From mid-October through November is the deer rutting season, which also means that the Bambi's are on the move more than usual. Since I've hit two of them in the past few years, it is a particularly stressful time for me to be out traveling the highways. I read in today's paper that last year there were over 9,000 vehicle/deer accidents in Kansas. It says that is a 4% increase over the previous year. Isn't that just wonderful? NOT! I'm already seeing them on the side of the road when I am driving home in early evening from the dog shows. Coming up through the southern counties of Kansas on my way home from Oklahoma, I try very hard NOT to drive at night. The past two weekends I've driven home through that part of my trip about around dusk, arriving home a bit after dark. I am white knuckled during that 2 hour part of my trip from Woodward, Ok to home.
My only other alternative, which I sometimes take, is to delay coming home until the next day after the shows, which means extra added expense for me to find a motel in which to wait out the darkness and drive more safely in the daylight.
Is there an answer to this menace? More hunters being able to take more deer each season? I dunno...I just know that they are over-populated in rural counties near me, and probably other parts of the country, as well. If you don't think they are dangerous, consider that there were 3 fatalities in Kansas last year due to deer/auto accidents on the road. Another 229 people were injured.
We need a foolproof gadget that we can install on our cars that will keep them from running towards us. Deer whistles are minimal in my opinion. We need something more that technology can provide. Can't someone invent such a device??? They'd make a ton of moola if they did!
In the meantime, get out there and bag your limit...and save a life of some motorist, save zillions in insurance claims (both health and auto), and control a population that is more of a threat to most of us than we realize. Besides, venison is wonderful when prepared correctly. Venison sausage is the very BEST!
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3 comments:
I thought there were several devices on the market that you can put on your car that warn deer. Do they not work?
The only thing I know about are the "deer whistles". I have one on the front of my van, but I'm not secure in their protecting me against that one stupid deer that wants to cross right in front of me!
maybe I should research if there are other devices??
I have those whistles on my car. You have to have them set properly, and facing properly or they don't work. There is controversy about them working. I live in the worst area for deer. Just last night as I got about a half of a mile from the house, there was a herd of about 100 of them in the field to my left. Wow. Talk about a ton of deer in one spot! They run across the road out here all the time. I have had several go across in front of me, and even had one buck who trotted or hopped along in front of me for about 500 yards before getting out of the way! lol Mom, I think since you have been one of the unfortunate ones to have hit two deer, you have become totally paranoid at this point. Unless you are really unlucky, just relax. Drive slow and be alert. You don't have to change your whole life etc to avoid it. Think about how many motorists "are" on the road, and then look at your statistics again. You just were unlucky I think. Doesn't mean you will ever have it happen to you again in your lifetime. Don't live in fear of it. Also, driving during full sun is no guarantee. I saw a huge buck run across the highway in broad daylight and a lady in an SUV right in front of me hit it. Deer can be out at any time. Mainly they are out when the weather cools. So that can be any time. Don't forget it depends more on weather than light. Love you:-)
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