Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I've just ran over a pheasant :(

195 replies

lexiepix · 26/02/2015 17:32

On a narrow country lane, doing 50, they usually move out of the way but this one stayed right in the middle.

It made such a thud, a huge cloud of feathers afterwards and I've just been picking the feather out of my grill.

I had no idea what way it was going to go so didn't swerve, also I didn't break much as expected it to move as they do 1000s of times before.

I'm feeling really shit about it. Am I a total cunt for not slowing or swerving?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
ARoomWithoutAView · 26/02/2015 19:17

I thought it wasn't politically correct to call country folk peasants anymore?

Bluetone · 26/02/2015 19:26

It was a mix up of words. No offence intended Confused

Feckeggblue · 26/02/2015 19:37

Does the poster who thinks 50mph is too fast drive at all? Most country lanes are national Hmm

RestingFuckFace · 26/02/2015 19:44

Is it totally flat or çould you take it home in time for Sunday lunch?

Ive always wanted to try pheasan.

tobysmum77 · 26/02/2015 19:45

Tobyjugg it's only poaching if you are on someone else's land

tobysmum77 · 26/02/2015 19:47

Most country lanes are national. It's impossible for anyone to tell what speed is ok without seeing the actual stretch of road. Just because it's national doesnt mean that driving up to 60 is safe.

piggychops · 26/02/2015 19:47

Mmmm dinner! Smile

HairyOrk · 26/02/2015 19:49

I killed a badger a few months ago. Now THAT made a thud.
It was awful, I was in hysterics for hours afterwards.
It was only 2 minutes from home and I made my OH come back with me to check it was dead (it was, thank god).

HairyOrk · 26/02/2015 19:49

I killed a badger a few months ago. Now THAT made a thud.
It was awful, I was in hysterics for hours afterwards.
It was only 2 minutes from home and I made my OH come back with me to check it was dead (it was, thank god).

HairyOrk · 26/02/2015 19:50

Just to clarify - I did not intend to kill the Badger!!!

Doggygirl · 26/02/2015 19:52

Shocked at fifty mph on a narrow country lane.

The poor pheasant was NOT the stupid creature AngryAngryAngry

Didactylos · 26/02/2015 19:53

they really are stupid birds

I once got 2 male ones on a country lane - they were having a spat and kept fighting and though I slowed it wasnt the sort of place where its possible to swerve and avoid them
2x pheasants for dinner - shame that they are dead, not deliberate but theres no reason to waste them (may have been technical poaching Blush)
2 different sets of tailfeathers donated to a friend for fishing flies too

and dont pluck them - skin them, and use some fatty bacon to stop the meat drying out when roasting

Summerisle1 · 26/02/2015 19:53

DH says that badger stew was surprisingly tasty on the one occasion it was served to him.

SingingSands · 26/02/2015 19:53

They are the dumbest birds. Car in front of me hit one on the M1. It was like hitting a football of feathers, it just went POOF! Feathers everywhere.

ARoomWithoutAView · 26/02/2015 20:14

In the Tales Of Farthing Wood, I am sure there is a pheasant who is quite eloquent. In one of the episodes I thought he led the other animals to safety. I don't think they are that stupid then.

BreeVDKamp · 26/02/2015 20:14

No-one can say if 50mph was safe or not. As I said above I was encouraged to drive appropriately fast by my instructor when I was learning at 17 (not long ago, things haven't changed since). For all we know this narrow country lane was poker straight with great visibility, no bumps or potholes and neat hedges not ditches. Animals still dart across those roads suddenly!!

RestingFuckFace · 26/02/2015 20:20

I have an anecdote about badgers.

I once went to a free party (rave) in a mansion and we chose a room to get changed in (women). Whilst we were in there the bloke from Bodger the Badger comes in.

I shit you not, he comes in with a bag, and pulls Bodger out. Im thinking what the fuck?! It gets worse. He only pulls out that fucking potato shooter and starts filling it up with potato.

Anyway, he started getting really annoyed with us because we were a bit 'errr, we are all half naked in here getting changed' and he seemed very harassed (and deeply uninterested by the half naked women) and busy getting Bodger ready.

He then joined the rave with Bodger in hand and potato. Again WTF?

On the way home, as we were pulling out we we telling out then boyfriends and just as we were pulling out the drive way there was a badger on the side of the road, it was dead, huge and bloated on its back poor thing.

Poor, dead Bodger. I think it was an over dose.

RestingFuckFace · 26/02/2015 20:21

Have an got their names the wrong way round?

RestingFuckFace · 26/02/2015 20:22

HE was called Bodger and the Badger was Badger wasnt it?

How the hell did I get those the wrong way round?!

mytartanscarf · 26/02/2015 20:22

I did that in year 8 and proudly handed in a piece of history homework entitled The Pheasants Revolt. I was still being teased about it in year 12! Grin

Topseyt · 26/02/2015 22:15

Pheasants are twats when it comes to road sense. Worse than many other birds. In fact, they almost seem to have an inbred death wish.

My MIL once hit one that flew out of a roadside hedge at point blank range. It actually broke a headlamp unit on her car, costing around £200 to replace.

Don't worry too much about it. It isn't pleasant but it is a fact of life on the roads.

littlepeas · 26/02/2015 22:27

I live on a national speed limit lane and would be absolutely out of my mind to do more than 40 on it (and that would be stupid in some areas). I am a very experienced driver on country roads and would only do 60 on wider country roads with proper road markings. The op said that the road was narrow, which is what made me think she may have been going too fast - if you meet another car on a narrow country road you generally have to get off road to pass them and if you are doing 50 odd you are at risk of a head on collision. Of course there are plenty of country roads where is is safe to do 50/60, but also plenty where it isn't, even if it is officially legal.

Millyx · 27/02/2015 01:43

i know how you feel i feel bad runing over an already run over fox but atleast it wasnt someones pet

Graciescotland · 27/02/2015 02:16

I wouldn't feel bad they are stupid birds. I seem to hit the ones who are on the other side of the road and then they run/ fly into the path of my car due to oncoming traffic/ stupidity.

I stay on a country road and tend to travel along it at 45-55mph depending on weather etc. there are a few places you need to slow down but 50mph is a perfectly normal speed on a country road.

fizzycolagurlie · 27/02/2015 02:38

Too fast.