(JUNEAU) Dodge County authorities urge motorists to keep an eye out for deer this fall. According to the state’s Department of Transportation, there were more than 17,000 deer crashes in Wisconsin last year. Nine people were killed and over 700 were hurt.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says there are specific times of day when deer sightings are more likely.
“The biggest thing is in the mornings…right around dawn…and in the evenings…right around dusk is the time when they are running the most,” says Schmidt. “And we’re starting to see more and more of it…we’re starting to see these crashes start to happen and so we really want to stress to people…pay attention.”
Schmidt provides a few safety tips for drivers to keep in mind.
“Number one is…if you see one, assume there are more…because they like to run in groups of three of four deer,” says Schmidt. “The next thing is…don’t swerve…please don’t swerve. The reason we say don’t swerve is…if you swerve into oncoming traffic that’s not going to go well…if you swerve into the ditch or on to the shoulder…you increase your chance that you may lose control…overcorrect, oversteer, or just catch something and roll your vehicle and now someone gets hurt as a result of that.”
Schmidt says if you do hit a deer, pull over immediately and call law enforcement to report it. Our neighbors in Washington and Fond du Lac counties have some of the highest reported deer crashes in the state.
