8 Big Horn Sheep Killed

The sheep do not get in a hurry to get out of your way. Consequently a person really has to drive slowly in areas where they frequent the highway. Too bad the guys was not badly injured. A couple of broken legs and six or seven fractured ribs would have helped remind him to be careful next time.

 

I drive past those sheep quit frequently, sad to see. There is a couple spots in there that they can be hard to see but you should only be going 35-45 miles an hour thought that area.
Another area that hard on sheep is between Plains and Thompson Falls, there's a pile killed there every year, to bad they can't build an over pass with a fence like you see in some area's for the game to cross at.
Our sheep in SW Mt have gotten hammered by the wolves, one herd that I know of was completely wiped out last year the FWP had just released them a few years ago

 

Hate to see the sheep get hit. Same as I hate to see whitetail get hit. Any animal for that matter. Seems like a slippery slope to give a ticket to a driver who has hit an animal on the road. I don't know about where you all live, but here in western MT most people have hit a deer at one time or another. We have warning signs everywhere. Does that mean we should be ticketed when a deer gets hit? Or only if it is a sheep? What about moose? Grizzly bears, wolves....? You know where I am going. Food for thought.

Steve

 

It a little more than just a deer xing sign, they are big signs warning specifically of sheep with blinky lights in a 2-3 mile stretch, you have a warning to pay attention and drive. You have a point about ticketing thought.

 

+1 RockyMtnMT. I'm a little skeptical of how someone would manage to hit that many sheep in that span of distance while exercising good driving judgment, however I can't even count the number of close calls that I've had on the roads of our sweet home Montana. I could maybe see a reckless driving for excessive speed in poor conditions or something like that (if an investigation concluded that the person was indeed going too fast for conditions).

If a fine was to be institued how would they handle cases where the animal was at fault? You may laugh at that statement but my roomate in college was driving on a two lane highway and a cow elk jumped out of the ditch and over the guardrail right in front of his truck. He had no way of avoiding the accident as he was driving under the speed limit and had no visibility of the elk as she was down in the ditch and behind the guard rail. The elk obviously was killed.
My dad had a mule deer run into the front quarter pannel of his car after he had stopped to let the deer cross. It hit on the passenger side and rolled across the hood. In this case the deer was fine but it just goes to show that it's not always the drivers fault.

Just another thing to add to the plate for thought.

 

I live in Thompson Falls, and the Sheep winter here. The most are OK, but the stuff that the state sprays on the road, is a salt lick for them. Some kind of ice melt. Kills a lot of Sheep every year.

 

The driver was cited with a misdemeanor failure to obey a traffic signal not for hitting an animal/s. Shame though...what a waste.

 

I must not have read enough. Was he cited for speeding or what? Yes I agree, what a waste. I want a sheep tag so bad I can taste it.

Steve

 

It just says "The driver was cited with a misdemeanor failure to obey a traffic signal" Where I'm from that's a light of some sort...whether traffic or flashing etc.

 

Around here they have flashing yellow lights, and a sign that says Slow with Caution.

 

I think you are probably right. I find it interesting. Does that mean that it was witnessed. Why didn't the witness warn the driver of the sheep in the road. Do they have cameras set up to catch people not obeying the signs just before they hit the sheep. Maybe they got him by measuring the skid marks.

I have come very close to plowing through a herd of sheep. It wasn't because I was going too fast. I have hit a few deer. One when I was a kid because I was going too fast. The others couldn't be helped. Not at speeds within the limits.

Any way, glad it wasn't me.

Steve

 

I know alot of places have cameras installed right above the traffic light...you go through it and the registered vehicle owner gets a ticket in the mail or switch lanes when your not supposed to and walla a ticket in the mail...so who knows hitting 8 sheeps kinda serious so maybe they did the old play the video back...folks don't realize the number of times your on camera in a average day...there just so small and inconspicuos...next time your out and about for a day and take notice...you'll be amazed of coarse that assumes your not miles away f/the nearest town.

 

Here in MT you are generally always away from town. The camera thing was kinda tongue in cheek. I think he got a ticket for hitting wild life on the highway. If it stands, we all have another great thing to look forward to. Another reason you should never leave town or use anything other than public transportation.

Sorry for the rant.

Steve