I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I hit a black bear on I 64 last night about 9:30 PM. I drive slow, at 55 mph, as it gets me much better gas mileage and reaction time. I saw it with enough time to slow to maybe 30 mph before impact. My car still runs, I drove it home, but I'll need a new hood and bumper cover. It's 13 years old so I am fearful of insurance totaling it out. (Honda Accord).

Had I been driving my 1972 Chevy truck, with stock bumper, Luverne grill guard, and 1/2 ton height, would it have shrugged that 200 pound bear off, assuming I had slowed to the 30 mph I did in my Honda?

What do you guys think?

*A lady in an SUV hit it after I did, totaling her Chevy Traverse and killing the bear.

The bear, after the hit by the SUV and one round from a deputy's AR 15.

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3szxqesn.jpg

My car. Insurance paid for it all but I did pay the difference on an OEM hood.

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/...psy9qqrkoc.jpg

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Hitting a two hundred pound bear would have done lots to damage truck too,and which do you value more? Obviously the truck or you wouldn't be on here. I don't know how your insurance works there but I'd just fix it myself if it's not too bad. Depending on deductible and insurance rate hikes etc. I'd rather total my daily then hurt mine I know that

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I think your truck would have fared well against a small bear. 200 lbs on all fours. You probably would have ran it over. Most of the bears around where I live remind me of a big fat dog. Not that you see them very often, they stay pretty well run off into the hills around here.

Glad you are OK though... have a great Thanksgiving!

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Glad you're ok, better the honda than the truck in my opinion. Didn't realize you had a lisp lol. I think you meant wish instead of with in the title..

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I think you would have had damage to your truck too, recall the post about a month ago titled "I got a deer...with my truck" He lost a fender, grill bumper and what else?

I'd rather loose a Honda than damage my classic truck.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

ROTF! Well I can attest that he has no lisp, just a southern accent. :)

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

:lol: You guys! I noticed the "with" in the title but I couldn't edit it after posting.

I do have a southern drawl, when I let it show.

It was a crazy event. And had things gone differently, someone easily could have been killed.

I think my truck would have been OK......like jeffahart said, "run it over." Its head hit my front bumper cover (I saw it hit there and I saw the slobber mark) and its shoulder hit my hood. My car, I love my car, but it's 13 years old so this may total it out. I am weighing my options. If I let the insurance pay it off, I plan to take the money and buy another 1999 to 2002 Honda Accord but EX and manual.

I love these cars that much. Stay safe out there guys.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

When have we talked swamp rat? I assume we have! :lol:

Oh ya the "got a deer, used my truck" thread was on my mind last night! I didn't really "get the bear," the utterly freaked lady that was hyperventilating and vomited on herself with the now-totaled Chevy Traverse "got the bear." I just knocked it down, she killed it.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I don't know never hit a bear before lol.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Thmathing into a thmall bear would hurt the bumper thome I think. The bruth guard dothn't protect the bumper, really. At leath not very muth. I think it would have thaved the grille.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Is your autocorrect acting up? :lol:

(I sit here, knowing you are mocking me, but I also sit laughing and smiling).

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

A 200lb bear would be really small, wouldn't it? Hell, I weigh more than that.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Not really mocking. More like rolling with it. Thith thite is thomething Thpecial. We are all friends (I think? :lol:)

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

:haha::haha::rolleyes::metal:

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

There's a video out there somewhere where they crash tested a 50 something Chevy and a 2000 something Chevy. Which do you think fared better?
Ron

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Internet jokes and even insults have to get pretty bad (ie, actual threats) for me to get upset.

I guess the bear was about the size of two full grown German Shepherds. Wild animal bones seem very tough though. I think since I was hard braking and my front end was pitching downwards, that's why the hood took the brunt. I was perhaps doing 30 mph when I hit it. I am just glad I cruise at 55 and that I pay good attention.

I had already decided to put on the grill guard when the truck is running, but this incident cements it! The 1972 inner grill is weak as can be.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Did you at least get to keep the bear. the hide would make a cozy winter seat cover, lol.

About 3 yrs ago i hit a 265lbs sow on I68 in western MD at around 4AM. I was in a 95 Chevy 3500 repo/snatch truck. It ran across in front of me and truthfully , I was "haulin a**", around 85 mph. I stomped the brake pedal but there was no way. I was coming down a steep hillside slope at interstate speeds with a repo in tow. The bear caught the front bumper on the drivers side and it was a head shot, so it was "lights out for the sow". Now, I was by myself and I don't believe in wasting a good bear so I brought it home for meat and hide. I couldn't pick it all the way up to put it up on the boom deck so i did the next best thing. i put a tarp in the front seat of the repo and rolled the bear in to the front pass seat. In the morning, our lot attendant has to log in all the repo's from the night before and do a full condition report, " including belongings left inside the vehicle. I waited around that morning just to hear the scream, lol and a scream i heard. She said she opened the drivers door and sat right in to record the milage and looked over and saw her life flash before her. I "with" I had taken pictures, lol

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Your sir, are a "living god." If we ever meet, I will fall to my knees before you. :lol: Yes, I with you had her reaction on video too!

I thought about trying to get the hide but it would cost me a couple hundred at least to make it into a rug and I didn't have a tarp. :lol: I think I'll get a dash cam though.....it would have been one heck of a youtube video.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

Lol, we had a camera in the windshield and one to the rear "for security and ins reasons" , when we viewed it wasn't very good due to several reasons. 1 it was night/dark out, 2 the hood blocked the impact area, and 3 my excessive rate of speed. We could only see it in the corner for a brief second before it went under the viewing area. Believe it or not, it actually only put a softball size dent in the front bumper, and a little outta alignment. I do authentic native brain-tanning of leathers and leather-working for a hobby and side cash. so I try and salvage any hide i can be it hunting, trapping, raodkill, and gifts from a butcher friend. Im actually considering covering my seat and a few other things in my truck with some of my leather. A little wet-tooling on the edges (similar to the factory scrolling) and a little burn/branding design in the center... So many ideas and so little time, the story of my life, lol. glad your ok tho, sux about your daily tho.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I can't image why she'd be startled :lol:

Bears are a solid bundle for sure. That's 200 lb is a small dense package compared to a man. A 100 lb dog or deer will hurt a vehicle pretty good. For that matter, I've seen damage from cars hitting people and it ain't good. Hey, I think I lost my lithp!

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I took a pic of the bear and of my car, I'll try to get the computer fixed tomorrow so I can upload pics again.

I wanted video of the lady doing the mileage check screaming! LOL

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I personally would value my truck more than if I had a different vehicle as a daily driver so I'd be happy if I were in the car.

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I wouldn't mind hitting it with my truck cuz then insurance could pay for rust repair Haha. But honestly if I hit anything, I hope it's in my wifes dd til I get grille guard made for the truck. Here's my wifes,ready for critters

Re: I with I had been driving my truck last night.
 

I though this was a thread by Mike Tyson....