Why are farmers allowed to let phesants live in the road?!

Why are farmers allowed to let phesants live in the road?!

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walm

10,609 posts

203 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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blueg33 said:
Don't hit them - I hardly potter, I drive an Evora as a daily. Most of the time on a fast A road pheasants won't be there, but if you pay attention you avoid them.
You're confusing luck with skill.
I haven't hit one I can remember but that is purely down to some fortunate timing, nothing to do with observation.
We have trees right up to the edge of most of our local A-roads so a pheasant can easily run out under your left tyre before you have time to think - WTF!

blueg33

36,019 posts

225 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
walm said:
blueg33 said:
Don't hit them - I hardly potter, I drive an Evora as a daily. Most of the time on a fast A road pheasants won't be there, but if you pay attention you avoid them.
You're confusing luck with skill.
I haven't hit one I can remember but that is purely down to some fortunate timing, nothing to do with observation.
We have trees right up to the edge of most of our local A-roads so a pheasant can easily run out under your left tyre before you have time to think - WTF!
Nope, I'm not. Its rare to see pheasants on fast A roads, yes occasionally they run out right in front of the car, but generally they don't. If you see them slow down, be prepared for them to run in erratic directions.

I don't believe that I have had 15 years of good luck when it comes to not hitting pheasants, rabbits are the things that do get hit the most.

theboss

6,924 posts

220 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
walm said:
blueg33 said:
Don't hit them - I hardly potter, I drive an Evora as a daily. Most of the time on a fast A road pheasants won't be there, but if you pay attention you avoid them.
You're confusing luck with skill.
I haven't hit one I can remember but that is purely down to some fortunate timing, nothing to do with observation.
We have trees right up to the edge of most of our local A-roads so a pheasant can easily run out under your left tyre before you have time to think - WTF!
Nope, I'm not. Its rare to see pheasants on fast A roads, yes occasionally they run out right in front of the car, but generally they don't. If you see them slow down, be prepared for them to run in erratic directions.

I don't believe that I have had 15 years of good luck when it comes to not hitting pheasants, rabbits are the things that do get hit the most.
It's not rare to see pheasants on fast A roads at all. It's rare to see them hanging around there for any length of time because they don't last very long, and when hit at speed they tend to disintegrate rather than lie gracefully on the road to serve as a warning. There's a stretch of A road near my house, bordering estate land, where they are susceptible to just running out from long grass or trees, especially early in the morning when the roads are quiet and I'm just leaving for work. I've driven this road a thousand times in the last few years and have had two pheasant collisions. In both instances I saw the pheasants and slowed, but was not prepared to perform either a full scale emergency brake nor serve, and so inevitably hit them causing damage to the car on both occasions.

The only real answer is to slow down, but as they are birds rather than small children, and as I'm usually intent on getting somewhere swiftly, I elect to take the small risk of an unavoidable collision. They are merely a pain in the arse.

walm

10,609 posts

203 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
Its rare to see pheasants on fast A roads, yes occasionally they run out right in front of the car, but generally they don't.
They aren't that rare at this time of year round my way. And every single one appears to want to inspect my radiator from the inside!
Honestly - they are everywhere.
Unless you were going at walking pace there is always a chance of one running out and you not stopping in time.

Atmospheric

5,306 posts

209 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Slow down enough not to cause too much damage.

Then arrange a 5 bird.


soad

32,915 posts

177 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Atmospheric said:
Slow down enough not to cause too much damage.

Then arrange a 5 bird.

Stuffed bird! cloud9

Don

28,377 posts

285 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Has anyone made the inevitable comparison with cats, yet? Why are cat owners allowed to let them out, eh?

rolleyes


Impasse

15,099 posts

242 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Don said:
Has anyone made the inevitable comparison with cats, yet? Why are cat owners allowed to let them out, eh?

rolleyes
To catch those pesky pheasants.

GAjon

3,737 posts

214 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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There's a documentary on you tube showing how you can avoid them by driving very fast down the hard shoulder.

James19181

238 posts

113 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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GAjon said:
There's a documentary on you tube showing how you can avoid them by driving very fast down the hard shoulder.
Then you get suicidal Zafiras. Can't win.

blueg33

36,019 posts

225 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
walm said:
blueg33 said:
Its rare to see pheasants on fast A roads, yes occasionally they run out right in front of the car, but generally they don't.
They aren't that rare at this time of year round my way. And every single one appears to want to inspect my radiator from the inside!
Honestly - they are everywhere.
Unless you were going at walking pace there is always a chance of one running out and you not stopping in time.
As I said earlier, there are loads round here as the village is in the middle of a shooting estate. There is one in my garden right now. But, you very rarely see them on the a roads. The fast B roads have the highest death toll, but still they don't get hit that often by locals. Its people whizzing through with no idea.

I agree that they do sometimes run out, but generally I reckon they can be avoided. Its not just down to luck otherwise I would be a lottery millionaire



andy43

9,733 posts

255 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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OP - a strongly worded letter to the Italian Embassy should fix the problem.

Bloody EU birds, coming over here, stealing our, erm, radiator grilles...

theboss

6,924 posts

220 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
walm said:
blueg33 said:
Its rare to see pheasants on fast A roads, yes occasionally they run out right in front of the car, but generally they don't.
They aren't that rare at this time of year round my way. And every single one appears to want to inspect my radiator from the inside!
Honestly - they are everywhere.
Unless you were going at walking pace there is always a chance of one running out and you not stopping in time.
As I said earlier, there are loads round here as the village is in the middle of a shooting estate. There is one in my garden right now. But, you very rarely see them on the a roads. The fast B roads have the highest death toll, but still they don't get hit that often by locals. Its people whizzing through with no idea.

I agree that they do sometimes run out, but generally I reckon they can be avoided. Its not just down to luck otherwise I would be a lottery millionaire
I wish 'my' pheasants were clever enough to distinguish between wise locals and clueless outsiders before throwing themselves in front of cars doing 60mph.

I understand what you're saying about back roads and the principle of being aware and able to stop in the distance you can see clear, etc. but if you're doing 60+ on a road like this https://goo.gl/maps/RbQ1t and one darts out, I'm afraid you're simply unlucky. That's exactly where I nailed the last two - they ran out together as if a pact had been made, costing me some kidney grilles hehe

swisstoni

17,054 posts

280 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Boris Johnson should be congratulated for the low pheasant casualties in London.

Devil2575

13,400 posts

189 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Don said:
Has anyone made the inevitable comparison with cats, yet? Why are cat owners allowed to let them out, eh?

rolleyes
On my route to work I may see one cat, but during the right season I will see dozens of pheasants. In fact in 2.5 years of commuting on my bike I've never come close to hitting a cat but had a fair few incidents where pheasants have flown or run out of cover at the last minute into my path.

walm

10,609 posts

203 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
theboss said:
I wish 'my' pheasants were clever enough to distinguish between wise locals and clueless outsiders before throwing themselves in front of cars doing 60mph.

I understand what you're saying about back roads and the principle of being aware and able to stop in the distance you can see clear, etc. but if you're doing 60+ on a road like this https://goo.gl/maps/RbQ1t and one darts out, I'm afraid you're simply unlucky. That's exactly where I nailed the last two - they ran out together as if a pact had been made, costing me some kidney grilles hehe
That's a bad example as there is loads of clear grass for you to see them on their run up to death.
Try here (and it's only a 50 but even then...) https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/A32,+Hampshire...

Dog Star

16,147 posts

169 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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What kind of crappy car gets damaged by a pheasant? Whenever I've hit one it just explodes leaving no evidence at all.

Dog Star

16,147 posts

169 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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double post

Edited by Dog Star on Monday 13th April 18:04

Zyp

14,704 posts

190 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Leithen said:
The curious thing about wildlife?











It's wild.

rolleyes
Wild?

I bet it'd be LIVID if it got squished.

viscountdallara

2,818 posts

146 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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^^^^ roflrofl

Think yourself lucky OP !!!

You can't even walk up my stairs without one of the buggers nearly having your eye out !!








biggrin