If you live in or near Berks County, Pennsylvania, I’m sure you’ve seen dead deer along highways and back roads. I’ve been seeing dead deer for awhile but now is the time where you will see even more. Why, you ask?
Bucks (male deer) are running and chasing after the does to breed. Their testosterone levels become higher as the daylight hours become fewer.
This Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 16th, 17th and 18th, our skies will see the second full moon after the Autumn Equinox. This is the sign when bucks are in full chase of the does. In other words, bucks are in full rut with does coming into heat, one by one.
Pennsylvania ranks number 1 in deer-vehicle collisions!
With bucks running after the does, they don’t care if there is a highway that separates them from the ultimate goal- to mate with that doe.
Bucks want to mate and nothing will stand in their way. This is the time of the year when most deer are killed by vehicles.
I should know. I’ve lived through two deer collisions with my cars. Both times happened during the rut phase. Both times, it happened so fast there was no time to swerve to avoid them. Quite honestly, I didn’t even know what happened the second time. It was nighttime and my sister and I saw a quick flash and all we knew was my car was hit by something.
As my sister and I stared at each other in shock, we pulled over to the side of the road. I walked down the eerie, dark highway to see a dead buck. I walked back to see my car with severe front end damage. I needed alot of work done to my car.
Years later, the second incident happened in a flash. This time, two men pulled over to help me, the lone driver. We watched as the big buck died. He hit my hood and bounced off to the side of the road. I was afraid to see the damage again. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t much damage to my hood. My grill was broken but I fared quite well considering the size of that buck.
According to an article in the Reading Eagle, drivers are told not to swerve for two reasons:
“If you swerve you might drive your car into an oncoming vehicle,
or into a rock or tree on the shoulder.
If you hit the deer, it’s covered under the comprehensive section of your policy. If you swerve and hit a tree, it’s considered an at-fault accident, meaning it’s your fault and it becomes a collision expense.”
Earlier this month, State police say an eastern PA. man was killed by a deer which smashed through a windshield and struck the man with its antlers.
A woman I know recently told me how a buck hit the driver’s side of her car while she was driving near the Rt. 183 exit. She was very fortunate because she sustained alot of damage to her car on the driver’s side. She found deer hair on the side mirror.
Be careful. Heed the warning when you see deer crossing signs. They are there for a reason.
Hunters aren’t pushing deer to the roads. The rut is! I wish people would get this information correct. It’s always so easy to blame the hunters. The rut is on and all the bucks can do is to run after does right now!
Man, a deer did alot of damage to my car. Nearly totaled it. Don’t ignore the signs and always be cautious when driving at night. It happens so quickly.
Don’t you think hunters are pushing the deer onto the roads?
No! Didn’t you read the article? Bucks are in rut in conjunction with the second full moon. They are ready to mate and all they have on their minds is to chase the doe and mate. It’s that simple. The hunters aren’t pushing the deer. You will see dead buck and doe because of this activity.
I’m seeing deer everywhere I drive. All dead. I don’t see them out during the day. They must be getting hit at night. They sure can do alot of damage to your car.
I hit a deer. Never knew what happened. In a flash, a deer ran in front of my car. Wrecked my radiator, grill, headlights, front end fender and more. It, too, was at night. Scared the hell out of me. It was on a part of an isolated road. No one was around to help me. Couldn’t drive my car. Had to walk to a phone in the middle of darkness. The signs are there for a reason. Don’t let it happen to you.
I don’t care what you say. Hunters are in the woods also helping to push them away and onto roads.
“i don’t care about all the science and research you have done, I’m going to create an opinion based on my own assumption and no research.” Sounds like you have everything figured out in life.
Deer can do extensive damage to cars! Slow down. that’s all I can say.
How many fawns are left without their mothers now? I saw a dead deer along the road this weekend. There was hardly anything left of it. It was on the West Shore Bypass and can’t figure out how it got there.
man, I’m seeing them all over the place. Dead deer, that is!