As deer become more active in Pennsylvania, experts say be more alert behind the wheel
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pennsylvania drivers see a lot of deer on the road throughout the year.
But the Pennsylvania Game Commission says now is the time to be more alert behind the wheel as deer become more active and it gets darker earlier.
"We're at that time of year again where there is bound to be an uptick in deer-vehicle collisions," said Travis Lau, communications director for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
White-tailed deer breeding season, known as the rut, is starting.
"During the rut, bucks will really increase their movements throughout the day compared to other times a year. And they'll also cover a lot more ground. They'll get out of their core areas. They'll roam into new areas. It's all in search of receptive does," Lau said.
"The younger males are being pushed out of their areas to kind of find their own home range. They may be traveling up to a couple miles to find that spot, and mature males are going to be chasing around does," said Lt. Andy Harvey, information and education supervisor and state game warden for the Pennsylvania Game Commission Southwest Region.
To make matters worse, we're setting our clocks back an hour when daylight saving time ends Sunday. Harvey and Lau spoke about how it would behoove drivers to be extra vigilant between sunset and sunrise.
"Scanning from the road, shoulder to road shoulder, at nighttime looking for that reflective glowing green eye of a white-tailed deer," Lau said.
They said to also look out for deer crossing signs.
"Those are typically put up in areas where we see a higher number of deer versus vehicle accidents," Harvey said.
"Deer often travel in groups and often in single file lines. So, if a deer crosses the road, it doesn't necessarily signal it's an end to the danger. There could be another one behind it," Lau said.
According to PennDOT reports, there were 309 deer-related vehicle crashes in Allegheny County in 2023, the most in Pennsylvania. Allegheny County has led the state in that stat since at least 2004.
"One thing we account for is an extended hunting season in those areas just because of the large population, and there's a limited area to actually hunt these deer as well. So, we try to give hunters an extended time to be more successful," Harvey said.
When a deer darts in front of your car, they can make you feel like a deer in headlights.
"It really does boil down to basic driver judgment and making good decisions," Lau said.
Don't swerve and brake firmly if there's enough time. Every situation is different.
"Try to come to a complete stop as soon as possible. But I would rather lean on just going straight ahead hitting the deer versus trying to swerve off, running into another vehicle, a barrier, potentially making things worse," Harvey said.
If you hit a deer with your car, you don't need to report it to the Game Commission unless its seriously injured or poses a safety risk in the road.
If a deer dies after a crash, Pennsylvania residents may claim it by calling the Game Commission at 1-833-742-4868 or 1-833-742-9453 within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer.