Profile For Alec O'Farrell

Tips for Driving in Deer Country Vehicles kill hundreds of deer each year in Washington. Deer will cross roads at any time of day or night, creating a hazard for the vehicles, passengers, and deer. More than half of all deer/vehicle collisions occur in October and November. The rut (mating season) and peak days for hunting may account for this.

Here are driving tips to help prevent collisions:

• Deer are most active at dawn and dusk. Be especially watchful during these times.
• One deer crossing the road may be a sign that more deer are about to cross. Watch for other deer— they will move fast to catch up with leaders, mothers, or mates and may not pay attention to traffic.
• When you see brake lights, it could be because the driver ahead of you has spotted a deer. Stay alert as you drive by the spot, as more deer could try to cross.
• Wonder why the person ahead is driving so slowly? The driver may know where to slow down and be extra alert for deer. Don’t be too quick to pass, and watch out.
• Take note of deer-crossing signs and drive accordingly. They were put there for a reason.
• Try to drive more slowly at night, giving yourself time to see a deer with your headlights. Lowering the brightness of your dashboard lights slightly will make it easier to see deer.
• Be especially watchful when traveling near steep roadside banks. Deer will pop onto the roadway with little or no warning.
• Be aware that headlights confuse deer and may cause them to move erratically or stop. Young animals in particular do not recognize that vehicles are a threat.
• Deer hooves slip on pavement and a deer may fall in front of your vehicle just when you think it is jumping away.
• Deer whistles, small devices that can be mounted on your vehicle, emit a shrill sound that supposedly alerts deer nearby. (Humans cannot hear the sound.) How well the devices work is not scientifically known.

If a collision with a deer seems imminent, take your foot off the accelerator and brake lightly. But—and this is critical—keep a firm hold on the steering wheel while keeping the vehicle straight. Do not swerve in an attempt to miss the deer. Insurance adjusters claim that more car damage and personal injury is caused when drivers attempt to avoid collision with a deer and instead collide with guardrails or roll down grades.

If you accidentally hit and kill a deer, try to move the animal off the road—providing you can do so in complete safety. Otherwise, report the location of the deer’s body to the city, county, or state highway department with jurisdiction for the road. If no action is taken, contact the local police department, and the agency will arrange for the body to be removed. This will prevent scavengers from being attracted onto the road, and eliminate a potential traffic hazard. If the deer is wounded, call the non-emergency number of the local police department and describe the animal’s location. Emphasize that the injured deer is a traffic hazard to help ensure that someone will com`e quickly.

By the way, in Iowa, it's illegal to even TOUCH a deer, if you hit it or not. New law - you can be thrown in jail or have your license revoked for just touching one without a salvage tag, or unless you are a law enforcement officer or the likes. It's dumb, but that's what I was informed by the local DNR warden and the law enforcement office...

Chances are though that no one will know you pulled it off of the road.

It's the same thing as making sure your license plates are perfectly clean and readable and you live 6 miles on gravel/dirt roads... No one enforces it, but just thought I'd put it out there so people are aware of it.

Here in SE Iowa ya gotta REALLY watch out for the deer, lately they've been hanging out on the roads during the day in groups of 5 or more, and it's more difficult IMO to spot them during the daytime because they blend so well with trees etc during the daytime. Of course they're still out at night... The rule of thumb about deer: "Where there is ONE deer, there are bound to be MANY deer".

Deer damage can cost a LOT more than people ever imagine.

My dad was hauling cattle (our own personal cattle, not commercial) to our new place some 6 years ago and a deer ran into the side of the truck, actually it bounced off of the front bumper then slammed into the side of the truck. 6yrs later I'm fixing the truck, spent over $1000 already on the front of the truck, that includes bumper, lights, etc. Fixing the side of the truck would run another grand or so. We never realized how much damage it really DID do until I started pulling it apart to fix stuff...

I can't really give much advice about handling deer on the road, other than watch for the eyes, and slow down when you see 'em. They're not so likely to be along busy highways, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.