from http://www.dailyrecord.com
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11/7/06 - Posted from the Daily Record newsroom
Officials warn drivers of deer in love
Fall is breeding season, most likely time for crashes
BY NAVID IQBAL
DAILY RECORD
Love is in the air, so more deer are in the road this time of year, and officials are warning drivers to be careful.
The fall breeding season for deer, called the rutting season, began Friday and ends Nov. 23, wildlife officials said. This is when bucks go on the hunt for does and when many deer, dashing across highways, collide with cars.
"Deer are more active during this time, period. They are active all night long, all day long," said Carole Kandoth, principal wildlife biologist for the state Division of Fish and Wildlife. This season "is when the there are the most incidents of deer-motorist collisions," she said.
'Everywhere'
"This time of year, deer are everywhere," agreed Michelle Mount, spokeswoman for AAA New Jersey.
The automobile club estimates that an average of 15,000 cars are involved in crashes with deer statewide each year. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority said 6,000 deer crashes were reported to police last year, but the agency said the actual total is likely twice that number.
As the rut takes hold, a group called the North Jersey Deer Vehicle Crash Coalition -- comprised of transportation and environmental officials, are trying to raise awareness of deer-vehicle collisions.
The purpose of the deer-vehicle crash coalition "is to get the wildlife people, AAA, police and ... transportation planning; to get us all together and say what we can do about it," said Lois Goldman of the NJTPA.
Information campaign
The group is launching a public information campaign and will be circulating brochures and bumper stickers promoting safety.
Coalition members began meeting in March and held their latest meeting in Morris County in October.
"October, November, December, there are a lot more deer on the road, and they're not thinking about traffic," Goldman said.
Drivers should be extra vigilant in the afternoon and dusk hours.
"Driving home from work especially (is when) our senses are down," Mount said, adding that 20 percent of deer-vehicle crashes occur in the morning while 58 percent occur between 5 p.m. and midnight.
Counties and towns still are disputing with the state who should pick up the carcasses of deer killed in collisions.
Despite all those crashes that are fatal to the animals, only 150 people died nationwide in deer collisions last year.
"Is it the most dangerous thing? No," Mount said. But, she added, "As familiar as we've become with deer, we're not as familiar with driving with them."
Avoiding deer collisions
Transportation, safety and wildlife groups have these tips for avoiding deer
collisions:
• While deer can pop up anywhere, it's more likely in certain areas, such
as wooded ones. Many deer-vehicle accidents occur on two-lane roads. Slow down
in these areas.
• Where there's one deer, there's bound to be more. Scan the side of the
road for deer.
• While AAA recommends to be extra vigilant on roads with signs that caution
for deer, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority says those signs
are not as effective as ones used in places such as Canada that include automated
motion detectors.
• Deer fixate on headlights, so if a deer appears frozen in the road, honk
and flash headlights to snap the deer out of its trance.
• If you can't avoid a deer in the road, hit it. Don't try to miss it by
driving across the center line, because then you could end up in a head-on collision
with another vehicle, officials said. They said a collision with a deer will
cause vehicle damage but a driver is less likely to be seriously injured or killed
than if they swerved to avoid the deer.
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Navid Iqbal can be reached at (973) 428-6627 or at niqbal@gannett.com.