Peak deer movement period for Stephens County begins today

According to the  Georgia Department of Natural Resources Rut map, today begins the peak deer movement period for Stephens County, as well as Rabun, Habersham, Banks, White and Lumpkin. The short peak period, from today until Nov. 30, is based on tracking efforts by GDNR and corresponds to the breeding season. 

According to Georgia DNR, “During the rut, the desire to breed causes deer to become more active compared to the rest of the year. Bucks move more and become less secretive, making them easier to hunt and more susceptible to being hit by motor vehicles.”

Several vehicle accidents in Stephens and surrounding counties in the past weeks have been the result of deer encounters – either vehicle/deer collisions, or wrecks resulting from drivers swerving to miss a deer in the roadway.

Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division, said “While the ultimate goal is to avoid a collision, if one is imminent, never swerve to avoid hitting the animal. It is better to hit the deer than to lose control of your vehicle. Also, deer often travel in groups, so if you see a deer cross the road ahead of you, anticipate that others may follow and don’t assume the danger has passed.”

In addition to the change in deer behavior and travel patterns caused by the breeding season, the change from daylight savings time moves the busiest commute times for most workers to the same hours in which white-tailed deer are most active – dawn and dusk.

Following are some tips and information to help avoid potential collisions:

Deer Are Unpredictable: Always remember deer are wild and, therefore, can be unpredictable. A deer calmly standing on the side of a road may bolt into or across the road rather than away from it when startled by a vehicle.

One Deer Usually Means More: Always take caution and slow down when a deer crosses the road in front of you. Deer usually travel in groups, so it is likely that others will follow.

Time of Day: As deer are most active at dawn and dusk, they are typically seen along roads during the early morning and late evening – the same times most people are commuting to and from work.

Time of Year: While deer-car collisions can occur at any time of year, the fall breeding season is a peak time for such accidents. During the fall breeding season, deer movement increases and this often brings them in contact with roadways that cross their natural habitats. Road shoulders generally provide beneficial food plants both during extremely dry times of the year and following a long, hard winter. Deer are attracted to these plants in late winter, early spring, and late summer.  Drivers should be especially wary of deer during these time periods.

Minimize Damage: If it is too late to avoid a collision, drivers are advised to slow down as much as possible to minimize damage – resist the urge to swerve to avoid the deer, as this may cause further damage, sending drivers off the road or causing a collision with another vehicle.

For more information on deer, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.