Heidi Conner, of West Dundee, Ill., describes how a 200 pound deer leaped from an overpass and landed on her minivan as she and her four children traveled along an Illinois interstate on May 25. Credit: Associated Press

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Last week a deer smashed through a vehicle's windshield on I-94 in Jefferson County, killing a man and injuring his wife.

The day before a motorcyclist was killed in Eau Claire County when he struck a deer. Also, last week a suburban Chicago family was lucky to survive when a 200-pound deer leaped from an overpass and landed on their minivan as it traveled on the Illinois interstate.

While most Wisconsin motorists are wary of deer in the fall, when the animals are frequently moving during the breeding season, June is actually one of the worst months for injuries to motorists from deer collisions.

Does are searching for places to give birth now, and yearlings are separating from their mothers. Coinciding with the increase in deer activity is the start of the summer driving season when more motorcyclists head out onto Wisconsin roads. Last year six of the eight fatalities from deer crashes were motorcyclists.

"Certainly motorcycles don't offer the same protection as cars," said David Pabst, director of the Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation Safety. "If it just hits the bike and knocks you off and you're going highway speeds you'll suffer serious injuries."

In four of the past five years, June ranked as the worst or second worst month for injuries to motorists from deer crashes, according to Wisconsin Department of Transportation statistics.

In 2013, five fatalities happened in June; in 2012 three of the 14 fatalities from car-deer crashes happened in June; and in 2011 two of five fatalities were in June.

Last year 18,313 car-deer accidents were reported to law enforcement — a much higher number of crashes probably happen in Wisconsin but aren't reported because damage isn't serious, Pabst said. The top three counties for car-deer accident reports were Waukesha with 809, Dane with 786 and Shawano with 748 reports. In Green Lake, Taylor and Shawano counties, more than half of all reported crashes in 2013 involved deer.

"We're definitely more of a rural county with a lot of fields, and the deer are out browsing for food," Shawano County Chief Deputy John Gutho said. "Part of it, too, is the grass along the road. Visibility is down and the deer just dart out."

While much of Shawano County is populated with agricultural and recreational areas, it's also bisected by two heavily traveled highways — 29 from east to west and 45 from north to south. So there are plenty of deer and plenty of motor vehicles traveling fast through the county.

Gutho remembered a crash that sent a motorist to a hospital with severe cuts and head injuries two years ago in late May. When a deer darted out onto Highway 45 and was struck by a vehicle, the animal went airborne and smashed into an oncoming pickup truck, crashing through the windshield and out the rear window.

On Memorial Day, David B. Running, 54, of Eau Claire was killed when a deer came through the windshield of a Ford Crown Victoria driven by Joyce Running, 53, about 11:30 a.m. on I-94 near Johnson Creek. David Running died at a hospital; Joyce Running suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

James L. Tweet, 69, of Eau Claire died May 25 when he was thrown off his motorcycle after colliding with a deer about 9:30 p.m. south of Eau Claire. Also on May 25, witnesses reported seeing a deer jump from an overpass and land on top of a Chevy minivan as it traveled at 70 mph on a highway in West Dundee, Ill., causing minor injuries to a family inside the vehicle.

Pabst spent many years traveling Wisconsin roads as a state trooper in the 1980s and '90s and three times hit a deer with his squad car.

"I'm a trained observer, but sometimes the deer will jump out right in front of you," Pabst said. "One of them I had a brand new squad car with only 2,000 miles."

Tips to avoid deer crashes

■ Be vigilant in early morning and early evening hours, the most active time for deer.

■ If you see a deer by the side of the road, slow down and blow your car horn with one long blast to frighten the animal away.

■ When you see a deer, look for another one because deer seldom run alone.

■ If you see a deer in your headlights, don't expect the animal to move away since headlights can cause them to freeze. Brake firmly and don't swerve because it can confuse the deer and cause motorists to lose control. The one exception is for motorcyclists who should slow down, brake firmly and swerve if needed to avoid hitting the animal.

■ If your vehicle strikes a deer, stay in your vehicle and don't touch the animal if it's alive because the injured deer could try to move and hurt you.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation