[Tonchi]

Oh yeah, that reminds me, Bruce. The trains have those things on them for a reason. Fortunately, a cow will not walk across something with slats, like a RR track (cattle gates are designed just that way), but sheep are likely to park themselves anywhere and deer or elk have a habit of jumping right at a moving vehicle. In the Plumas River Canyon in CA that can happen a lot in winter. The "cow catchers" will at least clear the tracks, with a resulting feast for the scavengers. Navajos are very careful of their sheep and would keep them far away from tracks or roads because sheep represent their wealth, but many ranchers just let their stock wander, especially in the high country during the summer. And like Mari says, there seems to be a population explosion of deer every few years. I'm told that Maine has a terrible problem with moose right now, they are everywhere. I'm sure the Game and Fish Department does not avocate culling by auto.