Man, that's a terrible story. I hear similar ones now and again, and it's what makes me drive so slow at night when deer are around that people get super mad at me and flick me off as they pass me.

After seeing three deer, and considering how paranoid I am about hitting one with the canoe on the car, I slowed down to almost 30 mph. Cars were again getting mad at me. I would just pull over to let them pass. 

For what it's worth, I strap the canoe on five tiems, twice over the canoe and three times over the gunwales. Two ropes holding in down on each end, front and back.