Purner Hit a Deer

Well, yesterday morning I had a little bit of excitement I didn't really need. I was heading down the road to Mt. Hope, and about two miles south of here I was driving uphill— mind wandering a bit, I'll admit— when suddenly I became aware that there was a deer dashing across the road at high speed, right in front of me and about two feet in front of my bumper.

I swerved sharply to the left, and just missed the deer. If I hadn't swerved, I would've hit it. And believe me, swerving on a gravel road when you're going at least 40 is an adventure: like they say, "Don't try this at home."

It's one of Iowa's several cryptic deer seasons right now— bow season, shotgun season, muzzle loader season, spear season, I don't know which— you'll see hunters here and there in blaze orange out in the now-empty cornfields. The deer are riled up.

Though really in these parts you've just got to watch out for deer. I know lots of folks around here who've hit a deer (and generally totalled their vehicle, too). I've never hit a deer, but I've had a few close calls, and yesterday's was the closest ever.