The doe was fresh, because I had not seen her lying on the roadway that morning, and the temperature was very cool. The last three miles of the road from a county highway to my house are always speckled with the remains of car-killed deer this time of year, and it’s such a waste of precious venison.
Since I had killed a small buck with my crossbow a few weeks earlier, and my freezers will soon be packed tight when fresh venison, I had no room for another deer right now. So I got on the phone, calling a fellow member of our muzzleloader club to see if he was interested. He was out of town on a special disabled deer hunt and wouldn’t be back for days.
I then tried another club member and another. Nobody had the time or desire to come and take this free meat.
A driver who strikes a deer with a vehicle is entitled to that deer, but most of us may be short of time when nature strikes. Drivers also can legally give the deer to someone else, but again, it’s not always easy to find someone to take it, especially if it’s late at night when many car-deer collisions occur. Call 608-267-7691 to claim a vehicle-killed deer, bear or turkey.
November is the peak month for car-deer crashes, for many reasons. Deer are traveling much more as lovesick bucks seek out ready does during the rut. Bucks that might normally be a bit more cautious near roadways often run out, nose to the ground, as they sniff for a mate. At the same time of year, farmers are harvesting their cornfields, which normally are great feeding and bedding areas for deer.
An estimated 22,000 car-deer collisions a year occur in Wisconsin, although the number is probably much higher because up to 30 percent are never reported, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Experts advise never to swerve to avoid striking a deer because this increases the chances of going off the road and striking a power pole or tree, or rolling the vehicle, resulting in more severe injuries. The average deer weighs 100 pounds or less, and unless you are driving a motorcycle, the odds of severe injuries are slim. I recommend honking your horn if you have time, because most deer will quickly leap out of the way at the sound. If you see one deer cross in front of you, chances are good that one or more additional deer will follow.
There have been numerous attempts to stop car-deer accidents with fencing, lights and other inventions. My father-in-law swears that his deer whistles work, but a study many years ago by the University of Wisconsin showed that a deer would have to be within 20 yards of a deer whistle to hear it. Also, the bumper-mounted whistles produce ultra-high frequency sounds (according to the maker’s claims), which deer don’t hear. You are better off sounding your horn if you see deer along the roadside or in the middle of the highway.
Swarovski, the maker of fine crystal, created Swareflex reflectors, which utilize lights from passing cars to create an unnatural, moving light to frighten deer. Although testing indicated the reflectors were extremely effective at preventing car-deer accidents, the devices are expensive, had to be placed precisely and had to be kept clean. A high wire fence is likely more effective and more affordable, too.
A few new cars are being equipped with heat sensors or infrared that improves a driver’s night vision, but this can add $2,500 or more to the price of the car.
A study by some UW-Madison Department of Engineering students showed that adding lights or lowering the speed limit at deer crossings does not necessarily reduce the number of crashes. I’m continually amazed at how fast some drivers will travel through the unmarked deer crossings on my road, even when there is another car stopping for crossing deer! Some people seem oblivious to the existence of deer when they drive, which can be an expensive mistake.
The study noted that salt used on roadways to melt snow may attract deer to roadways. One experiment that also proved inconclusive involved a deer silhouette with a white tail that flashed its tail when deer approached (just as a real deer might do to warn its buddies of danger). I give the researchers an A for effort.
Hunting certainly reduces deer numbers and puts all that valuable venison to good use. Do your part and head to the woods ASAP with your bow or crossbow and trim the herd. You might just save someone’s car or truck from a collision.