On the drive back home from North Carolina last weekend, I counted 20 deer carcasses in or on the roadside. Who knows how many may have been just out of sight? The rut is on and it’s Whack-a-Deer Season with your automobile. During the rut or mating season of deer, the usually wary bucks throw caution to the wind if they sense a doe is in heat and the does run for their lives if they are not ready for the buck’s romantic advances. Thus, many deer go scooting across the highways in front of cars, especially in Virginia which annually ranks in the top ten states as far as deer collisions are concerned. Insurance agents can expect dozens of weekly calls from clients with dented fenders – or worse.
I have (knock on wood) never hit a deer with an automobile. I have missed a lot of them with my rifle as well, but so far, I have not whacked a deer.
During the rut, I expect a deer to run out in front of me. I always keep a sharp eye out in the edge of the woods, and I try to stay more towards the center of the road to give myself a little more breathing room if I do see a deer. I also take note that if I see even one deer moving, I know there will be more as they generally all travel on the same time clock.
Some people use deer whistles on their cars but authorities say they are ineffective – first because the whistles only work when the car is moving at a higher speed, which means by then it’s often too little too late, and second, there is no way to know how a deer will react if it hears the whistle. It may cause the animal to bolt when it would have otherwise remained stationary.
So just be on the watch for the next several weeks and expect that a deer will dart out in front of you.
