Deer in the headlights.

[Sarge465]

It's that time of year when deer start running out into the highways in front of cars. One of our dispatchers was coming home the other night and one ran out in front of her and totaled her car. I work a small town and we average 3 or 4 deer wrecks a week just inside the city limits. I talked to a trooper one day last week and he told me that he had worked 6 deer wrecks that day. I probably shoot more deer in a year than the average hunter just putting down the injured ones that haven't been killed outright. Twenty or so years ago you never saw any deer around here but now they're all over the place.

[ 12-09-2001: Message edited by: Sarge465 ]

[Delta_V]

With deer season only lasting a couple months in most states, it's no wonder that there are so many out there. That, added in with rising deer populations all over the country. I don't remember the statistic, but I think maybe two or three times the amount of deer killed by hunters are killed in MVAs every year.

[Mitzi]

What is done with these deers? I hope the meat is given to those who need it.

[FLLawdog]

Mitzi, you have to be VERRRRRRY careful with roadkill. Too much internal injury can make the meat dangerous.

The more we, as humans, encroach on "their" territory, the more we'll see these incidents.

[Delta_V]

Originally posted by Mitzi:
What is done with these deers? I hope the meat is given to those who need it.

A guy I work with hit one last year (he drives a large pickup truck and little damage was done to it) and him and a friend loaded it into the bed and took it home with them. I got a nice venison steak and some sausage out of it. Roadkill Cafe...there's KY for ya!

In most cases I would assume that it's just not worth the trouble in packaging up meat for people to eat, and the deer is just disposed of. I may be wrong though.

[Watchman]

We can pretty much tell when the "rut" is going on by the amount of deer vs car collisions that take place, most of them are at night.

We average about 7-8 week. These usually occur in the same locations. Unfortunatly, some exelllent racked deer get run over.

Standard procedure is to get it out of the road and call dispatch, if they know of anyone to come get it they will call them. If not , they call to see if any officers want it or know of anyone that does, I gave one away to one of my workmates the other day.

Most of the time, the deer arent messed up to badly, just a broken neck or trashed out shoulder. Sometimes (like when they get hit by a Semi going about 80) they are pretty trashed out and worthless. In that case , they lay there till the buzzards or the coyotes get them. It's usaully gone in a day or two.

[tcsd1236]

In our area, if the driver doesn't want the carcass, it goes to the landfill.

[Legal Assistant]

[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: Legal Assistant ]

[grum]

Where I grew up (Manitoba, Canada) deer collisions are so frequent you can get an extra wildlife collision package on your auto insurance. With it I believe the deductible is lowered (or waived).
I have personally hit three deer, and had too many near misses.

[Piper]

When I had my first car...it saw its end by two deer. Not the same day mind you...it was a matter of a couple of days. At this time, I was living out in the sticks and had to take the expressway to get to work. The first accident, the deer cliped the headlight on the right side...not to much damage. Then a few days later, driving the same strech of road...BAM! Piper hits a buck head on. My car was totaled...luckily I was not.

Some folks joked I did better than some hunters that season.

Cheers,
Piper

[jellybean40]

We have a terrible deer problem in southeastern PA/NJ. and here it is ALL year long, just a little worse during hunting season. deer walk thru my yard everyday, and 2 have gotten hit in front of my house this year. the last time i hit one i had a loaner car from Toyota while mine was being worked on...it was a beautiful, new Camry. i felt so bad about the damage. i called the NJSP since i knew a report had to be made since it wasnt my car. one officer took his gun out but waited til i left to take care of the deer, which was wandering in a circle.

last year a woman was killed nearby while driving her SUV with her young kids in the back, by a deer hit by a driver coming the other way. it went right thru her windshield. i used to be against "deer kills," and for less violent options like birth control. but now i think they need to thin them out any way they can.