DODGE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – While hunters are heading out into the woods, they may come across one on the road too.
From country roads and busy highways, to even crashing into bars – ask anyone and this time of the year – deer are on the move.
“They’re out there and they’re prowling and they’re in rut, so they’re chasing the does, so yeah, they can just come out of anywhere,” says Leaanne Erickson of Suring.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, there were more than 16,000 vehicle deer crashes in 2022. Five people were killed and almost 550 were injured, in those incidents.
According to Bill Pagel of Richfield, “I’ve hit deer multiple times with vehicles and it’s not a way I want to take a deer home.”
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says the last week of October through the third week of November is when they see the most vehicle deer crashes.
In 2022, the sheriff’s office recorded about 500 incidents, a quarter of them coming in that four week period.
“We’re a 900 square mile county so there are a lot of roadways the deer area able to cross so we’re seeing accident in many different locations,” said Lt. Taylor Nehls.
To bring attention to the problem, especially this time of year, the Sherriff’s Office created the “Deer Rut Report.” Every day, at about 10 a.m., they take to social media to update followers on the number of car deer crashes they’ve responded to in the previous 24 hours.
The “Deer Rut Report” even includes a rating system of one to five, five stars means the deer are moving.
“What I did when we first came up with it was, looked at last year, what our highest day was for reported car deer crashes and that was 11. So I kind of used that as our high bar of this is a lot and then I just kind of adjusted the rating system off that 11,” said Lt. Nehls.
Not only has the Sheriff’s Office received good feedback, but they say the report is a good way to reach the community. Nehls added, “I think people are enjoying seeing those numbers every day and I think a lot of people go on there every morning at about 10 a.m. to see if today’s been a good day for deer movement and if people maybe want to go out to their deer stand in hopes to see some deer.”
Because if you ask any hunter, they’d rather take home a trophy buck versus a wrecked vehicle.
