Good brush guard for deer strikes?

my 70 mile round trip daily commute is eastern KY and over the WV state line a ways. I constantly have to be on the lookout for deer and I have to swerve or lay in the brakes 2-3 times per year. I literally see them along the road a few times a week, and who knows how msny I dont notice. It's very annoying. Last February I hit one to the tune of $680 damage. I've looked around at brush guards but I'm not sure which will give me good protection. My last strike was more to one side and busted my fender extension.

Anyone know of a good deer smasher that doesn't look like something out of Mad Max?

 

Full plate bumper would be your best protection. If you don't want to go that route I hear the Ranch Hand guards are pretty beefy.

 

My ARB crushed a Honda Accord last summer......I'm sure a deer would be a joke.

 

Dont buy a grille guard or bull bar.. Buy an actual plate bumper

 

I've seen the ARBs plow through hogs and deer like it was nothing. Came out barely scratched and no dents.

 

C'mon man, go full Aussie and get a roo bar built!

 

Those full plate bumpers might be a little too utilitarian for me. It would be great to just run train on a deer without hesitation though.

 

That roo bar pic wouldn't show up yesterday. I see it now. That's about as cool as it gets.

 

That roo bar looks like something from death race. I would probably go with a ranch hand if you don't want a plate bumper.

 

It still looks a little big bit that's the best I've seen so far. Good suggestion. I think if I try to go with anything smaller or lighter I won't have good coverage.

 

And you're right. Gotta ask yourself do I want a giant guard that hinders MPG and slightly more front suspension wear. Or do I want a deer destroying the entire truck lol

 

A lot of the brush guards are just for looks or light brush. They'd fold up in an impact and could end up being a damage multiplier rather than offer any protection. I had a hunter grille guard on mine a while back and while I liked the look, it would have been beyond useless if I hit anything bigger than a house cat.

 

They're just constantly on the road. Deer are so full blown stupid. They bolt at a hunter's sneeze or the smell of his Tide, but the sound/sight of a 5,000lb vehicle completely bypasses their survival instinct.

 

Plate bumper. They will pretty much vaporize a deer.

DO NOT go with a brush guard or bull bar. I can't tell you how many full size trucks up here are trashed because of those things. They get bent back and tear through the engine compartment. We dont have an overly big deer population, the main culprit is trucks sliding out and taking on a semi or ending up in a ditch.

The guys with plate bumpers fair much better from what I have seen.

 

I feel your pain sir. By far the most retarded animal i've ever encountered here in Wyoming are whitetails. The stupidity is just incredible. That said, plate bumper should turn a whitetail into a pile of fur on the side of the road rather quickly.

 

I'd say plate or tube bumper also. Brush guard is not made for deer. It is for brush and small branches. A lot of times it can cause more damage hitting something bigger than what it's designed for. With that said ranch hand makes some strong stuff, it might be an exception, but I don't have any personal experience with ranch hand. I do have an ARB though that I picked up used. The guy I bought it from lost control on ice and took out a bridge, bumper first. Totaled the tacoma due too body and frame damage, but the ARB was just a little scuffed with one bent mounting plate. The way he described the wreck made me picture a hockey puck bouncing off the sides of the bridge.15 mins with a BFH, it was fixed, and a coat of paint good as new. I know it was designed to shrug off kangaroos and I guess bridges too. ARB is heavy but, with in reason, is damn good at protecting the truck.

 

I had the same kind of wreck in a dusting of snow. Hit with the front then spun and hit with the back. $17,000 in damages and still didn't total it. Luckily it's had no problems in the almost 4 years since.

 

This isn't a brush guard it's a animal plow

 

I love my deer blaster. It's make by Peacemaker bumpers