Colorado driver kills 47 antelope

If I was hunting and shot at an antelope with 46 others behind it, I would be cited for several violations, probably for reckless discharge of a firearm - know your target and beyond, and such. How the heck is it OK to drive a car and not be held to the same standard, too fast, known bad road and shoulder conditions, obviously people knew the 'lopes were about and restricted in their travel routes following storms, and still plowed the whole herd? I too have hit a deer. It happens. I get it. One is an accident.... 2 or more is an accident and is a shame... But 47 is a crime and something reckless had to be going on there. If only for the hazard the driver put themselves and others in for not slowing down in general when they can't see down the road far enough or couldn't stop if they did. What if it was a human by their car broken down on the side, or a group of kids. What if it was a herd of elk, or some moose, could have been in that area. was this person suicidal?
 
Bullshot said:
If I was hunting and shot at an antelope with 46 others behind it, I would be cited for several violations, probably for reckless discharge of a firearm - know your target and beyond, and such. How the heck is it OK to drive a car and not be held to the same standard, too fast, known bad road and shoulder conditions, obviously people knew the 'lopes were about and restricted in their travel routes following storms, and still plowed the whole herd? I too have hit a deer. It happens. I get it. One is an accident.... 2 or more is an accident and is a shame... But 47 is a crime and something reckless had to be going on there. If only for the hazard the driver put themselves and others in for not slowing down in general when they can't see down the road far enough or couldn't stop if they did. What if it was a human by their car broken down on the side, or a group of kids. What if it was a herd of elk, or some moose, could have been in that area. was this person suicidal?
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Calm down you made a ton of assumptions even though there is little to no info in those articles. Your rush to crucify someone with no real knowledge of the events surrounding the accident seems to be typical in this day and age.

Have you ever driven a semi? They don't stop on a dime especially with icy conditions. Even if it was a regular car (seems unlikely) should they have swerved to miss 47 antelope probably nowhere to go no time to stop. If a vehicle was going 65 topped a hill and found 50 antelope either bedded on the road or just in the middle of crossing the highway not much to do but slam on the breaks and wait to stop. Only scenario that makes sense.
 
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I have no info on this incident, but have witnessed several impacts on I-80 where semi drivers never even hit the brakes as dozens of deer or antelope were mowed over (for lack of a better term)... granted all of these I saw we're in the 80s or 90s. Malicious or no, its a very unfortunate waste.
 
It’s it pretty much a ubiquitously known fact that you never slam on your brakes on ice and that it’s better to hit an animal than avoid them.

Definitely a disaster, but I think there are lots of scenarios where the driver did everything right aside from driving too fast for conditions.
 
Wish more freight was transported by diesel trains then semis. Especially cross country. It would clear up the interstates and big trains are neat. What a waste of a herd. It will take a decade to replace that herd.
 
I’ve seen the bodies double that amount when they get close to the railroad tracks. I wish I knew how to fix it.
 
OverlordBear said:
Wish more freight was transported by diesel trains then semis. Especially cross country. It would clear up the interstates and big trains are neat. What a waste of a herd. It will take a decade to replace that herd.
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Trains take out a lot of game animals. My buddy drives trains and said if there is a herd of elk on the track they are done. You aren't stopping a train.
 
That is really unfortunate.

It would be interesting to know the percentage of big game mortality that is caused by vehicles. I know it would vary by location and weather in a given year, but a couple years ago the local fire chief counted over 100 deer and elk in a year timespan over a 14 mile stretch just north of me. Should probably just increase the speed limits again.
 
Nameless Range said:
That is really unfortunate.

It would be interesting to know the percentage of big game mortality that is caused by vehicles. I know it would vary by location and weather in a given year, but a couple years ago the local fire chief counted over 100 deer and elk in a year timespan over a 14 mile stretch just north of me. Should probably just increase the speed limits again.
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or a few more animal overpasses.
 
I agree we should look for way to mitigate it. I also think drivers need to take a little more responsibility in some situations.
 
Grundy53 said:
Trains take out a lot of game animals. My buddy drives trains and said if there is a herd of elk on the track they are done. You aren't stopping a train.
Click to expand...

Just a guess, but I believe there are far more animals hit by trains than vehicles.
 
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