Who says that wolves are evil creatures? On the contrary, researchers across eight different states are conducting an experiment to see if wolf urine will lead to a type of deer deterrent. To some, this may sound silly, which it does, but maybe the researchers are on to something.
The point in the experiment and the reason that the researchers in eight states, including Ohio, Minnesota, and Iowa, are doing this is because they want to try to prevent the number of deer and deer herds from reaching the highways and roads. This will, in turn, prevent the number of crashes that automobile drivers have with deer. Makes sense, doesn’t it? The theory is that the smell of the wolf urine, since the wolf is a predator, will deter the deer from reaching the roadways and highway borders.
Who would have thought that by placing wolf or another predator’s urine by the roadways would make deer scared, thus chasing them away? Well, researchers haven’t proved anything as of yet since the experiment has not actually been performed yet. But let’s just consider what would happen once the experiment goes underway. How is the wolf urine going to be collected? Is it going to be saved from animal compounds and zoos that house wolves? Where, exactly, will the wolf urine be placed? Will it be placed in buckets lining roads and highways, or will it be scattered far from the road so as to detract deer from ever reaching the borders? What happens if the deer has a horrible sense of smell? All of these questions need to be considered before performing an experiment like this, and you can be sure that the researchers will be asking all these questions plus a whole lot more at their meetings. But, for the sake of argument, let’s continue. How often will the wolf urine need to be placed by the roadsides? And who will do this task if it is found that wolf urine, in fact, does deter deer from crossing roadways and highways?
However, maybe there is another alternative to this dilemma of deer being in the way of motorists and crossing at unfortunate times. Perhaps it would be a smart idea for motorists and those that are worried about deer collisions to slow down at those points which attract deer. Deer are often seen on back roads and country roads where it not all uncommon for those driving to exceed the speed limits, sometimes more than 70 miles per hour. Maybe if drivers actually used caution and drove just a little bit slower, without their cell phones, food, books, drinks, or even makeup and razors, then those terrible collisions between deer and cars would shrink in size. Oh, but that’s right – it is the deer’s fault that we got into an accident!
