View Poll Results: Do the deer alerts work?
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 42. You may not vote on this poll
Deer alert
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 0
From: Eastern Iowa Soon Texas
I live 3 mile outside of nowhere and installed them on all my personal vehicles and never hit a deer... There wasn't any on my big truck and hit 5 last winter, put a set on the big truck and havent hit one since 
My guess would be they work 
My guess would be they work
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,542
Likes: 22
From: Murphysboro, IL
I put approx. 25,000 miles a year onmy truck and probably 20-30,000 per year on my work truck. I have never had them installed and I have only hit one deer in eight years. I had actually come to a stop, the deer went off the road and when i was still in first gear it ran back across the road, no damage to the truk but my truck knocked mrs. deer to the ground, tires rolled over her head and I had a nice dinner that week. Usually I never slow down when I see them, 90% of the time I couldn't stop anyway and it would do more damage to try and stop to avoid a collision than to just hit the deer.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
I used to be one that said I never hit a deer, the first I got I pegged at 70 mph, wiped out the front end on my 89 Grand Am, and had the deer whistles on it. I now have hit about 5 by now, if not a few more, only the 2 were serious damage, the rest have been minor. I know of many others that have had hits with the whistles. When they get on a stupi run, it doesn't seem to matter.I just hit a bambi last week, would have been fine if it would have kept going, but turned around and cam back. Hit slow enough just broke the grille a bit, but the bambi wasn't as lucky, because it was the head that broke it. Majority of the time, they just pop out of the ditch and there they are, you can't get slowed down in time to avoid. I have swerved between 2 of them at 85 or so, and had other near misses, but there are those unlucky few...
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 0
From: Back where I started...
I've lots of people who had them hit deer. Deer walk right out in front of me with lights on and loud exhaust. If that doesn't scare them, I don't think the whistles will.
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 686
Likes: 1
From: Edgewood, Wa
I've seen deer hit both with, and without.....but you have to look at one small detail.. look for the suicide note around their neck!! Wacky critters 
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Brett Foote
Super Moderator
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,517
Likes: 2,826
Several if not 10 or so years ago when the deer whistles came out, a Car & Driver columnist checked them out. He reckoned that since Ohio was such an uptight state, maybe they would have info. Sure enough, they had tested them on Ohio State Police cars. They don't work.
Your mileage may vary.
Anyone with them ever see the deer stop and look up, around and at them?
Your mileage may vary.
Anyone with them ever see the deer stop and look up, around and at them?
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
on that one occasion, yes, they appeared to look right at me, and it was the Grand Am I later wiped out with a big ol' buck, but as I said, she was standing in the ditch, already not running, just grazing.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 0
From: IOWA
You guys are doing it all wrong. The key to dodging deer is to head straight at them. You have a lot better chance of missing them. Normally, when you see a deer you swerve to go around them, and then they jump in front of you and you have deer meat for the next week, as previously mentioned. But when you head straight at them, you have a lot better chance that they will jump either way, which would be out of your way. I'm still testing this theory, and so far it has proven itself true. I don't make any guarantees and I don't want anybody coming to me with a lawsuit because they hit a deer using my method. 
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
I've done that too, she launched off the front of the Beretta I was driving, I hit the brakes, it jumped, minimized the damage, but usually, I don't have the time to respond, they just appear and SHMUCK there it is!!!!
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
CHP tried them when they first came out, an officer I talked to said they hit just as many deer with them as without them. My Ranger had them on it when I got it, first mod I made was to yank 'em off, they looked silly. BTW, has anyone noticed that the majority of deer roadkills seem to be does? I saw a buck DOA this morning on the way to work, first one I've seen for a long time. Nice rack, too. It was gone when I came home, but a doe will lie there till the vultures are done with it. -TD