Has anyone been hit by a deer?

Interesting how he puts it as "a deer hit my car" instead of "I hit a deer with my car".

Anyone who I know who hit a deer with their car had extensive damage. But that usually happens on a highway at high rates of speed that are hard to react quickly enough to when seeing a deer jump out in the road/highway.

I guess technically it would depend on the circumstances of the accident. It sounds like you possibly don't believe him based on your previous comment on "history here". Yikes, tricky one, good luck!

My daughter was hit by a deer. Hit in the driver's door panel. The only damage was a big dent in the door.

I've hit more deer than I can count. Everyone hits a deer at some point if you live in a rural area like I do. Your DH could have very well clipped the deer. Not all deer accidents involve head on collisions.

That's how car insurance looks at it.  A deer (or other animal) hitting your car is considered comprehensive damage, not collision damage.  

It could be-you said the bumper was barely hanging on, so I think hitting a deer could rip off a part of the bumper. But per the history, I see why you are suspicious!

I have hit a small deer myself and it barely left a mark. I also know someone who totaled their car hitting a large deer at highway speed.

My friend Al was HIT BY A DEER-it hit him right behind the driver's door of his truck. You can't make this stuff up!

DH's cousin hit a Canadian Goose and it broke the radiator.

The difference in wording makes sense, I'm just not sure I've ever heard it put that way with the people who I know it's happened to!

Not me but dh and DD#1. Hubby's car was a mess on the front because it was a small vehicle, and the huge buck came up on the hood into the window. It was bad. DD's vehicle just had a tiny bit of damage as it was a large SUV, small doe, and they clipped each other. Really depends on many circumstances.

My BIL was hit by a deer on the way to work one day. He was riding his motorcycle and it knocked him off the motorcycle. There was a car behind BIL and they witnessed the accident and called the ambulance. It’s a good thing because BIL was all set to get back on the bike and go to work.

Several years ago a deer came running across the road and hit our car broadside ~ the mirror got the brunt of it and a few indentations on the door. Cost $4000 to repair. It could be the deer glanced off the bumper that was already damaged.

I've hit a deer, and a deer has hit me. I'm in northern MN. pretty common. A deer can total a vehicle, or just be a minor clip if you're lucky.
Why would you not believe him? hmmmmm

I got hit by a deer once, but not hard. It scampered off, so hopefully was okay. No damage to my car. But I’d believe anything from no damage to a total loss.


And for those who seem confused, hitting a deer and getting hit by a deer are two different things. When the deer runs into you, not vice versa, we don’t call it “hitting a deer.” Because we didn’t hit the deer. The deer hit us.


ETA as to OP’s question: I think that generally speaking, a deer running into a car isn’t moving as fast as the car in question, and also doesn’t weigh nearly as much. So that would explain the lighter damage than you were expecting to see.

Over the years, my vehicle has had several interactions with deer. Once, I stopped just in time when one ran in front of me and the deer kicked out the glass from one of my headlights. Once, a deer running directly across the road ran directly into a side panel of a door, and the whole door needed to be replaced. But other times--except when one jumped over a snowbank, rolled across the hood of my little car, then leaped over the bank on the opposite side of the road--there was minimal damage. Each time, my dh grilled me when I got home, always assuming it had to be MY fault!

Then one glorious day, (not for the deer I guess, but he DID scamper away from the scene) a deer took off his side mirror as they tried to avoid each other. Now he believes that deer can "run into a car".

After the more serious incident, my brother bought me deer whistles for Christmas. I have used them ever since, and touch wood, have not since had an encounter anywhere near that close.