CAUTION: ANIMAL CROSSING PLENTIFUL

You don't have to look far to find deer in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

That might be good news for deer hunters, but it can be bad news for motorists.

November typically has more automobile accidents involving deer than any other month.

Missouri Department of Conservation officials say that 7,183 deer and vehicle accidents were repported in 1993.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said two people were killed and 248 were injured last year as a result of vehicle and animal accidents.

Statistics show that almost two-thirds of all deer/vehicle accidents in Missouri occur between October and January.

Officials say the most severe deer-related accidents often don't involve a collision with deers, but occur when motorists try to avoid hitting the animal.

If a deer is observed crossing the road, the motorists should reduce speed. It is likely other deer are nearby.

"Maintaining control of the vehicle is essential," said Steve Wilson, hunter-skills specialist for the DNR's regional office at Cape Girardeau.

"It is recommended that a driver steer straight rather than risk losing control or colliding with oncoming traffic or hitting objects off the road," Wilson said.

White-tailed deer are cautious creatures, which is why many deer hunters go home empty-handed. So why would creatures able to elude stealthy, camouflaged hunters wander in front of noisy, speeding vehicles?

"Hormones, hunters and headlights," say wildlife experts.

Accident statistics from the Missouri DNR show that more than one-fourth of all deer/vehicle accidents occur in November, the month that hunters spend two weeks stalking the elusive deer.

"One of the biggest factors is that November is the prime month of the mating season," said Wilson. "The deer are constantly on the move."

When hunting season opens, even more deer are on the move. And this year there are more deer in Missouri, making driving even more hazardous.

"We have as many as a half-million deer hunters in the state," said Wilson. "When these hunters invade the domain of the deer, the deer start moving away from those areas."

The firearms season opens Saturday in Missouri and runs through Nov. 20. The first Illinois shotgun deer season will be Nov. 18-20, with the second part of the split season Dec. 1-4

"During those times, deer are going to be moving plenty," said Wilson.

"One of the safest measures is to drop your speed if you're in a known deer area," he added. "If you see a deer, dim your lights immediately and honk your horn."

Wilson explained that by dimming the lights, a deer isn't blinded by the glare. The sound of the horn allows the deer to determine quickly the vehicle's vicinity.

The majority of deer accidents occur at night.

"The vast majority of deer-vehicle accidents occur between dusk and dawn simply because that's when deer are most active," Wilson said. "To make things worse, deer are frightened and confused by blinding automobile headlights."

Wilson said no one has found an effective way to stop deer from running in front of vehicles.

He said motorists should slow down as quickly and safely as possible when a deer is sighted, even if it is standing still. Deer are astonishingly quick and can bolt unexpectedly.

Not only will flashing headlights and honking a horn discourage a deer from crossing the roadway, it also will alert nearby cars to danger.

Deer typically travel in family groups, and a pair of fawns might bound across the road right behind a doe.

Motorists should report all deer/vehicle accidents. Insurance companies need an official accident report before they will settle a damage claim, and the accident information helps conservation and highway department officials identify trouble spots.