Colleen Kottke

Action Reporter Media

Area motorists are being cautioned to keep an eye out for deer as the mating season for the Wisconsin herd moves into high gear.

Vehicle-deer crashes are already on the rise this year in both Fond du Lac and Dodge counties. According to sheriff’s department data, Fond du Lac County had 166 deer-vehicle crashes between Oct. 1 and Nov. 11, an increase of 35 from the same period last year. Dodge County has also seen an increase with 72 between Oct. 1 and Nov. 11.

“We really got hammered with over 20 car-deer crashes last weekend ,” said Capt. Rick Olig of the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office. “I was listening to the calls and deputies were literally running from one car-deer crash to another.”

More vehicle-deer crashes occur in Wisconsin during October and November than at any other time of year. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, deer are the third most common objects struck by drivers behind other vehicles and fixed objects.

In 2013, Wisconsin law enforcement agencies reported 18,338 deer vs. motor vehicle crashes. Waukesha County had the most crashes with 809, followed by Dane County with 786. Fond du Lac County ranked seventh with 655 crashes while Dodge County ranked 17th with 397 crashes.

“During the fall deer-mating season, odds are extremely high that motorists will encounter deer on or near Wisconsin roadways,” said AAA Wisconsin Regional President Tom Frymark. “Drivers need to be especially careful to avoid hitting deer at this time of year, particularly in rural areas and during dusk and dawn hours.”

Last year, eight people were killed and another 402 were injured in vehicle-deer crashes on state roads, according to the DOT. Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable and were involved in six of the eight fatal deer-motor vehicle crashes in Wisconsin last year. Kewaskum motorcyclist James Skomski lost his life the night of Aug. 8, 2014, in the town of Osceola when a deer bounded onto the road and hit his motorcycle, causing the 41-year-old to lose control and crash.

Dave Munson, owner of Tuffy’s Outpost in Fond du Lac, said highways are littered with evidence of deer strikes.

“I just returned from the La Crosse area where we have hunting land and I must have counted at least 25 dead deer on Interstate 90 — and that was just in the eastbound lanes,” Munson said. “Most of them were does that were probably running from bucks.”

DNR Wildlife Biologist Rachel Brookins said white-tailed males are single-minded in their pursuit of a mate during the rut.

“Once a buck smells a doe and sets on her scent, they aren’t looking for traffic,” Brookins said.

Avoiding a crash

According to State Farm Insurance, Wisconsinites will have 47,669 collisions with deer this year, giving motorists a 1-in-85 chance of hitting a deer. That makes Wisconsin the seventh most dangerous state for deer-motor vehicle crashes. The national average is 1 in 169.

Brookins said the number of deer-vehicle crashes is variable, at best.

“The car kill numbers we get from the DOT and sheriff’s offices aren’t consistent because the parameters are inconsistent. A couple of years ago the reportable damage threshold was $500 and now it’s $2,000,” Brookins said. “So not everyone is reporting a crash to authorities.”

To avoid hitting deer Brookins says motorists should slow down.

“If you see one deer, there are probably more in the area,” she said.

DOT officials advise against swerving to avoid hitting a deer.

“It’s safer to hit the brakes and hit the deer than to swerve suddenly and try to miss it,” said David Pabst, director of the Bureau of Transportation Safety. “If you swerve, you risk losing control of your vehicle and hitting another car or a stationary object like a tree.”

Vehicle type also matters in deer wrecks. Last year, 17 percent of cars and 14 percent of trucks involved in deer crashes resulted in a fatality or injury, while 68 percent of motorcycle deer crashes resulted in a fatality or injury.

“You want to ensure your car is in safe working order with good tires and good brakes and that you’re wearing a seatbelt,” Pabst said.

Anti-lock brake systems and cars with more airbags have reduced the number of fatalities statewide due to deer wrecks, Pabst said.

Deer herd rebounding

Munson, who is a member of the Fond du Lac County Deer Advisory Council that shares feedback from residents with the DNR about deer management population goals, says deer numbers have rebounded following a brutal winter in 2012.

“While deer can handle the cold like last winter, they can’t handle deep snow like we had two years ago; they can’t get to their food source,” he said. “Another thing that impacted deer numbers was the ‘Earn a Buck’ program. That just decimated the doe population. DNR officials have told us that the deer population is growing again in the farmland zone around here and especially in the southern part of the state.”

Munson feels the attitudes of hunters have also contributed to the expanding deer herd.

“That old saying ‘If it’s brown, it’s down’ is starting to go away. Hunters aren’t shooting everything they see. They’ve become more selective and that’s a good thing,” Munson said.

The annual firearms deer hunting season starts Saturday, Nov. 22.

Contact Colleen Kottke at (920) 907-7968 or ckottke@fdlreporter.com; Twitter: @ColleenKottke.

Nick Penzenstadler contributed to this report.

SAFETY TIPS

The Wisconsin Department of Transporation and State Patrol offer these tips to prevent deer crashes:

• Be on the lookout for deer, eliminate distractions and slow down, especially in early morning and evening hours which are the most active times for deer.

• Buckle up. There are fewer and less severe injuries when drivers and passengers wear safety belts.

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

• When you see one deer, look for more. Deer seldom run alone.

• If you see a deer in your headlights, don’t expect it to move away. Headlights can confuse a deer, causing it to freeze.

• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path.

• Don’t swerve suddenly because you may lose control of your vehicle.

• If you hit a deer, get your vehicle off the road, if possible, and then call a law enforcement agency. Walking on a highway is dangerous, so stay in your vehicle if you can.

• Don’t try to move the animal if it is still alive. The injured deer could hurt you.