How To Avoid Collisions With Deer

GAME COMMISSION ADVISES MOTORISTS TO WATCH FOR DEER

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Vern
Ross today advised motorists to slow down after sundown and before
sunrise if they don't want to risk having a close encounter with a
white-tailed deer.

Deer collision calls have picked up recently at the Game Commission's
regional offices. It's an annual occurrence that will continue through
Thanksgiving week and begin to slow down in mid-December. For the
sake of public safety, the Game Commission is urging motorists to
drive cautiously after dark for the next several weeks.

"The personal tragedies and property losses that are caused by
deer-vehicle collisions touch the lives of Pennsylvanians statewide,"
Ross said. . . . "Obviously, many of these accidents are unavoidable
because deer do step into the path of fast-moving vehicles. But
driving defensively, or, at the very least, alertly, can give a
motorist an edge in many instances."

Ross noted that being knowledgeable about deer can help
Pennsylvanians stay out of harm's way. He said that some deer aren't
paying close attention to what's going on around them during the fall
breeding season, commonly referred to as the "rut."

"During the rut, deer are moving about more than usual," Ross
said. "It's a time when deer become preoccupied with finding the
opposite sex or staying a few steps ahead of rival suitors. It's a
time when this summer's fawns - left alone while does follow nature's
calling - sometimes naively wander into troublesome predicaments.
It's a time, quite frankly, when deer don't seem to maintain that
invisibility and distance that typically keeps them from dangerously
interacting with Pennsylvania motorists."

Ross also noted that drivers shouldn't assume trouble has passed
completely when a deer successfully crosses the road.

"Deer frequently travel in family groups and single file," Ross said.
"Just because one has crossed, doesn't mean the threat is over. Its
crossing could be a signal that others may follow, which they
sometimes do blindly."

Bucks currently are chasing does. Sometimes these bucks follow
closely; other times they pursue with their heads to the ground
nosing a scent trail.

"Trailing bucks are famous for their obsessive conduct," said Bob
Boyd, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management assistant
director. "Some are so preoccupied that they step out in front of
tractor-trailers in broad daylight, ignore blaring vehicle horns or
walk right by people. Of course, such activities don't qualify as
normal deer behavior. But in late November, they're not abnormal
either."

Hunters also play a role in moving deer during daylight hours. Small
game hunters moving through fields occasionally flush deer from briar
thickets and windbreaks. Bear and deer hunters also flush deer from
forested areas during drives.

"If you see hunters in the vicinity of the road you're traveling,
it's probably a good idea to slow down, especially if you hear
gunfire," Ross said. "Since hunters are wearing fluorescent orange
clothing, they're usually very visible to motorists."

Motorists also should slow down whenever farmers are harvesting
cornfields because deer are often flushed from fields as farm
equipment approaches them. . . .

Other tips for motorists include:

- Don't count on deer whistles or deer fences to deter deer from
crossing roads in front of you. Stay alert.

- Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on
the shoulder of the road. If anything looks slightly suspicious, slow
down.

- Slow down in areas known to have a large deer population; where
deer-crossing signs are posted; places where deer commonly cross
roads; areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland;
and whenever in forested areas between dusk and dawn.

- Deer do unpredictable things. Sometimes they stop in the middle of
the road when crossing. Sometimes they cross and quickly re-cross
back from where they came. Sometimes they move toward an approaching
vehicle. Assume nothing. Slow down, blow your horn to urge the deer
to leave the road. Stop if the deer stays on the road; don't try to
go around it.

WildlifeProtection@yahoogroups.com

For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541 (ext. 3106)
PGCNEWS@state.pa.us

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Oct 3, 2002