DOT warning of June deer danger

GREENVILLE -
Construction isn't the only concern out on the roads. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is warning drivers to be on the lookout for deer.

Car deer collisions typically peak in the fall, but have a secondary spike in June.

"You have to reduce your speed, you have to watch for them," Captain Mike Jobe with the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department said.

Jobe says in June, deer come out in force. Does are looking for a place to give birth and young deer are wandering alone.

It can leave drivers facing sudden danger.

Wisconsin saw more than 16,000 car deer crashes in 2009, 474 injuries and 7 fatalities.

Officers say when you spot a deer in your path, the natural tendency is to watch that deer. Law enforcement say your focus instead should be on where it came from. Deer usually travel together and could be hidden in trees and brush.

"You don't know where they're going to come from, they pop out of the ditch, they jump out on the highway, slide through the yards, you just don't know," Joe Theisen with Joe's Collision and Restoration said.

The repair shop has seen its share of twisted metal, including wrecks involving deer.

"Usually they go over the bumpers, so it's usually a grill, a hood, a fender," Theisen said, but says it can be much worse. "I've seen them already where they've come right through the front of the car and taken the whole front end off."

The Sheriff's Department says if you notice a deer brake and stay in your lane. Don't steer away.

"You're going to collide with the deer, but that will probably result in less damage and less injury than if you swerve out of your lane or go off the road into the ditch," Jobe said.

Most car deer crashes in Wisconsin happen between 8 pm and midnight. Jobe says a wary driver is a safe one.

Last year, Dane County had the most car deer crashes, followed by Waukesha and Shawano Counties. In Shawano, more than half of all reported crashes involved deer.