Drivers, Watch for Deer This Fall and Winter: Connecticut DEEP

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division reminds motorists to be watchful of increased deer activity along roadways, especially during early morning and evening hours.

Late October through December is the peak of the breeding season (also known as “the rut”) for white-tailed deer which increases deer activity and the likelihood of deer crossing roads. Be aware and heed “Deer Crossing” signs erected by highway departments.

Motorists are advised to slow down and drive defensively should a deer be spotted on or by the road. Deer/vehicle collisions should be reported to local or state law enforcement agencies, or the DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Division at 860-424-3333.

“In the early 2000s, more than 15,000 deer vehicle accidents occurred annually, while this past year, approximately 6,500 deer were killed in the state due to collisions with vehicles,” said Rick Jacobson, Director of the DEEP Wildlife Division.

Jacobson credits this decline to increased educational efforts and more intensive deer management efforts in many areas of the state.

Photo by Miguel Rangel Jr, via flickr creative commons