have many close calls and often deer (or other wildlife) collisions. In 3 years across 4 trucks, I'm tallying: 4 deer, 1 pheasant, 1 turkey (windshield), 3 owls and 1 hawk (cb attenna), and a close call with bull elk. No damage or maybe a minor scratch to trucks because of our Herd Guards (Home - HERD Grille Guards, Cab Racks & Truck Accessories). I still do everything I can to prevent a deer strike but feel much better knowing how much those guards handle and that it's saved my company thousands or more from repairs to hoods, grills, coolant systems, fenders etc ...

 

OP, it would behoove you to contact the different insurance companies who insure trucks. They have solid stats on the cost and number of collisions with trucks.

 

Started driving in 1988. Hit 1 deer (thank god!) On WV 259, bent my bumper on the drivers side and pushed it into the steer tire. I pulled it out and kept trucking. I hit a buzzard, pushed my grill in and took out my a/c condenser. Hit a turkey on Thanksgiving morning on the PA turn pike, it Hit the wing on top of my sleeper, thankfully stopping it from damaging my reefer unit. A pheasant flew into the right side of my hood in Philly killing it self years ago. Hit a rabbit early on an Easter morning. Hit several squirrels, and small birds over the years.

 

Does a moose count...?
I was at the I-84/I-80 split in 2008 outside of salt lake city. Went around a curve and saw him standing on the fog line about 50-70 ft. from me... loud bang (hit his rack only) and my passenger mirror was just gone off the truck. New door and mirror about $2,500. It was a company truck.

2018 I hit a DEER outside Cadillac, MI on a us highway. 8 was doing a dedicated run from toledo to Cadillac. Every n8ght 8 would see 1-2 more deer on the side of the road and I knew just knew I was going to hit one on the nest 3 weeks.

1 night I did SHE jumped out infront of me. I hit her broadside and she bounced off the front.! Got stopped and shattered the grill, 2 cracks in the hood and a crack 8n the bumper is all you could see.. even passed a level #1 the next day.. dot asked about the furr stuck in the bumper "o that's from the deer I hit last n8ght" he just looked at the truck dumbfounded..
Ya all the damage you couldn't see was $10,300.hood, bumper, fog light's, headlights, axle

 

I've killed two deer with this bumper. Only broke a light bulb. No body damage.

1000002697 by rabbiporkchop posted Sep 12, 2024 at 1:28 PM

 

I have a friend we call fluffy, he’s hit 8 or 9 deer In the last ten years or so along with all kinds of other varmint

 

Oh yeah itnwas intense. I was feeling sleepy and thinking about where I was gonna park at the time I hit the deer. Pieces of the truck everywhere. I'll PM you....the mods might edit your post since your phone number is visible.