It's deer season in the city

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
City drivers beware; this deer was calmly grazing as cars drove past on the corner of College and Columbia Streets a few blocks from downtown Greencastle Monday afternoon.

GREENCASTLE -- It's deer season. Whether or not you knew that, or even care, you should consider that this is the time of the year when -- as the weather changes, hunters are chasing whitetail and deer are mating -- your chances of hitting one of these animals increases considerably.

Typically, more than half of all vehicle-deer crashes annually occur in October through December.

Even as most new vehicles include confident anti-lock braking and electronic stability control and some models even offer collision-warning systems, collisions with deer continue to rise

Expanding suburbs and exurbs continue to displace animals from their natural habitats, along with overpopulation in some areas.

According to new information from State Farm Insurance, the overall number of deer-car collisions in the U.S. has grown by more than 18 percent over the past five years -- as the number of vehicles on U.S. roadways has grown by seven percent.

They warn people to be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas. They also remind drivers to remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m. Also keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds. If you see one, chances are good others are nearby.

They recommend using high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to see areas where deer may enter roadways. If a collision with a deer seems inevitable, swerving out of the way may cause you to lose control of your car or place you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.

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  • There were two in the Kroger parking lot Sunday afternoon.

    -- Posted by Geologist on Wed, Oct 14, 2009, at 6:59 AM
  • This is nothing new....I live in city limits and have deer in my backyard every day. I also have skunks, raccoons, groundhogs,and rabbits.

    -- Posted by jakesmom on Wed, Oct 14, 2009, at 12:16 PM
  • theres a mamma and two babies yes two that wonder around my house all the time, i hope every year nobody gets her for the sake of them,they still have their spots on them i love to watch them play

    -- Posted by ironmaiden on Sat, Oct 17, 2009, at 12:38 PM
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