Deer Whistlers - Any Good?

Having already lost one miata to a deer collision, and a lot more
driving through deer country to look forward to, I am wondering if those
plastic deer whistlers are actually effective. This is my first large
animal of any kind to hit in my nearly 20 years of driving, so I can't
be sure if I have just been lucky or if I would have hit the deer with a
set of the whistlers installed anyway.
Basically, I am wondering if anyone with them installed has had a deer
jump out in front of their car anyway, and, for people that live in
highly-populated deer areas, do the whistles seem to help cut down on
close-call collisions? I am hoping to hear personal experience rather
than just seeing the manufacturer claims.

Thanks,

Pat

Jim wrote:

>
> I live in a central Ohio, lots of deer here. So, I went searching for
> some info on this. I found one fairly informative page:
> http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6629
>
> Most of the rest seem to be either news reports citing uncontrolled
> observations or pages selling the whistles which praise them to the
> sky.
>
> Good luck,
> Jim


Good info!

Thanks,

pat

If you get the deer whistlers be sure to mount them correctly ... if
you mount them backwards the deer will chase you !!!!! Atleast thats
what I told my wife !!!!

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 19:02:52 GMT, pws > wrote:

>Jim wrote:
>
>>
>> I live in a central Ohio, lots of deer here. So, I went searching for
>> some info on this. I found one fairly informative page:
>> http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6629
>>
>> Most of the rest seem to be either news reports citing uncontrolled
>> observations or pages selling the whistles which praise them to the
>> sky.
>>
>> Good luck,
>> Jim
>
>
>Good info!
>
>Thanks,
>
>pat

I have no idea. I've used them, never hit a deer. Before I used them,
I never hit a deer and yes, I live in the country with deer everywhere
and this is their stupid time of year. I do know that the Spotsylvania
and Louisa County, Va. sheriffs departments both use them and insist it
cuts their deer collisions about in half. Antecdotal evidence to be
sure but perhaps they do have some impact. At least their cheap and
certainly can't do any harm.

Tom
92 Red
pws wrote:
> Having already lost one miata to a deer collision, and a lot more
> driving through deer country to look forward to, I am wondering if those
> plastic deer whistlers are actually effective. This is my first large
> animal of any kind to hit in my nearly 20 years of driving, so I can't
> be sure if I have just been lucky or if I would have hit the deer with a
> set of the whistlers installed anyway.
> Basically, I am wondering if anyone with them installed has had a deer
> jump out in front of their car anyway, and, for people that live in
> highly-populated deer areas, do the whistles seem to help cut down on
> close-call collisions? I am hoping to hear personal experience rather
> than just seeing the manufacturer claims.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Pat

I used to live in the Richmond area doing courier work at night, driving
through Goochland, Amherst and other such rural areas. A few weeks into the
route I put some whistles on. I still saw deer, but instead of seeing a dozen
or so a night, (the route was 500 miles long, so I had plenty of time to see
'em) I only saw one or two. They do seem to help, and like Tom said, they're so
cheap, I've got them on all my vehicles. (Under the mouth of the Miata where
the tow hooks used to be, of course)


Paco

97 Montego Blue Miata
91 Toyota Previa
77 Suzuki RE5

Don't go whistling at deer in California. Some big ol' doe from the
local organic food co-op with tattoos, a mullet and strap on antlers
will kick your a$$ and then take you to court for harassment.

Mack


BobT > wrote in
:

> If you get the deer whistlers be sure to mount them correctly ... if
> you mount them backwards the deer will chase you !!!!! Atleast thats
> what I told my wife !!!!
>
>>Thanks,

In article >,
Tom Howlin > wrote:

> Antecdotal evidence to be
> sure but perhaps they do have some impact.

Hmm, interesting choice of words... :-)

I just saw an article in today's Anchorage Daily News (adn.com): every
year, Alaskans hit a staggering 1.5 MILLION deer! That's 4000 per day,
in a huge state that doesn't have many cars or roads. (That doesn't
include collisions with moose, bear, etc.) You'd think that, if there
were a real solution, Alaskans would be using it.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

Lanny Chambers wrote:

> In article >,
> Tom Howlin > wrote:
>
>
>>Antecdotal evidence to be
>>sure but perhaps they do have some impact.
>
>
> Hmm, interesting choice of words... :-)
>
> I just saw an article in today's Anchorage Daily News (adn.com): every
> year, Alaskans hit a staggering 1.5 MILLION deer! That's 4000 per day,
> in a huge state that doesn't have many cars or roads. (That doesn't
> include collisions with moose, bear, etc.) You'd think that, if there
> were a real solution, Alaskans would be using it.
>

I thought that Texas led the nation in car-deer collisions, but it looks
like we don't even keep records on the number of deer hit each year.
Here is an interesting article on deer-auto collisions.

http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/f...-2678151c.html

I never did see the deer, so I had no choice but to follow the article's
advice and drive through her. I hope that is what I would have done
anyway, that area of highway has ditches that could send a vehicle
rolling. I will be driving through there much more slowly at night from
now on. I was doing 55 to 60 mph in a 55 zone. It was dark on a rural
road during deer mating season. I was asking for it, even with the
Cibies on high. If I had beeen going 45 mph, I could have probably
stopped or at least it would have caused a lot less damage once the
impact occured.

I am just glad that my daughter was not hurt, the deer was large, hit on
her side and it could easily have been disastrous. I had people call my
car a death trap when I bought it 5 years ago, but the only semi-serious
accident that I had in it caused no injuries to driver or occupant and
the car could even be driven to town once someone offered to let me
follow them since my headlights were gone. The car did die overnight
from electricity & coolant loss, but it made it to base and accomplished
it's final mission. :-)

Pat

Lanny Chambers > wrote:

>In article >,
> Tom Howlin > wrote:
>
>> Antecdotal evidence to be
>> sure but perhaps they do have some impact.
>
>Hmm, interesting choice of words... :-)
>
>I just saw an article in today's Anchorage Daily News (adn.com): every
>year, Alaskans hit a staggering 1.5 MILLION deer! That's 4000 per day,
>in a huge state that doesn't have many cars or roads. (That doesn't
>include collisions with moose, bear, etc.) You'd think that, if there
>were a real solution, Alaskans would be using it.

Actually, while the article does not really say so, from the
context I would think the 1.5 million may be nationwide. The 700
moose number is explicitly stated to be Alaska, however. I am
surprised to see the dead rate (2 out of 700) is so low. Then
again, thinking of the roads, maybe I am not that surprised. I
guess in most collisions, they are not going fast.

Leon

http://www.adn.com/front/story/5791920p-5725473c.html

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

Much to my regret, I found out that the deer whistles can startle the deer
into blind flight. Scratch one headlight and fender. (89 MPV)

"pws" > wrote in message
...
> Having already lost one miata to a deer collision, and a lot more driving
> through deer country to look forward to, I am wondering if those plastic
> deer whistlers are actually effective. This is my first large animal of
> any kind to hit in my nearly 20 years of driving, so I can't be sure if I
> have just been lucky or if I would have hit the deer with a set of the
> whistlers installed anyway.
> Basically, I am wondering if anyone with them installed has had a deer
> jump out in front of their car anyway, and, for people that live in
> highly-populated deer areas, do the whistles seem to help cut down on
> close-call collisions? I am hoping to hear personal experience rather than
> just seeing the manufacturer claims.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Pat


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