Deer protection

Honking your horn is to get a deer that didn't notice you coming .to go into 'run away from the loud noise' mode.
Turning off your headlights is to avoid the 'freeze' reaction on the part of the deer.
Deer do not dive into bright lights.
Deer do use a bounding action to jump up away from danger, and likely lower their head as part of the plyometric muscle action of winding up like a rubber band to explode into the leap up.
If you are unlucky enough to strike the deer after it managed to bound up, its coming through the windshield.

 

Agreed, I went ARB even though there are better looking bumpers out there. One thing that ARB builds into their bumper is a piece that connects to the frame that if you crash it takes the impact and crunches together. Not sure how well it works or how much of the impact it takes but if you YouTube 'how an ARB bumper is made' I'm sure you'll find the video and it'll explain that portion.

Not putting down any of the bumpers made by vendors here but that's the reason I went with an ARB bumper Plus I believe they are also DOT approved but not for sure.

 

My dad just hit a deer that screwed up the front end and radiator.

He's pretty torn up about it. He just bought a brand new Grand Cherokee about 5 months ago.

I recommended he upgrade to an ARB instead of OEM.

 

OP, Have you considered one of these?

http://www.aluminess.com/toyota/toyota-tacoma-2012-2013/front-bumper/

They make one for the 2008 Tacomas as well. I've been thinking about getting one.

The aluminum bumper only weighs like 20 more lbs than stock. I think it would handle a deer strike at high speed and not bend. The full cover Aluminess bumper seems like it has pretty good protection and will fire the deer down instead of up and over your hood

 

I think they may work. I have seen deer and dogs on the side of the road that seem very aware and almost weary of me passing them. They hear something they do not like.

 

^This

I think a plate bumper would have minimal effect on protecting your truck from hitting a deer. It might lessen the front end damage to the front grill and bumper, but I doubt it will get you off without a scratch most times. Everyone in my family has hit a deer at some point including myself, living in rural PA. I know about 3/4 of the time it's not a head on impact. Most of the time it's the deer hitting you, by jumping out from thick brush/bushes along the side of the road into the side of the vehicle.

 

I hit a deer at 9a on a fairly bright morning on the 52 (was it 54?) HY from Minneapolis to Rochester in late Oct.

There's almost nothing you can do about it, except carry comprehensive insurance.

State Farm paid out around $8,000 on front end cosmetics and the internal pulleys, compressor, water pump, hoses, lights, radiator, fan, resevoirs, and etc. And then when summer hit, I found out the A/C was still dead, so they replaced the A/C radiator. State Farm is good like that.

On the plus side, my truck never ran so good, and I got entirely new hoses at ~100K miles, lol. And man that engine compartment was pretty for 1st gen.

They did replace the bull bar, as well, but it didn't do much except possibly mangle the retaining bolts, lol...

 

Several on here have mentioned the deer whistles and I also swear by them. I've seen on more than 1 occasion while driving in the morning dawn hours and the evening dusk hours a deer that was just about to go into the road and when I got maybe 50 yards away just froze, turned, and ran the opposite direction. They definitely hear something they don't like. Hit 2 deer previously to the whistles and zero since installing them about 10 years ago. For $5 what have you got to lose?>

 

http://www.marketplace.org/content/roadkill-roadtrip

 

I've got the trail gear tube bumper and have hit 2 deer. One on the left side and one square on. Bumper is flawless, when the one hit me on the side though, his head broke my DRL which was unfortunate but no bumper without specific protection for the headlights will help with that

 

Attracted by the headlights.

 

The Baja suspension keeps deer away

 

Actually have any of you seen the movie Firefox? The plane had the back word firing missile in order to fire it you had to think in Russian.

Well deer work the same way only you have to think in deer instead of Russian.
It works for me. First time though a deer ran towards me I realized I must have thought "I'm horny" in deer so I tried thinking "I'm that annoying asshole your mother told you about" that makes them run away.

 

When I see deer I stick my head out the window and scream "DO IT YOU PUSSY!" in an attempt to call their bluff.. so far it only seems to encourage their suicidal tendencies but reverse psychology is a real thing.. just not sure that it works on deer.

 

I've invited you and OZ to this conversation feature, let's discuss it there, eh?

 

Obviously you don't have me on ignore. If you can see my posts you can see my conversation invites. The invite is there if you and OZ want to make this conversation private instead of cluttering this thread.

 

Not sure I need to discuss the finer points of turning off your headlights at night and honking your horn to scare away deer to figure out that it's retarded

 

For me thinking in deer alone works. Of course I'd suppose that a deer in Russia or a Roe deer in Germany might not understand me and it could result in an accident. Then what if your in Qubec? I bet you'd have to think in Canadian and French Canadian. In that case I think I'll roll down my windows and holler.

 

*Quebec
*Quebecois

 

Alright, the invite is there if you wish to discuss our differences privately. Click on your username, click on Conversations.