Two weeks ago my son hit his second deer in two years he wasn’t hurt physically just his pride and his truck. His truck was damage to the point of not being able to drive so he had to leave it on the side of the road with the dead deer. Hitting a deer is a very sad event to have to go through for anyone. My son didn’t see the deer jumping out of the ditch till it was way too late and they hit each other. His cell phone wouldn’t work in the area that the hit took place which is typical so he found a ride home from a nice fellow and called the police from home to report the collision. It was just a short time that he was away from the scene of the crash but while he was gone someone had the audacity to steal his deer. My son could have used the meat since he now had a big repair bill to pay for to fix his truck. By the way, thanks whoever you were who took his deer. I am all in favor of using the meat since the animal is dead anyway, might as well not let the food go to waste.
Vehicle deer crashes are on the rise and for anyone who has had one you know they are not fun. You drive down the road minding your own business when a deer pops into your headlights and there is no way you can stop in time so you hit a deer. It is awful to watch the poor creature wreathing in pain but then you turn around and look at your vehicle and you realize you have something else to deal with as well. A deer can wiegh around 100-200 pounds and hitting a car with something of that much volume can do alot of damage to a vehicle. If you’re lucky not too much damage is done and you are not hurt. But there has been a rise in human fatalities this year since vehicle deer crashed are on the rise..
About 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions happen each year in the United States and each year those accidents cause about 150 human deaths and $1.1 billion in property damage annually. Increasing deer populations and the encroachment of urban sprawl have added to the risk of car deer collisions. The number one state for vehicle deer collisions is Pennsylvania followed by Michigan and then Illinois.
There isn’t much you can do to prevent a vehicle deer collision since whistles that are mounted in the front of your car have been proven to be ineffective. Sometimes in heavy deer traffic areas you may see a deer crossing sign and it is a good idea to slow down when you see one. Maybe limiting your driving during twilight hours might help since most car deer crashes occur in twilight hours. Using your high beams as much as you can will help the deer know where you are and they will avoid going near you. Deer tend to travel in packs so if you see one deer chances are you will see more as they all cross the road about the same time; so it is a always a good idea to slow down when you see one deer even if the deer has run out of your way since another deer may pop up from the side of the road too.
Collisions with deer are higher from October through December. During part of that time the deer are in the rut season and don’t pay attention to their surroundings as much as they should. Hunting season can make deer panic and run without paying attention so use extra caution if you drive through a wooded area during hunting season. Always drive carefully and remember to use extra caution during nighttime driving. You are not the only creature out there.
Watch out for those elusive creatures as you drive to where ever you are going and if by chance you do hit a deer don’t approach the deer . A injured deer can be very dangerous since it is in alot of pain and it is very frightened. The best thing to do if you hit a deer with your vehicle is to call the police and let the come and take care of the animal.
