MOTORISTS NOW FACE ADDITIONAL HAZARD: IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR FOR DEER TO START MOVIN G

Chances of a motorist being involved in a collision with a deer in the area rise this week and peak in November before declining by late December, area wildlife specialists say.

Motorists are cautioned to be on the lookout for deer during the next 90 days, particularly early in the morning or after dark.

Wildlife specialists with the Missouri and Illinois departments of conservation attribute the increase in deer-vehicle collisions at this time of year to the start of the buck deer's rutting, or mating, season, and deer hunting season that begins in November.

Dennis Steward, supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation Southeast Missouri regional office here, said a combination of the rutting season and hunting pressure cause deer to become more active. "Between now and the end of Christmas you're more likely to come in contact with deer on the highway than at any other time of year," he said.

Missouri Department of Conservation statistics show only six deer were struck in Cape Girardeau County by vehicles between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. During the same period, 25 deer were struck by vehicles in Perry County and 35 in Bollinger County. Scott County had two deer hit.

DOC officials said the reason for the discrepancy between the 1992 Cape and Perry counties figures is the Missouri Highway Department, which also reports highway deer kills to the DOC, had not submitted their latest totals.

The DOC said the September figures will not be available until mid-October, but the number of deer killed does not increase significantly until November.

In 1991, 56 deer were struck and killed in Cape County; 69 deer were involved in collisions with vehicles in Perry County; 71 in Bollinger County; and 12 in Scott County.

In Southern Illinois, the greatest number of deer-vehicle accidents occurs along the Ohio River in Hardin and Pope counties. But a spokesman for the Illinois DOC Region 5 office at Benton said many deer are also struck on the west side of the state, in Jackson, Union and Alexander counties and along Routes 3 and 146 in Union and Alexander counties.

Illinois DOC wildlife specialists said each year between Oct. 31 and Dec. 31 an average of 30 deer per day will be struck by vehicles in the 27-county region. In 1990, 1,351 deer were struck by vehicles, compared to 1,582 in 1991. This year 425 deer had been struck, through Aug. 31 in Region 5.

Statistics from the Missouri DOC show a dramatic increase in deer-vehicle collisions in November. Approximately 1,200 bucks and a slightly lower number of does are killed each year during that month. That compares with over 600 for both sexes in October. In December, an average of 500 does and under 300 bucks are struck.

While the majority of deer-vehicle collisions occur in rural areas, motorists in cities are not immune. Last year 28 deer were struck and killed by motorists in Cape Girardeau.

So far this year Cape Girardeau police report eight deer have been struck inside the city. But Sgt. Al Moore of the traffic division said that number will increase during the next three months.

Moore said drivers can reduce the risk of hitting a deer by watching for them and by reducing speeds in areas where deer are known to frequent.

Moore and Steward said in Cape Girardeau County the most likely spots for deer are along I-55 between the 100- and 110-mile markers and along Highway 177 and Route V in the vicinity of Trail of Tears State Park.

Another area is along South Kingshighway near Highway 74, and along Route K west of the city.

In the past, large numbers of deer were struck on North Kingshighway near the county parks. ButSteward said continued development and destruction of the deer's habitat and cover in that area have forced the animals to move farther away from the highway.

He said many deer are west of Mount Auburn Road, just south of the Kage Road intersection.

Farther south, deer live along the Diversion Channel and Ramsey Creek east of I-55 in north Scott County.

Hitting a deer is almost always an expensive experience. Insurance officials say a typical deer-vehicle collision will result in damage ranging from $800 to $1,100 for a compact car; $1,250 to $1,500 for a mid-size car; and over $2,000 for a full-size car or pickup truck.

In rare instances serious injury and death have occurred when deer went through windshields of vehicles. Several years ago a man was killed on I-57 in Southern Illinois when the van he was driving struck a deer. The driver was struck in the head by the deer when it came through the windshield of the van.