Not exactly a question, but I was driving back to school today on 50 through west virginia, down a mountain (Backbone mountain I think), when out of the woods steps a grouse. I'd never seen one before in real life so i thought "neat, a grouse". And then it flies out in front of my car. The first animal I've ever hit with my car and it has to be something neat like a grouse. And i couldn't even pull over to pick it up ( would've liked to at least sketch it). I just hope it was a male (no offense to you guys out there) so it wouldn't be getting ready to nest. So I just wanted to apologize to all the grouses out there. I'll be more careful next time!

-- Elizabeth (lividia66@aol.com), April 21, 2002

Answers

I know how you feel.....about a month ago I was coming home after dark with my three daughters from the movies....just around a curve something light colored and small dog sized jumped in front of us....I never even had time to touch the brakes. I got out to check and be sure that the "dog" was dead...it was a beautiful female bobcat, killed instantly by injury to the head. I couldn't bear to have her rot away at the roadside, so I took her to a taxidermist I know who skinned her and sent her hide to some outfit in Califonia that tans fur. I was glad that she did not appear to be pregnant or nursing kittens. Julie in OK

-- Julie (okwilk213@juno.com), April 21, 2002.

Grouse are beautiful birds. Don't feel too bad Elizabeth, I've done the same thing several times. Although grouse are a very difficult bird to hunt/shoot I sometimes wonder how samrt they really are. They come to the sides of the road for the grit. But for what ever reason they always seem to jump up infront of the car or one time I even had one just fly right into the side of the car. There never seems anyway to avoid them. Flickers are known for that too! Too bad you couldn't go and get it. It might have been a bit too tenderized.

Susan

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), April 21, 2002.

Just returned this afternoon from a beautiful (but too quick) 5-day trip in WV. Saw my first 2 live grouse ever!! I was so excited, I made my husband slam on the brakes on a slimy wet gravelly mountain road! A beautiful site -

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), April 21, 2002.

Elizabeth, Here in north central Pa. the area is full of grouse. They seem to have no traffic sense, and walk right out on the road in front of cars. I hate to hit them, and brake when possible, but still hit one occasionally. Yep, a beautiful bird, we are told their numbers are dwindeling, and I guess I see why!

-- Woodsbilly n.c. Pa. (coleenl@penn.com), April 21, 2002.

In the Texas Panhandle pheasants are a real problem because they fly so low and so fast.

-- paul (wprimeroselane@msn.com), April 22, 2002.

Around here it seems that the deer are more dumb than the grouse. Driving along the road, we'll see a few deer standing on the side just watching us get closer. Then, when we're almost past them (driving very slowly), sometimes one or two will jump and try to cross the road!! Guess they just like playing "Chicken" with the cars :-)!! The moose are even worse!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 22, 2002.

sounds like the deer around here!

Elizabeth, don't feel bad, mine was way worse!! I hit a huge HAWK! It was on the shoulder of the road in the shadows, I thought it was a duck by the size and slowed as they usually just waddle along the road and then into the grass. I didn't slow enough, because it suddenly spread it's wings and tried to launch across the road! It couldn't get enough lift on that big body and I was out of road! I got out to check on it hoping I had only 'bumped' it at my low speed.I hadn't even ruffled the feathers really, but I held it as it's eyes faded shut and it went limp! I bawled all the 45 minutes to work! I LOVE birds of prey! they are sooooo amazing. I was devastated!! I was not able to keep it either as it very illegal!

A week later I hit a seagull (yes, there are seagulls in ND! Don't ask, I don't get it either!)the same way! The guys at work would not let me live it down for months!

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), April 22, 2002.

I hit a raccoon a while back. Went back and she was dazed. I scooped her into a dog cage, brought her to work the next day anesthetised her and fixed her front teeth. Took her home and 3 days later she decided she was healed, broke out of the dog kennel and went her merry way.

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.