thedrifter
08-19-09, 06:08 AM
Save your life by avoiding wildlife
8/20/2009 By Lance Cpl. Meloney R. Moses , Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
A turkey standing on the side of MCB-1 took flight, crashing through the passenger side windshield of a fire truck from Engine 533B Aug. 11.
Vehicle collisions with wildlife are not uncommon on the base, but turkey accidents are among the rarest.
Timothy Stamps, head of the fish, wildlife and agronomy section of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, said this is only the second vehicle-turkey collision with a fire truck he has heard of. Many vehicle collisions, other than deer, fail to get reported.
“Deer are more prone to being struck by vehicles because they are more active at night,” said Stamps. “Turkeys are active from sunrise to sunset. Other than that they are roosted in trees. Turkeys are savvier about getting out of the road when a vehicle is approaching. Deer tend to stand by the road.”
Drivers are cautioned to stay alert when driving along the forested roads at night.
Quantico does not have a large population of turkey. There are roughly 1,000 turkeys on the 50,000 acres of land on Quantico west of I-95, explained Stamps. There are about 100 turkeys on base east of I-95.
“As far as causing damage or potential injury to the driver, [deer] are the main ones,” said Stamps. “We get road kill for possums, foxes and raccoons. They generally end in death of the animal and little to no damage to the vehicle or driver. The only injury [that] could occur [is] if the driver tries to swerve.”
An important thing to remember is that when an animal is spotted, do not swerve to avoid hitting it. Swerving could cause bigger problems than just hitting the animal.
“If you see an animal standing on the side of the road, slow your speed down,” said Stamps. “If they decide to dart across the road, you have already reduced your speed, giving you a better opportunity to slow down or stop. The slower you are going the less possibility for damage or injury.”
For information on hunting seasons and authorization areas, contact the game check station at 703-784-5523.
Correspondents: meloney.moses@usmc.mil
Ellie
8/20/2009 By Lance Cpl. Meloney R. Moses , Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
A turkey standing on the side of MCB-1 took flight, crashing through the passenger side windshield of a fire truck from Engine 533B Aug. 11.
Vehicle collisions with wildlife are not uncommon on the base, but turkey accidents are among the rarest.
Timothy Stamps, head of the fish, wildlife and agronomy section of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, said this is only the second vehicle-turkey collision with a fire truck he has heard of. Many vehicle collisions, other than deer, fail to get reported.
“Deer are more prone to being struck by vehicles because they are more active at night,” said Stamps. “Turkeys are active from sunrise to sunset. Other than that they are roosted in trees. Turkeys are savvier about getting out of the road when a vehicle is approaching. Deer tend to stand by the road.”
Drivers are cautioned to stay alert when driving along the forested roads at night.
Quantico does not have a large population of turkey. There are roughly 1,000 turkeys on the 50,000 acres of land on Quantico west of I-95, explained Stamps. There are about 100 turkeys on base east of I-95.
“As far as causing damage or potential injury to the driver, [deer] are the main ones,” said Stamps. “We get road kill for possums, foxes and raccoons. They generally end in death of the animal and little to no damage to the vehicle or driver. The only injury [that] could occur [is] if the driver tries to swerve.”
An important thing to remember is that when an animal is spotted, do not swerve to avoid hitting it. Swerving could cause bigger problems than just hitting the animal.
“If you see an animal standing on the side of the road, slow your speed down,” said Stamps. “If they decide to dart across the road, you have already reduced your speed, giving you a better opportunity to slow down or stop. The slower you are going the less possibility for damage or injury.”
For information on hunting seasons and authorization areas, contact the game check station at 703-784-5523.
Correspondents: meloney.moses@usmc.mil
Ellie