With the fall colors and shorter days, this season brings another notable occurrence: the annual deer rut. Hunters are going afield to try to bag a trophy buck and get venison for the table. Deer are chasing or being chased by other deer, and bucks are jousting with each other for the right to mate with does. However, the deer breeding season brings an enhanced risk of deer vs. car collisions; agencies such as the PA Game Commission are urging drivers to slow down and watch for deer darting across the roadway.

“The rut is an exciting time for hunters but needs to be a time of heightened awareness for drivers,” said PA Game Commission executive director Steve Smith. “Whitetails are ramping up their activity levels and expanding their home ranges, so it’s imperative that motorists exercise increased caution and attentiveness during this time of year.”

Deer are less likely to stop at the edge of the road during the rut.  Deer engaged in the rut will likely just dash across the road; this is when the most car/deer collisions occur and they may be less aware of their surroundings, Deer often travel in groups, so if you see one deer, there are often more nearby.  According to insurance industry data, November is the top month for deer-related crashes.  

The PA Game Commission has some tips for avoiding a deer/automobile collision: 

• 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 woods, 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.