This week will start peak deer activity season in Northwest Georgia and the state Department of Natural Resources is warning drivers to be extra vigilant. Bucks looking for mates move more and become less secretive, making them easier to hunt and more susceptible to being hit by motor vehicles. And the upcoming change to daylight savings time on November will put rush hour for most commuters into the same period white-tailed deer are most active — dawn and dusk.
Researchers at the University of Georgia and biologists with the Wildlife Resources Division found a strong correlation between the rut and deer-vehicle collisions. The period of November 3-9 has been particularly busy in Floyd, Chattooga, Polk, Gordon and Bartow counties — although activity is expected to remain high through the end of the year.
“While the ultimate goal is to avoid a collision, if one is imminent, never swerve to avoid hitting the animal,” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division. “It is better to hit the deer than to lose control of your vehicle.”
Also, deer often travel in groups, so if you see a deer cross the road ahead of you, anticipate that others may follow and don’t assume the danger has passed, he added.
Always remember deer are wild and, therefore, can be unpredictable. A deer calmly standing on the side of a road may bolt into or across the road rather than away from it when startled by a vehicle.
If it is too late to avoid a collision, drivers are advised to slow down as much as possible to minimize damage — resist the urge to swerve to avoid the deer, as this may cause further damage, sending drivers off the road or causing a collision with another vehicle.
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