Hoards of 'em, Thahsand's of 'em

[montravia]

No, not the line from the '60's film.
Pheasants. £cking everywhere
We're used to the here, there's a covey in the Windrush below, partridge and some dear. It's part of rural life.
So we know to keep a sharp eye out and keep speed as to visibility view and stopping distance.
You know just how stupid they are.

This morning, outwards, stupid cock strolls into road. Foot already on the brake, horn blare, flashing lights and a comfortable halt.

Did he budge? Nah. Stopped and looked me straight in the eye, and then toddled off. Probably questioning who was the real cock.

Return journey, gingerly slow as the greasy road around 2 degrees C. Out darts a high speed hen, just a flash out the corner of the eye, the thump underneath, and sinking heart.

2 minutes later, the the thumb and finger steering became heavy, and pulling off to the drive a minute later needed two hands on one side to turn the wheel.
Yup, fluid pouring under the nearside Steering fluid bottle.
Could have been any of our cars.
S0d, The lovely Dan and his Low Loader booked for Southampton again.

Are the hydraulic lines really that exposed?
Robin

 

[conaero]

The lines are protected by the undertray so I feel it will be the ps cooler but we will see when she gets here.

Do you want the feathers back?

 

[montravia]

Do you want the feathers back?

Nah, thanks, Matt, very kind of you, but got tons of them already (that's a lot) scattered along the B4077, daily.

 

[alfatwo]

Not an animal lover then mate!

Dave

 

[RobinL]

Had enough of pheasants, deer and badgers etc whilst I was in Aberdeen.
Here in Llandudno it's seagulls - not on the road but head height when the chicks start flying. They misjudge the distance to your car, take to the wing at the last minute, or go the wrong way.
They either scare themselves shitless all over your bonnet and screen, or bounce of the glass!
Very few get into the radiator - 1 so far this year.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

 

[Saigon]

I hit a sheep once while in the Shetlands, and no it wasn’t in the pub after an argument, It was while driving to work one morning and it totally took out the front end, radiator the lot. But it’s a fact that the locals would allow their sheep to wander on the road because they got a fixed payment from the oil company that I worked for at the time for every sheep killed on the road on the way to the site.

 

[Swedish Paul]

Elk are the big danger over here. Hit one of those at 60 and you’re dead.

 

[Oneball]

That’s a cock

Had one a couple of years ago just stand in the middle of the road. I stopped. Artic coming the other way stopped. The w@nker behind me who’d been shoved up my **** for the last ten minutes because I was taken it easy as it was icy lost it on said ice and went up the bank into the hedge. I thought to myself “God’s on form today”

 

[montravia]

Not an animal lover then mate!

Dave

Not an animal lover. Live with a small chocolate poodle for a few years?
Say hello to Rosie Montravia. My handle pic

Robin

 

[happydaze]

Nah, thanks, Matt, very kind of you, but got tons of them already (that's a lot) scattered along the B4077, daily.

You sound like a pheasant plucker...

 

[RobinL]

Elk are the big danger over here. Hit one of those at 60 and you’re dead.

You're not wrong. Spindly legs holding up 1/2 ton of animal with antlers.
Legs snap without any resistance leaving the body to go neatly through the windscreen!!

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[Saigon]

Elk are the big danger over here. Hit one of those at 60 and you’re dead.

What if you are younger ?

 

[Lavazza]

I live in the country, have done for decades and routinely drive open fell with sheep, cows and horses.
Whilst nobody is infallible (and genuine accidents do happen), it's a bad thing to hit an animal. I once hit a young deer that ran out in darkness from nowhere, I was devastated (about 30 years ago). There's little excuse for hitting sheep or other livestock, regardless of what people think, they do have a degree of road sense, and it's a legal requirement to report it.

 

[Silvercat]

I hit a sheep once while in the Shetlands, and no it wasn’t in the pub after an argument, It was while driving to work one morning and it totally took out the front end, radiator the lot. But it’s a fact that the locals would allow their sheep to wander on the road because they got a fixed payment from the oil company that I worked for at the time for every sheep killed on the road on the way to the site.

4 years ago I hit a sheepdog with my car when the stupid farmer didnt have control of his dog and it decided to jump over a dry stone wall right into my path. Luckily I was driving quite slowly at the time and managed to stop but I still hit the dog. He just bounced off the bumper. I got out and looked at the car bumper but no obvious damage. Checked the dog was OK and he was fine. Never thought anything of it until a month later when I returned the car after the end of the lease contract. On inspection at the handover, the bonnet was lifted only to find all of the top fairing smashed in to pieces in the engine compartment, presumably by the impact with the dog. I suppose because of this the dog wasnt hurt but it cost my company £1600 to replace the smashed panels.

 

[CatmanV2]

You sound like a pheasant plucker...

Nah, he's the pheasant plucker's son!
C

 

[CatmanV2]

I live in the country, have done for decades and routinely drive open fell with sheep, cows and horses.
Whilst nobody is infallible (and genuine accidents do happen), it's a bad thing to hit an animal. I once hit a young deer that ran out in darkness from nowhere, I was devastated (about 30 years ago). There's little excuse for hitting sheep or other livestock, regardless of what people think, they do have a degree of road sense, and it's a legal requirement to report it.

When I did my bike training it was 'Smaller than a badger, otherwise lay it down' And badger was borderline.

C

 

[happydaze]

So he'll keep on plucking pheasants 'till the pheasant plucking's done?

 

[Nayf]

A year or so I was driving the GTA... enthusiastically. Hit a grouse, which then rebounded into some MAMILS coming the other way.
GTA’s number plate hanger was broken. Didn’t hang around to see about the MAMILS

 

[montravia]

Ok boys. I'm well and truly ragged.

Agree. Those of us used to rural life get used to being alert. Ditto 40 years in rural living and the majority are completely avoidable. Narrow roads with cover each side and a rushing animal give zero opportunity for avoidance and inevitably probability wins.

It's just a reminder to us all that fine open rural roads offer hazards to the unwary and even diligent.

 

[CatmanV2]

So he'll keep on plucking pheasants 'till the pheasant plucking's done?

Or until the pheasant plucker comes, I guess

C