Ever been hit by a turkey?

[Icc5]

We flew into Spokane, got our rental car and started driving towards Montana to Glacier. About 200 miles later at 65-70 MPH (speed limit was 70) a turkey suddenly came out of nowhere trying to fly. It hit the passenger side headlight (broke it), hit the hood and left two large dents and then hit the windshield. The windshield didn't break but we sure thought it had. I was the passenger and heard the hit on the light and then everything was so fast I just raised my arms to protect my head area.
My wife was driving,saw the turkey a second before it hit. What a scary experience and I guess we are just lucky it wasn't a bigger animal.
When this happened we had just passed a deer sign and were joking about the people that say the deer should read and then the signs could be moved somewhere else.
Bart

 

[Elan]

Never been hit by a turkey, but I did hit a deer one evening while doing 75-80mph through the desert. Interesting experience.

 

[Passepartout]

You were VERY lucky! In my 4+ million miles, I had a lot of animals/birds get in the way. I had a great horned owl shatter, but not come through a windshield. I thinned the population of several deer herds over the years. Most of them lose in the end, but not without doing damage. A turkey could really wreck your day if it HAD come through the windshield. What did he car rental outfit say/do? Hopefully they replace the car for you.

Be safe now and enjoy your vacation. This should be a beautiful time of year in Glacier.

Jim

 

[vacationhopeful]

We have had a LARGE population of Turkeys in my area for years ... see ONE assume there are 30+ of them.

Yes, they FLY despite their size. Do a LOT of damage - both the vehicles and yards & gardens.

 

[silentg]

Did the turkey survive?

 

[Icc5]

Car Rental was Enterprise

You were VERY lucky! In my 4+ million miles, I had a lot of animals/birds get in the way. I had a great horned owl shatter, but not come through a windshield. I thinned the population of several deer herds over the years. Most of them lose in the end, but not without doing damage. A turkey could really wreck your day if it HAD come through the windshield. What did he car rental outfit say/do? Hopefully they replace the car for you.

Be safe now and enjoy your vacation. This should be a beautiful time of year in Glacier.

Jim

We called Enterprise and asked what to do? They told us as long as the light still worked though the glass was broken to hang on to the car until our rental period was over. We are to fill out a damage report when we turn it in. We also called our insurance company which is AAA. They said to fax the rental agreement which will show we didn't buy the rental insurance. AAA will pay the amount over our deductible which of course we will have to pay. I had already figured that is what we would pay.
AAA also told us to check with our credit card company because they might cover some of our deductable. I will call but don't think ours does. What gets me is we have a RCI MSTR CARD which I don't believe covers car rentals and it was recently changed from VISA by them which if I remember correctly used to insure on rental cars. Bummer.

 

[csxjohn]

We called Enterprise and asked what to do? They told us as long as the light still worked though the glass was broken to hang on to the car until our rental period was over. We are to fill out a damage report when we turn it in. We also called our insurance company which is AAA. They said to fax the rental agreement which will show we didn't buy the rental insurance. AAA will pay the amount over our deductible which of course we will have to pay. I had already figured that is what we would pay.
AAA also told us to check with our credit card company because they might cover some of our deductable. I will call but don't think ours does. What gets me is we have a RCI MSTR CARD which I don't believe covers car rentals and it was recently changed from VISA by them which if I remember correctly used to insure on rental cars. Bummer.

Discover cards will cover you as long as you don't buy the insurance at the counter. No deductible either.

 

[falmouth3]

Glad that you are OK.

Turkeys fly like cinder blocks with wings. We have a resident turkey family in our neighborhood. The babies are almost as big as their parents already. I see them about once a week and the changes from week to week are amazing - from little fuzz balls to very large birds in almost no time.

 

[ace2000]

Did the turkey survive?

Yes, I'm very concerned also. Is the turkey doing ok?

 

[Elan]

Gravy, or cranberries?

 

[Blues]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf3mgmEdfwg

 

[tashamen]

We have had a LARGE population of Turkeys in my area for years ... see ONE assume there are 30+ of them.

Yes, they FLY despite their size. Do a LOT of damage - both the vehicles and yards & gardens.

Same here. In the last few weeks on my way into work (and often on the way home too) I see at least a dozen turkeys, most of them on the side of the road where they abruptly decide that NOW is the time for them to cross. The morning fog lately has made it even harder to see them.

So far I haven't hit any, or been hit by them.

 

[Tia]

Gravy, or cranberries?

Yes, both please

 

[raygo123]

I was going from Cleveland to Jefferson Ohio had to travel down an unpaved road to go to my customer when I was stop by several turkeys. Out of nowhere a bald eagle came down and swooped up one. It came right over my windshield and the wing span covered it completely. The turkey grazed to top of my car. Scared the . . . . out of me.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[ace2000]

Gravy, or cranberries?

LOL... Are there any vegetarian options?

 

[moonstone]

Living in the country for nearly 30 years we've hit our share of wildlife. I cant recall the number of turkeys we've hit or that have skimmed the car. The worst turkey hit made quite a dent on the hood, took out the radio antenna and a wiper blade arm. We had to go straight to the carwash.

A deer ran into the drivers door of our Smart Car but since the car has a plastic body there was no damage - cant say the same about the deer! Another deer collision (in a different car) resulted in quite a bit of repairs to the car.

DH hit, & actually drove over, a bear (in a Hyundai Elantra) a few years ago - that didnt end well for either the car or the bear! DH was initially afraid to get out of the car to acess the damage in case the bear wasnt dead & just mad! The 911 operator asked DH about 3X if he was sure it was a bear & if he thought it was really dead. The car needed major repairs as the frame got bent when the car went up on 2 wheels going over the bear. We were still finding bits of fur in the grill & engine area years later.

Gotta love country living!

~Diane

 

[Passepartout]

DH hit, & actually drove over, a bear (in a Hyundai Elantra) a few years ago - that didnt end well for either the car or the bear! DH was initially afraid to get out of the car to acess the damage in case the bear wasnt dead & just mad! The 911 operator asked DH about 3X if he was sure it was a bear & if he thought it was really dead. The car needed major repairs as the frame got bent when the car went up on 2 wheels going over the bear. We were still finding bits of fur in the grill & engine area years later.

Gotta love country living!

~Diane

He was lucky. I've seen big trucks actually rolled by going over a bear. They're very dense. A sheep will do it too, but not as easily as a bear. The scariest vehicle/animal collision I've seen was a car hitting a moose at highway speed. Moose are tall enough that the car takes out the legs and goes under the body, and it basically lands on the windshield. It doesn't do the occupants any good at all.

Jim

 

[WinniWoman]

Someone told me when I was in NH this past weekend that a man from Massachusetts was killed Friday night when he hit a moose on Route 93 at the Lincoln, NH exit- the exit by our home resort where we were staying.

 

[Passepartout]

Someone told me when I was in NH this past weekend that a man from Massachusetts was killed Friday night when he hit a moose on Route 93 at the Lincoln, NH exit- the exit by our home resort where we were staying.

That's the usual outcome when a car hits a moose. Both lose.

 

[sue1947]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf3mgmEdfwg

Possibly the funniest sitcom episode ever.

Sue

 

[Sandy VDH]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf3mgmEdfwg

I figured that must be WKRP. It is up there with the "pol opo nies."

I nearly hit a Turkey up in Canada in July. Just missed them by millimeters.

 

[moonstone]

I figured that must be WKRP. It is up there with the "pol opo nies."

I nearly hit a Turkey up in Canada in July. Just missed them by millimeters.

Most of our turkeys are in Ottawa! :rofl:

~Diane

 

[Icc5]

Turkey took own life

1) We didn't hit the turkey, it hit us.
2) Did not survive.

Where we live the only time we saw a turkey was when we first moved in 25+ years ago. A turkey came from a reserve a few blocks away and was in our yard. When it left it flew from the ground to the roof and then ground to next roof. We watched it do that over and over so I think as far as flying it is only short distance.
An exception would be when they hit a car that is going 65-70 MPH, then they can fly like a big rock. I can laugh at it now and when my wife called the rental company but I won't be laughing when the bill comes. First time I've had a turkey without leftovers.

 

[Icc5]

Turkey follow up

We flew into Spokane, got our rental car and started driving towards Montana to Glacier. About 200 miles later at 65-70 MPH (speed limit was 70) a turkey suddenly came out of nowhere trying to fly. It hit the passenger side headlight (broke it), hit the hood and left two large dents and then hit the windshield. The windshield didn't break but we sure thought it had. I was the passenger and heard the hit on the light and then everything was so fast I just raised my arms to protect my head area.
My wife was driving,saw the turkey a second before it hit. What a scary experience and I guess we are just lucky it wasn't a bigger animal.
When this happened we had just passed a deer sign and were joking about the people that say the deer should read and then the signs could be moved somewhere else.
Bart

Called the credit card company after getting home. They will cover the deductible so nothing ends up out of our pocket. We pay and then get reimbursed. In our case not buying car rental insurance pays off.

 

[pedro47]

We were not hit by a turkey but by a dove. No damage to the dove or to the car.