Driving Around Wildlife
Updated: Sep 7
Wildlife
I love animals of all types. They are always happy and are exciting to see when I'm out and about. When it comes to driving around animals and wildlife there are a few things we have to consider. Most of all we have to remember that at highway speeds we cannot react suddenly to a hazard that appears out of the blue like a deer running out in front of us. Because at highway speeds you will end up rolling your car or worse. Every movement you make in a car will become more amplified and exaggerated as your speed increases and that's why you never ever want to do anything sudden with the steering wheel or pedals.
Kingswood deer
How To Deal With Deer On The Highway
Deer Rescue On Lakeshore Drive In Hammonds Plains
The geese at Sullivan's Pond in Dartmouth always use the crosswalk. Literally.
Two examples of why we shouldn't react suddenly on the highway for wildlife are; a person was driving on Highway 102 last December when they saw a deer. They jammed their brakes on and were rear ended by 6 cars. Another example would be from one of my student’s parents who just a few weeks ago rolled their car to avoid a deer which didn’t even end up crossing their path. We can’t swerve or brake suddenly at high speeds unless it is an absolute life or death situation for us or another motorist.
Almost Hit A Deer On The Highway
Women trying to save ducks charged for causing fatal accident
In This Clip I Was Able To Make A Quick Adjustment To Save A Family Of Ducks
Deer season means animal strike season on the roads
Do deer whistles work? Well it depends who you ask. How do deer respond to the sonic and ultrasonic sound waves or do they even react at all? The studies that are published can’t seem to determine anything other than more studies are needed. Deer are most active in the early morning and early evenings so expect to see them at those times.
One time while I was riding my Yamaha YHZ 600 in the early morning on Highway 102 northbound near Truro I had an encounter with a deer that I will never forget. I was excited to be on my bike and was looking further ahead into the distance toward the Wentworth Mountains when suddenly I noticed a deer approximately 200 feet in front of me crossing the highway in the left lane. There was no time to react and I thought for sure in that split second that I was done for. For some reason which I could never figure out the deer waited for me to pass by before continuing to cross the highway. This one of a million types of examples that show we will never be able to see everything coming at us ahead of time such as hazards that appear suddenly.
Moose
Avoid moose at all costs
Moose are a whole different animal to deal with than deer. They're larger and more powerful. Avoid moose at all costs. They can flip your car over with no effort at all. Unlike deer, when it comes to moose you will do whatever you have to do in order to avoid hitting it.
Crazy moose challenging a train - Moose do not back down from anything
Moose encounter – Alberta Canada
When I worked in Alberta all of the big trucks were equipped with push bars to protect us from moose on the highway.
Wildlife crossings keep animals safe
Some Nova Scotia highways now have wildlife crossings
Crows
Crows are the smartest animals you will ever encounter in traffic. They like to sit on the side of the highway as you approach and they will wait until you are inches away from them then casually move out of the way. There's a National Geographic documentary on YouTube about crows that shows how smart they are. I recommend checking it out if animals interest you.
