Fall is prime time for deer vs. car collisions

The annual dance of deer versus vehicle in northwest Indiana is underway due to seasonal increases in deer activity.

Fall is breeding season for deer, and in areas such as Lake and Porter counties where suburban communities blend with rural and wooded open spaces, deer vs. vehicle crashes are more prevalent.

About 45 percent of all vehicle crashes involving white-tailed deer happen between October and December, according to the 2016 Indiana White-tailed Deer Summary compiled by the Department of Natural Resources Fish & Wildlife Division. Numbers in 2016 saw a slight decrease over the previous year.

There were 232 deer reported killed in vehicle collisions in all of Lake County in 2015 while 208 deer were killed in 2016. Porter County saw a similar dip in 2016 with 323 deer killed by vehicles versus the 343 killed in 2015.

Highway department officials in Lake and Porter counties say they are in the midst of busy season for vehicle versus deer crashes.

Ron Gregory, assistant superintendent for the Lake County Highway Department, said less than 100 deer are struck on county-maintained roads each year with fall being the busiest time. So far this year, the activity appears to be normal.

According to the DNR white-tail summary, 36 percent of all deer killed by vehicles are killed on state roads, 28 percent on county roads, 17 percent on U.S. routes, 10 percent on local roads and 9 percent on interstates. The remaining percentage represents the unknown.

Deer vs. vehicle crashes cost about $119 million a year in Indiana, according to the report.

Lake County contracts with an outside firm to handle any animal carcasses. Once the highway department is notified of an animal, it goes out and marks the location and contacts the firm that collects the carcass. If a deer is blocking a road, county workers will move it to the side, he said.

Gregory said he learned first-hand what could happen in a crash. Gregory said years ago he was driving and had a deer cross in front of his vehicle. He thought he dodged the crash only to have a second deer shoot out in front of his vehicle.

“I got out. I thought it was dead. It jumped up and took off,” he said, adding his vehicle suffered significant front-end damage in the incident.

In Porter County, highway department supervisor Andy McKay said the county tracks crashes by GIS in the unincorporated areas but does not break them down to indicate if a crash involved a deer.

He estimates about half of all the crashes reported in unincorporated Porter County involve deer. When a crash is reported, the highway department collects the carcass and brings it to the county incinerator for disposal.

He advised motorists use extra caution this time of year, especially in wooded areas.

“Anywhere there’s a lot of trees and brush along the sides of the roads, that’s definitely a hotspot for them,” McKay said.

Deer research biologist Joe Caudell with the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife said motorists need to use caution and defensive driving during peak deer season especially in areas prone to wildlife.

Motorists who strike a deer should call 911 and report the crash if they are able. Caudell said motorists should exercise caution.

“Although gentle in nature, deer that are injured or stressed can be extremely dangerous. They have sharp hooves and a powerful kick. Do not approach the animal unless you are positive it has died,” Caudell said.

While highway departments handle disposal of carcasses, motorists also have the ability to harvest the carcass of a deer they strike or donate the carcass at no charge to an approved processor for use by a food bank, according to the DNR. Police and conservation officers can issue a permit for a deer struck by a vehicle to the motorist of the vehicle. Neither Gregory or McKay were aware how many, if any, permits for harvest were issued for the deer who were struck.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Motorist Safety Tips Provided by the Insurance Institute of America:

Deer are most active between sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise, so be especially attentive at these times.

Deer often travel in groups, so if you see one, another is likely nearby.

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Be especially careful in areas where you have seen deer before.

Use high beams when there is no opposing traffic; scan for deer’s illuminated eyes or dark silhouettes along the side of the road.

Be especially cautious where agricultural fields are divided from forested areas by roads.

If you see a deer, slow your vehicle, even if the animal is far away.

Exercise extreme caution along woodlot edges, at hills or on blind turns.

Brake when you see a deer in your path, but stay in your lane; most serious crashes occur when drivers try to miss a deer but hit something else.

Do not rely on deer whistles or other devices. They have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.

Source: Insurance Institute of America