Car-deer crashes up in Scio Township, down in Southeast Michigan
Deer are most active in fall and spring, but car-deer crashes happen all year.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user Royalty-free image collection
The township just west of Ann Arbor recorded 153 vehicle-deer crashes in 2010, compared with 119 the year before, according to data released recently by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
Statewide, the number of car-deer crashes dropped 9 percent to 55,867 from 61,486. The number of vehicle-deer crashes also dropped in Washtenaw County from 1,202 in 2009 to 1,174 in 2010, a 2 percent decline, and in southeast Michigan, which had 6,560 crashes in 2009 compared with 6,062 in 2010, a drop of about 8 percent.
Kajal Patel, SEMCOG transportation engineer, said there’s no clear reason for why the number went up in Scio Township. “Deer crashes are very random,” she said.
SEMCOG said no one died last year in car-deer collisions, but there were 11 fatalities involving deer, including 8 motorcycle wrecks.
The SEMCOG report notes that the number of car-deer crashes in general has grown in recent years because of more development in rural areas and a growing deer population.
The deer herd in southeast Michigan is 10 times larger now than it was in 1970 and 4 times larger across the state, SEMCOG said.
Oakland County had the most car-vehicle collisions in 2010 among the 7-county SEMCOG region with 1,836.
Michigan State Police note that while deer are most active in fall and spring, car-deer crashes occur all year. State police offer these tips for drivers:
- Deer are herd animals and frequently travel in single file. If you see one deer cross the road, chances are there are more waiting.
- Be alert for deer, especially at dawn and dusk. If you see one, slow down.
- Don't rely on gimmicks, flashing your high-beam headlights or honking your horn to deter deer.
If a crash is unavoidable:
- Don't swerve. Brake firmly, hold onto the steering wheel and bring your vehicle to a controlled stop.
- Pull off the road, turn on your emergency flashers and be cautious of other traffic if you leave your vehicle.
- Report the crash to the nearest police agency and your insurance company.
More information about car-deer crashes is available on the SEMCOG website.
Comments
Dog Guy
Wed, Oct 5, 2011 : 1:55 p.m.
MarieT asked for advice . . . Don't trust those signs; deer sometimes come from the left side of the road.
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, Oct 5, 2011 : 3:46 p.m.
do deer know those signs are for them to cross?
MarieT
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 10:33 p.m.
To those who responded to the poll as having been in a car deer crash 3 times or more, do you have any advice?
Marilyn Wilkie
Wed, Oct 5, 2011 : 10:40 a.m.
Marie, they need to take advice from the people on here - slow down!!
tdw
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:09 p.m.
Yes don't swerve off the road and hit a tree trying to avoid them.Not stated in the article but I believe most injuries are caused by just that
jcj
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 10:45 p.m.
I think they would be the last to take advice from.
bedrog
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 9:41 p.m.
The point in the article about" if you see one crossing , expect more" is very valid and important....and in the early summer fawns are especially skittish and panicky.
julieswhimsies
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 7:42 p.m.
I would say this: Drive like you might hit a deer at any moment. I see them everywhere...usually, at dawn and sunset.
Epengar
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 4:20 p.m.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a "Hunting Access Program" that pays farmers and other landowners to allow public hunting on their private property. Hunters still have to get permission from the landowners before they hunt, and state law protects the landowner from legal liability. This program is available across the southern half of the Lower Peninsula, including Washtenaw county. Given the overpopulation of deer in our area, it would be great if more landowners participated in this program. It would be better for public safety and for our local natural areas, which tend to be over-grazed (over browsed?) by deer. <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10363_10913_58762---,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10363_10913_58762---,00.html</a> Hey AnnArbor.com, a story about the Hunting Access Program would be a great public service, and might offer useful information to area residents.
John of Saline
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 4:19 p.m.
I met a guy who hit a deer with an airplane. Yes, he was on the ground at the time.
djacks24
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 3:20 p.m.
There are always going to be car/deer crashes. I hate seeing a deer lying on the side of I-94 or any given road just going to waste. I've been fortunate to have not been involved in something like this yet, but a family tradition of ours if we hit a deer is to at least gather up the carcass and process and use the good meat. It would be nice if we could at least implement a system of processing the usable meat quickly enough before it goes bad and use it for food banks or something like that so that at least something positive would come out of a car/deer crash situation.
dading dont delete me bro
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 3:17 p.m.
cool, i'm looking for a coupla good hunting spots.
Forever27
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 7:25 p.m.
all of the state land in Waterloo Rec area and the surrounding areas is great. Washtenaw County has one of the highest concentration of White Tail Deer in the country.
HeavyMental
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
What about the people on cell phone factor. Since when is driving secondary when in a vehicle? Hang up and drive!
Smart Logic
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
One of the most dangerous places was left off of this list: University of Michigan's North Campus. The deer there are very complacent around people and take their leisurely time crossing the street.
Forever27
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
I think you're referring to students. But yes, equally lackadaisical when crossing the street.
Top Cat
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
There should be no limit on the number of deer you can hunt and kill on your own property.
Rork Kuick
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 4:05 p.m.
You forgot to say why. Just want more killed, or is it an overcooked "freedom" thing? We have laws saying the wildlife belongs to the citizens. This permits management. Imagine how ridiculous unlimited kill would be for steelhead or salmon for example. Individuals don't own the birds either.
jcj
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 2:01 p.m.
SEMCOG said no one died last year in car-deer collisions, but there were 11 fatalities involving deer, including 8 motorcycle wrecks. What were the other 3?
Dog Guy
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 1:46 p.m.
Michigan should fawn on the coyote.
jcj
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 1:25 p.m.
sh1 How does allowing persons in this area to buy 5 doe permits a day serve to inflate the herd? The relatively recent ( I have been hunting deer for 50 years) phenomenon of "QDM" (Quality Deer Management) has added to the population somewhat. It has gotten to the point where a certain segment of deer hunters look down their collective noses at anyone brave enough to admit they shot (insert gasp here) a nice 6 pt. I have always and always will shoot whatever deer I choose. And that usually includes 2 or 3 does.
jcj
Wed, Oct 5, 2011 : 8:14 p.m.
I read the article! By what method are they purposely inflating the herd size? Does allowing me to purchase 5 doe permits per day help to "inflate the herd size"? Does allowing a 10 year old to hunt deer help to "inflate the herd size"? Does allowing you to use a crossbow help to "inflate the herd size"? Please explain.
sh1
Wed, Oct 5, 2011 : 12:31 a.m.
Read the article.
Rork Kuick
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
The article didn't give some of the usual pointers. 1) About half of the accidents happen in October and November, so Oct 1 is a good time to have an article. Be very very paranoid. 2) Driving too close to a vehicle in front of you is idiotic. A little car can stop faster than your van, and it may be slamming on the brakes at any moment. Any moment! Maybe we ought to have a universal hand wave that lets folks going the other way know that you just saw deer behind you, and so they can expect trouble - maybe index and little finger raised to suggest the ears. Tenderloins last night were rather good. The local deer are outstanding in that respect. On the young, you hardly need teeth.
Carole
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 12:19 p.m.
Well with humans taking over more and more of the lands that the deer used to roam, there are going to be encounters with them. I live in Scio Township and see them often. Everyone just needs to be a little more alert when driving especially on back roads. But if they drive like I've seen some on Jackson - those on their phones or just not paying attention, then there are going to be accidents not only with deer but other autos.
Paul Wilkie
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:53 a.m.
Our modern farming practices of planting acres of corn, soybeans and wheat (monoculture) provides plenty of fuel to grow the deer herd while at the same time hunting is more and more restricted due to housing developments and private land parcels where no hunting is allowed. This leaves the only deer predator being the automobile. People need to slow down and allow themselves time to react while allowing the deer a chance to realize you are coming. Leave earlier and slow down. Years ago I worked at a body shop and it saw people come in laughing about their 5th or 6th accident with a deer.
KJMClark
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:15 a.m.
Yeah, it's not like they're providing deer viagra. On the contrary, they've opened up the early antlerless season, youth season, etc., while turning the archery season into a more firearm-like season by opening it up to crossbows. Anyone can hunt with a crossbow now, and they don't charge extra for the crossbow license. It would be nice if they lowered the prices for the licenses, but they're pretty cheap as it is. The real barriers to hunting are limited places to hunt (Scio Township is too human-populated for decent hunting), the time it takes, and the cost of the equipment. BTW, if anyone around M-52 found a ground-blind blowing in the wind over the weekend, I'd love to get it back :-)
SonnyDog09
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:08 a.m.
Why does it take until October to publish statistics on deer crashes for the previous year?
Randy
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 10:46 a.m.
The DNR does not purposely inflate herd sizes. What do you think they do, feed the deer? Provide them with fertility pills? All they do is manage the number of hunting licenses and restrict the nature of the licenses (e.g. bucks only). So, maybe they have been restricting the licenses too much in the last few years? With the goal of providing more "prey" for hunters? Your logic is flawed. I think it would be logical, on the other hand, if you want the herd to decrease in size, you might want to advocate for the DNR to promote hunting, provide more licenses, maybe even advertise for this decreasingly popular enterprise. Or they could introduce an more effective predator like wolves. Or they could try to decrease their fertility somehow (any ideas?). The point is that the herd must be managed and the cheapest, easiest way is to promote hunting. It is just that simple.
tdw
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 12:41 p.m.
" only a wimp would shoot a doe " let me tell you a doe tastes as good as a buck.By the time season rolls around the former fawns are old enough to take care of themselves
a2cents
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:48 a.m.
Decades of the philosophy of shooting bucks (only a wimp would shoot a doe) certainly aided population growth.
DBH
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:23 a.m.
@sh1, I read the link and it does indicate that the DNR did promote deer growth in the past (the article is almost 6 years old and dealt with goals through 2010) to increase hunter tourism. With a new administration, they may not be promoting such an expansion in the population of deer now; I don't know. I agree that any efforts to increase the deer population for hunting obviously has the unintended (but expected) consequence of increased car collisions with deer.
sh1
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:07 a.m.
Did you read the link? It explained how and why the DNR inflated herd numbers by altering habitat and providing food.
sh1
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 10:34 a.m.
If the DNR did not purposely inflate herd sizes in order to ensure plenty of "prey" for hunters, would we have this big of a problem with collisions? <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_46403_46404-133773--,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_46403_46404-133773--,00.html</a>
tdw
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:41 a.m.
Oops I didn't read Randy's comment
tdw
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 11:39 a.m.
Please explain.From your link it looks like they want to lower the heard.Also how would the DNR go about inflating the herd ? In fact, in the last few years you can get a new tag as soon as you use one.The only way to reduce the herd is by hunting them. ( forget about birth control )
Angela Todd
Tue, Oct 4, 2011 : 10:13 a.m.
Ironic. I snapped a bunch of photos in Forest Hill Cemetery Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011. I was just finishing up editing those photos, showing the deer grazing, frollicking, watching me, etc., and, now, I finish up with reading of deer deaths in Scio Township. So sad for everyone. Ann Arbor resident, Angela Todd