Deer/vehicle collisions increase in October and November. That’s because it's the peak of deer breeding season. A recent fatal accident south of Nixa was caused when an SUV hit a deer, then swerved into a box truck. The SUV driver was killed.
"You've got bucks that are looking for does, and they're traveling across, you know, a larger part of their home range," said Jason Isabelle, deer and elk program leader for the Missouri Department of Conservation. "And so, that certainly leads to greater deer movement out there on the landscape. Also, this time of year, this year being maybe an exception, but eventually it will cool off, and deer will start to move more during daylight hours."
Deer are at peak movement early and late in the day when the sun is rising and setting.
Isabelle said people heading to work in the morning and home in the evening are likely to see more deer and need to be more cautious.
"Be more vigilant, be looking for deer that are along the edges of the road," he said. "And, you know, another good thing to keep in mind, too is...deer are often traveling in groups. So, sometimes folks might have a deer run out across the road in front of them and assume that the threat is gone. But that is a perfect time to slow down, be cautious because there's often a second or third that are going to cross right where that one did."
And it’s not just in the rural parts of the state. Drivers in suburban areas also need to be watching for deer. Deer in more urban areas can get accustomed to people, according to Isabelle.
"They can kind of lose their fear and certainly aren't as wary as those that are in rural landscapes," he said. And so, in those areas, in particular, you know, they cross the road very routinely. They're very comfortable around people and vehicles."
Isabelle said if you hit a deer and it’s injured you should contact your local MDC office so an agent can respond. You can find contact information at mdc.mo.gov. Click on the “contact and engage section” in the upper right corner.