Rabbits Foot

How I decided kill marks are deserved on motorcycles.

I’ve ridden in enough places to know one thing—animals don’t care about your plans.

Out in Kansas at dusk, it’s a gamble every time. Deer everywhere. And if you ride, you already know… they don’t run away from you—they run into you.

Rabbit Trail #1 – Colorado

Riding in Colorado with my wife, we come around a tight mountain switchback. Cliff on one side, drop-off on the other.

At the exact same moment—a deer jumps down into the road.

And here comes a full-on charter bus from the opposite direction at the same time.

Attention to Detail includes, one narrow road, mountain side drop off, deer, bus and zero room lol.

I knew for a fact this flat fronted charter bus was going to spread blood and guts all over us. But God, thank God, it didn’t, end of story.

Rabbit Trail #2 – Deer Convention

Another time, my wife’s behind me in the truck near Colorado Springs. We crest a hill doing about 70 mph…

…and there’s a whole herd of deer standing in the highway like it’s a PTA meeting.

I start braking and weaving through them and end up clipping one with my handlebars.

Stayed upright. Kept going, Still don’t fully know how. But God, Thank God. End of story.

Back to Kansas

So there I am, 70 mph on a back road, sunset lighting up the fields—perfect ride.

Out of nowhere… a rabbit launches straight into my boot on the highway peg.

No time to react. Just whack – a – rabbit.

And if you’ve never tried to get that smell off your bike… don’t bother. It’ll “burn off” eventually whether you like it or not.

That’s when it hit me—not that you have to earn kill marks and use them like me but every ride out there is unpredictable.

You can do everything right… and still have a deer, a rabbit, or a blown tire show up out of nowhere.

So yeah—ride ready, stay sharp, and respect how fast things can change.

Because sometimes the only real “win”… is staying upright and riding away.