Off The Cuff

Arkansas 5th In Nation For Deer/Car Accidents

Posted by: From Arkansas in Just Stuff, Odds And Ends on Oct 09 2008

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With all the talk about the campaigns and elections, financial distress and concerns, I wanted to add a concern that is popping up here in our state. To say that we have a large population of deer would be an understatement this year. Estimates put the deer population at between 750,000 and 1,000,000 just in Arkansas. That might be low. They are almost everywhere you look. Since it’s begun to get cooler at night, they come out and roam around freely. In the village where we live, there are a lot of woods. Often in the fall, we see them out in the early morning hours grazing in our yard. We don’t live on a farm, mind you. We live on a street with several houses. However, the street is not excessively busy. It does have a school bus come through around 7:30am. That can be one of the times when the deer are roaming. They are cute and pretty. The families are sometimes large having 7-14 members. The youngsters are frisky and playful. But they can be a terrible nuisance or even worse.

Our village is so desperate to get rid of the deer inside the village limits that they decided that hunting within the village limits would be permitted. Not guns, just bows and arrows. It may be doing some good but it is likely that they will only cut the population down a bit. We have seen several families of deer in our yard this year. They are getting bolder and less frightened. Usually, if a foreign sound happens, they run quickly. But not now. In fact, it is likely that they are getting very used to traffic sounds. That makes it more dangerous than ever. They are no longer afraid.

With a population of deer this large, you can be sure there will be car/deer contact. People that move here from out of state sometimes do not realize that with the number of deer we have here, it is so easy to have one run out in front of you. If a person is not extremely careful, contact will occur. And believe me, that type of contact not only will likely kill the deer, it is going to make a major mess of your car or truck as well. There are several things that you can do to prevent such an event:

If you see one deer on the side of the road, there will be more since they always travel in family units, never alone. Slow down, watch carefully for other deer in the area.

If one comes out in front of you, apply the brakes. Do not swerve. That can cause more accidents or injuries than just hitting the deer.

If you see a sign with yellow background that shows a deer jumping, that says that it is a high deer traffic area. Slow down and be watchful, more aware of your surroundings.

Use your bright lights. Deer show up on the side of the road often. With brights on, you have a better chance of stopping in time.

With just about a one in one hundred chance of hitting a deer, especially at night, it is very important to be more aware of the wildlife in the area. Being alert always helps. Sometimes contact cannot be avoided but with a little care, you have a larger chance of not hitting a deer.

Defend your bank account from impatient humans, wildlife and trains! Get a quote on a new car insurance policy.

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