The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has produced an online map that details when each county in Georgia is at the greatest risk for commuters and deer. You can find the map at www.georgiawildlife.com/rut-map
Autumn is here. Leaves changing, football on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, flannel shirts, sweaters and of course pumpkin spice everything. Autumn also signals the beginning of deer breeding season and for Georgia motorists, additional danger on our roads.
According to a recent study done by the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, there were 45,811 deer/vehicle crashes reported in Georgia between Sept. 1 and Jan. 31 from 2005 to 2012. And those are just the crashes that were reported. The actual number is probably much greater.
The study was funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“They (the DOT) really wanted to know what the risks are, not only seasonally and throughout the day, but geographically speaking within the state,” said Bob Warren, professor at the University of Georgia School of Forestry and Natural Resources.
According to the study, the greatest risk of hitting a deer with your car or truck is not at dusk or dawn which is what I believed, but in the middle of the night.
“Motorists should not all think ‘well I’ve made it past dusk and I can relax a little bit the chance of deer/vehicle collisions is a little bit lower in the middle of the night.’” Warren said “No, in fact it’s actually greater.”
While we should all be aware of deer on and along our roads right now, the bigger risk is yet to come.
“The greatest risk is going to be more toward late October and mid-November,” Warren said.
Time of day, time of year and even geography all play a part in the risk of a deer/motor vehicle crash according to the study.
“Deer throughout the state of Georgia don’t all breed at the same time,” Warren said. “We found quite a significant variation in peak breeding activity.”
In the metro Atlanta area, mid-November is the riskiest time for a deer/vehicle collision. In north Georgia near the Tennessee border, late November carries the highest risk. Eastern Georgia residents see the highest risk in early November while the Georgia coast is mid to late October. Extreme southwest Georgia sees the greatest risk in early to mid-December.
It is important to remember that deer rarely travel alone, so if you see one expect more. Experts also advise motorists when traveling on a four lane road to stay in the left lanes, farther away from the wood lines to decrease the chance of hitting a dear.
Please be safe this deer season, because as far as I know, there is no pumpkin spice venison jerky on the market, yet.
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