Unbased first published on 10/07/2025
Has anybody besides me noticed those little reflective stickers on backs of highway signs? The ones that say something like: WARNING, IT IS UNLAWFUL TO ALTER, DEFACE OR REMOVE THIS SIGN, WVDOH, followed by a series of punch-out numbers like those on new car batteries which show the date installed. Stickers come in different colors including silver and gold. Both can be small problems.
Has anybody besides me gotten on the brakes to slow quickly after seeing one of those stickers? Deer’s eyes. Pop over a hill or around a curve after dark and my lights pick up a bright reflective spot that shouts busted grill, shattered headlight, bent fender. Then outline of the full sign back receives a mental curse as I drive on by.
Whenever possible I night travel this time of year with a “deer plow”. That’s another vehicle in front of me going roughly same speed I want. His headlights add to distance of mine, his tail lights popping on give me early warning and worst case scenario, he knocks deer out of the road before I get to it. His headlight is broken, instead of mine. Best deer plow is a big semi truck although occasionally they leave high piles of squished buck hard for my little van to cross.
I’ve written before about deer and guard rails. Deer don’t like them. I think deer don’t like to jump downhill when they can’t see where they will land. Guard rails are often built above steep slopes which deer avoid. Opposite side of the road may be a steep cut bank, also hard for deer to navigate. When you do encounter one on centerline between steep cut bank and guard rail, it’s just as likely to try to run over your vehicle as it is to jump or scramble.
Guard rails channelize. Watch closely those areas without banks and guardrails. US Route 220 between Junction and Old Fields is prime example. Keep an eye out for glowing eyes and strange lumpy masses of asses all up 220, but especially where guard rails gap.
Last week, Thursday morning, I left Doghouse near Wardensville headed through Rio and Augusta for Romney to pick up our Weekender, then on to Moorefield. 4:10 A.M. – 5:45 A.M. 13 deer in the road, crossing the road, or close on shoulders. Two recently hit, dead on the road surface. Most on Sperrys Run and Fort Hill roads, but four crossed Route 50 into Dairy Queen parking lot middle of Romney.
Tuesday morning before, I made round trip, Moorefield, Romney, Moorefield for the Examiner during same time frame as Thursday. On the way back I had a car too close on my tail through the straight South of Rada just before a couple of guard rail breaks. A big buck coming out. I missed him but smacked my brakes sever times to warn vehicle behind my Rear view mirror check revealed two bright headlights had become one. He pulled off at the Purgitville church.
Big game season time again Haven’t heard much about introduction of Elk so far. Hope I don’t. I’ve hit a half dozen or so white tailed deer in my life around Hardy County. Most caused a little damage, one stopped me dead with a busted radiator. With ether there’s danger of being stopped dead, dead. Big suckers. I remember when Uncle Joe’s horse got out in the road one night. Totaled a car and sent a couple to the hospital. I don’t need elk wandering around on our highways.
At any rate, back to those sign stickers. Maybe they are good that they help keep me alert when night driving. Maybe they are bad because they “cry wolf” and leave me complacent. Still, they are a tiny bit irritating and I doubt they’ll hinder any kid who intends to change speed limits from 55 to 65 with black spray paint.
