Brush (Deer) Guards?

f150smith · 11-16-03, 09:25

With all the late night and early morning trips I make to and from the airport, about 90 miles roundtrip, I've been looking at installing a Brush Guard to the front of my F150. Any of you truck or suv owners have any suggestions as to the which ones are the best built to withstand stiking something like a deer. On a recent trip I counted 15 deer on the edge of the 4 lane I take and honestly it's scaring the you know what out of me every time i drive this road. And one lady I work with has hit not one but 2 over the last month on a more remote stretch of road jsut off US 64.

Any suggestions, recomendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

Al

Simon · 11-17-03, 07:16

Westin makes a good product. I installed a safari bar on my dad's QX4 and it is very sturdy. I don't know about impact protection, but I'm sure anything is better than nothing.
Mount some Hella's on there and you can blind the deer too.

f150smith · 11-17-03, 10:35

Thanks guys, especially BlackRegal. Had not thought about the difference between the so called Bull Bars and Brush Guards. Will check them out.

Guess My Name · 11-17-03, 01:19

FYI.....If you hit big enough deer....you may still get front end damage....as most brush guards are not designed for true protection......

Good luck....and happy shopping

f150smith · 11-17-03, 10:11

Yea, I'm sure if it's big enough or I'm driving too fast some damage will occur, but with deer collisions being responshible for almost 25% of all vehicle damage claims in NC, any protection is better than none.

Scottwax · 11-17-03, 10:47

Regardless of which one you get, for your own convienence, make sure when it is installed, they leave you enough room to clean your headlights and grill. Many of them that I see are so close to the headlights you can't completely clean them.

PAW · 11-18-03, 08:36

When does huntin' season start in NC?

Maybe you need a complementry hobby for detailing. Serious, there was a TV news segment recently on the exploding deer population. It's a national problem. I believe they quoted the 25% figure also. The only alternative is to thin the population via hunting or reintroduce their natural predator (i.e., wolves).

f150smith · 11-18-03, 08:30

Bow and Black powder season opened a few weeks ago and gun season opened last Saturday. I think this is one reason they are migrating more out of the woods to the edges of the highways. All the hunters have them spooked and are chasing them out of there bedding areas. Yea, I may need to take up a new hobby.
Bam!!!!!! Got ya. Or jus t buy a rifle and carry it with me, then stop when I see those eyes staring at me from the edge of the road or in the case of one buck, he was in a grassy median with cars running about 70 in each direction.

PAW · 11-18-03, 10:05

A couple of years ago, I saw a nice buck and 3 or 4 does. They were in a triangular median. Surrounded by 2 interstate highways and on/off ramps. DUH!

titus · 11-18-03, 11:49

Maybe not 'Duh". Not too many hunters at that spot!

PAW · 11-19-03, 08:32

Hunters, no. But, hundreds of car, trucks, SUVs and Semis per hour.

I think we need to genetically engineer deers that know to look before they cross the road.

I was riding my bicycle in the Colorado mountains a few years ago. I was descending a hill around a lake at about 30 - 40 mph. A deer jump across the road in front of me. It was so close I could hear it's hoofs click on the pavement and see it's eye looking at me. I'm just glad he didn't have any friends that followed him. Hitting a deer with a steel car wrapped around you is one thing. Hitting a deer with nothing but a piece of lyra on your butt is another. :scared

mikeross · 10-14-09, 08:32

I've got brush guards on my truck but when I ran into a few deers last month it really was scary.. the grill guard was a bit distorted after those rough incidents..