Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go . . . . Or at least, we tried to.
As my family and I were driving to Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday, we became a highway statistic. Just north of Terre Haute and slightly west of the middle of nowhere, we hit a deer. Thankfully, nobody was hurt (except for the deer and my minivan, which STILL hasn't been looked at by insurance company as I write this article a full week after the accident).
According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 750,000 deer-vehicle accidents occurred nationally in 1999, up from 500,000 in the prior year. These accidents resulted in 120 deaths and more than $1.2 billion in property damage.
There are several reasons why so many of us crash into deer on the highways. Whitetail deer, the species most common in Indiana and Kentucky, breed from October through January. Male deer (bucks) are in "rut" at this time, and are thinking of little else than getting to the nearest female deer (doe). Rutting bucks have been known to run into parked vehicles in their mating frenzy, so a speeding car means little to them.
October through December is also deer hunting season in Indiana. Often, deer will be scared out of the woods by the hunters, and will run into traffic in their effort to escape.
Whitetail deer are most active in the early morning hours, and in the early evening. Coincidentally, that is "rush hour" for most automobile drivers, either going to or coming from work. Statistics show that over 60 percent of all deer collisions occur between 6 and 9 in the morning, and between 6 and 10 in the evening.
Another factor leading to more human-deer interactions is suburban sprawl. As we bulldoze forests and fields to build homes and businesses, we invade into the home territories where deer and other wildlife live. As deer are crowded into smaller and smaller islands of green in an ocean of concrete, they can't help but come into contact with humans, either on the road or in the garden (more on that shortly).
To protect yourself from deer while driving, follow these recommendations:
* Be especially alert at dawn and dusk, which are the peak movement times for deer.
* Drive at a moderate speed, particularly on roads bordering woodlands, parklands, golf courses and streams.
* Watch for deer crossing signs. Slow down, and be especially alert in these areas since these signs are usually placed in areas where deer-vehicle collisions have already occurred.
* When you spot a deer near the roadway, slow down dramatically and be ready for the animal to dart unexpectedly into the road. Honk your horn to try to scare the deer away, but be aware that the deer still may enter the roadway.
*Even if you pass one deer safely, continue to be alert for others nearby since deer often travel in groups. If a deer does run into the roadway, do not swerve dramatically. Brake to a stop to avoid hitting the deer. The most serious accidents occur when motorists lose control of their vehicles trying to avoid an animal and crash into another vehicle or a stationary object.
* If you cannot avoid hitting a deer, take your foot off the brake at the time of impact so that the front end of your vehicle will lift up and enable the deer to go under the car, rather than over it. The danger is that it may crash through the windshield or windows, possibly entering the passenger compartment.
* Deer whistles have been shown not to work reliably. Deer hear them, it's true, but they don't understand that they're supposed to be frightened of this noise. Some drivers have reported seeing deer standing confusedly in the middle of the road, trying to figure out what that strange noise is.
Besides causing damage to automobiles, deer are also a pest when it comes to our gardens and crops. Deer are browsing animals, and will munch on over 650 different plant items. The preferred foods are forbs (broadleaf "weeds"), and are eaten when available in the spring and summer. Many gardens, as well as farm crops, can be devoured overnight by herds of hungry deer. Deer will eat acorns, persimmon fruits, and other nuts or berries in the fall. Most of the year, especially in winter, deer will the leaves, stems and buds of woody plants.
Sometimes it's hard to know whether a deer or a rabbit has been feeding on your garden. An easy way to identify the culprit is to look at whatever is left of the stem. Whitetail deer lack upper incisors, which results in a distinctive feeding pattern that looks like the plant was torn. Rabbits and other rodents make a sharp, clean, knife-like cut on plants.
Male deer can also damage trees by rubbing their antlers against the trunk to scrape off the velvet. This can cause serious wounds on the tree, and young trees are often girdled and killed.
Protecting your farm or garden from deer feeding is difficult. Fencing can be used in small areas. An eight to ten foot high fence can surround valuable plant material. Electric fencing can also work, but is expensive to purchase and maintain. Individual tree guards, made of chicken wire or hardware cloth, can be placed around tree trunks to prevent stripping of bark. None of these items are cost-effective for farmers and nurserymen.
Frightening devices, like propane cannons, will temporarily chase deer from farm fields. For obvious reasons, these devices aren't recommended for residential areas.
Dogs can also be useful in scaring deer away (most dogs are too slow to actually catch a deer, so this is a humane technique). Deer are smart enough to realize how long your dog's chain is, so tying up a dog at the edge of the garden won't work for long. If the dogs have free range of your property, they do a better job of deterring feeding. Underground electric fences that cause a collar to give a mild shock to the dog, coupled with proper training, will keep the dogs from wandering off your property and becoming automobile accident victims themselves.
There are a number of chemical repellents that can be used. These products are odor and/or taste repellents. Commercial products, like Hinder and Deer-Away, can be sprayed on most ornamentals. Deodorant soap can be hung from trees; use one bar every 5 feet. Human hair and other home remedies, as well as the commercial products, will not work for long. Rain, dew, and sunlight will break them down quickly; you may need to reapply the repellents (or get new bundles of hair) at least once a week. In areas with high deer pressure, these repellents tend to be ignored, as the deer are hungry enough to eat almost anything at this point.
Deer are cute and fun to watch - from a distance. But as we encroach upon their territory, we will become more intimately involved with them: either in the garden, on the farm, or on the highway. Especially at this time of year, stay alert, and proactively defend your plants.
For more information on deer control, contact the Purdue Extension Service at (812) 435-5287, or e-mail me at Larry.Caplan@ces.purdue.edu .
Electric Fences for Preventing Browse
Damage by White-tailed Deer (Purdue)
Economic Impacts of the White-tailed Deer in Indiana (Purdue)
Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer Damage (W. Virginia)
Controlling Deer Damage in Missouri
Preventing Deer Damage (Colorado State)
Deer Repellents (Rhode Island)
Return to the Extension Notes Index
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