AN LR25 HITS A DEER ON THE RWY DURING IMC AT PHF; VA. ACFT DAMAGED BUT FLYABLE.

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ALL WT; RWY REQUIREMENTS; CLB GRADIENTS CHKED AND COMPLIED WITH. INST TKOF IN PATCHY GND FOG. NO PROB SEEING CTRLINE (UNLIT) AND SEVERAL RWY LIGHTS ON EACH SIDE. JUST PRIOR TO V1 WE ENTERED AN AREA WHICH WAS RELATIVELY FOG FREE. 4 DEER APPEARED; 3 RUNNING TO CROSS THE RWY. FO'S EYES WERE INSIDE AND HE DID NOT SEE THEM. HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CALLING V1; ROTATE (SAME SPD ON THIS TKOF) WHEN I PULLED (ROTATED) HARD TO TRY TO GET OFF THE GND TO CLR THE DEER. (THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE STOPPED WITHOUT TOTALING THE ACFT. IT'S A LOW TO THE GND; LOW WING ACFT WITH TIP TANKS AND SMALL LNDG GEAR. IF I WOULD HAVE STOOD ON THE BRAKES THE DEER; 1-4 OF THEM; PROBABLY WOULD HAVE COME THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THEY AT LEAST WOULD HAVE BENT THE WINGS; TIPS; ETC.) THE DEER (1) WAS STRUCK WITH THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR. IT BROKE THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS AND ITS BRACKET OFF. BROKE A LORAN ANTENNA OFF OF THE AFT LOWER FUSELAGE AND DID SOME SKIN DAMAGE TO THE DORSAL FIN. WE FLEW +/- 1 1/2 HRS LOCALLY WITH THE GEAR DOWN (WE NEVER RETRACTED IT DUE TO POSSIBLE DAMAGE) TO GET DOWN TO LNDG WT. ARPT WENT ZERO-ZERO WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS BUT CAME UP AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AFTER A CONTACT APCH. WE ALSO REPLACED A TIRE WHICH WAS CUT DURING THE DEER STRIKE. ACFT FULLY REPAIRED EXCEPT FOR PAINT IN LESS THAN 4 DAYS. THE LCL FSDO HAS TALKED TO ME (I CALLED THEM FIRST!) AND HAS ASSURED ME THAT THIS WILL BE LISTED AS AN OCCURRENCE -- NOT AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE COURSE OF ACTION WE TOOK WAS THE ONLY VIABLE ONE; THAT WE BROKE NO FARS; AND THAT THIS RPT WILL NOT BE NEEDED TO 'PROTECT' ME; BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. THE FO ASSIGNED TO THE FLT; THE LCL TWR APCH CTLRS AND ARPT SECURITY AND FIRE FIGHTING ALL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND HAVE BEEN COMMENDED.