VIRGINIA (DC News Now) — It’s that time of the year again, and deer are on the hunt for their mate!
As the days get shorter, temperatures drop and fall foliage starts to peak, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) are reminding drivers to be alert. It’s deer-mating season!
Officials said deer are especially active in the fall, from mid-October through November. They normally take advantage of roadside edges for foraging. Deer can be seen roaming throughout the day but are typically out at dawn and dusk.
Over the next month, drivers can expect to see more deer on main roads, cross roadways and highways across the Commonwealth.
“With the change in seasons and the end of Daylight Saving Time approaching, the shorter days means deer are on the move during peak travel times and more motorists are driving in the dark,” said VDOT in a release.
According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2023, 42% of crashes involving deer happened throughout October and November. Of the 7,335 crashes reported to police, 690 of them included injuries.
Between 2022 and 2023, Virginia saw a 20% increase in deer-related crashes, according to officials.
While driving during mating season, VDOT encourages drivers to do the following:
- While the urge to swerve is instinctual, do not veer for deer. If a deer or other animal jumps in front of you as you’re driving, don’t swerve aggressively or overcompensate. You might lose control of your vehicle. Gradually brake to avoid hitting the animal.
- Prepare for the unexpected. Deer may stop in the middle of the road or double back.
- If you see one deer, slow down because they usually travel in groups so there’s likely to be others nearby.
- Check the shoulders of a road or highway and use your high-beam headlights when able. Deer tend to stand on the sides of the road and then suddenly move into the road. Slow down and hit your horn to scare the deer, as they dart and run in either direction.
- Be extra alert when driving near areas wildlife frequent, such as streams and rivers, and reduce your speed so you can react safely.
- If you hit a deer, pull off to the shoulder and turn on your hazard lights. Do not exit your vehicle and search for the deer, because it could hurt you.
- Don’t litter. Trash odors can attract animals to roadways.
If you hit and kill a deer that needs to be picked up or encounter a dead deer creating a hazard on a state-maintained roadway, call 800-367-7623 (FOR-ROAD) or fill out a report online.