I saw the darndest thing this morning while I was running traps. A buck came out across a soybean field, angling towards the highway. I stopped to watch it, and for practice kept estimating the range wondering if it might stop. It didn’t stop until it got the guardrail next to the road. I thought it would simply bound the guardrail and head up into the hills. It didn’t. It stood behind that guardrail, for quite a while. Then I heard a car coming, I wondered if that buck was going to jump in front of that car. It didn’t, it turned away from the road and ambled into a brush patch 50 yards away, where I lost track of it. I really think that deer stopped at the highway to check for traffic. When it heard that car coming, it went the other way. At lot of them aren’t that smart, and the coyotes appreciate it.

I wonder if it would have stopped if the guardrail wasn't there?

No way to tell, but that guardrail is low enough that even I could jump over it so I don't see it as much of a deterrent.

What??? So the guard rail was 3" high??

Some morning I don't think I could jump over the yellow line in the middle of the road!

I've seen deer do some of the smartest things and also seen them do the dumbest of things.