Fawn photographed at
Stillman on 5/17/08
A) coyote B) cougar C) deer D) bear
Those of you who circled "C" go to the head of the class. Nationwide,
an average of 120 people die each year as a result of deer collisions.
In Illinois, approximately 17,000 cars bash deer each year. The
frequency of these collisions peak in November.
From a deer's perspective, autumn is a difficult time. It's breeding
season, you're looking for some honeys but a bunch of hunters are
looking for you! Then, of course, there are those nasty automobiles
which kill thousands of your fellows each fall.
Background
So, exactly what might we be hitting? If it is a doe, a female deer,
it stands 32 inches at the shoulder and weighs around 160 pounds. An
adult buck, a male, is 10 inches taller and averages between 175 and
200 pounds. Their average age is 3 - 5 years old although, under ideal
conditions, a deer may live for 15 years. Rutting (or mating) season
begins in late Oct. and is usually done by mid-Dec.
As hard as it may be to believe, in Illinois, white-tails were
exterminated late in the 19th century. Starting
in the 1930's, a concerted program of reestablishing the species was
undertaken. Today, as is obvious, the
species is back.
Barbecue & Bambi
Rest assured, I don't take the subject of deer/car collisions
lightly. Years ago, while researching great gray owls in Minnesota, I
rented a house from a state conservation officer. One day, he called
to tell me about a deer that had just been killed by a car very close
to my house. He thought I might be interested in the meat. Given my
non-existent income, I took a look at it. Indeed, there was a lot of
good meat on the animal. With the help of a neighbor, we butchered it
and enjoyed venison for weeks to come.
The meat wasn't what prompted the call from the game warden. What I
didn't mention was the dead deer had been a pregnant doe that, had a
car not interfered, would have given birth to twins in a day or so. As
it was, one of the fawns died in the collision and the other ended up,
with its dead mother, on my doorstep.
Having worked at a nature center that did wildlife rehabilitation, I
did the best I could to keep it alive. After a few days, it got
stronger but I realized that it needed to be with a licensed
rehabilitator not an owl researcher. Luckily, I found such a person
and bid farewell to the fawn that cheated death.
Later, I heard the critter was doing well. Of course, if it was
released back to the wild, the rehabilitated deer would have to learn
how to dodge speeding cars and bullets. Nonetheless, I thought it was
the right thing to do.
Hide & Seek
Hiding from hunters is something deer excel at. In one study, 39 deer
were fenced in a square mile of forest. It took six veteran hunters
four days to find one buck. It's no wonder, then, that they can be
next to impossible to spot along the road. With this in mind, here are
some tips to help you avoid colliding with a white-tail.
• Drive cautiously at dawn and dusk, particularly in autumn. In
other words, get off the cell phone!
• Watch for eyes! Deer's eyes reflect headlights and will appear
to glow at you from the side of the road. Slow down when you see them.
• If one deer bounds across in front of you, expect another to
do the same. Does often travel in pairs or small groups.
• Flash headlights or honk horn to encourage deer near the road
to move on.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Remember that deer prefer
"edge" habitats such as forest margins.
If you want information about discouraging deer from your yard, I
suggest reading a copy of Deer-Proofing Your Yard and Garden by Rhonda
M. Hart. If you want to attract deer, I recommend planting tulips. It
is a little known fact that these plants were named after deer. You
see, around here, the only time you will see the flowers is as they
disappear between the "two lips" of a deer.