Wildlife in the fast lane

Missouri's deer season officially has begun, but several animals have died in the region without the use of hunting weapons.

During the last two weeks, at least nine deer-related accidents were reported in Southeast Missouri to law enforcement.

Six of those crashes occurred Wednesday and Thursday, said officials with Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E headquarters in Poplar Bluff, Mo. A deer was struck Thursday night in Perryville, Mo., and another was hit last week in Jackson, police said.

Two Benton, Mo., women were taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital Wednesday after the driver, Vickie Brown, swerved to avoid hitting a deer on Scott County Road 403, causing her car to hit a tree and overturn, the patrol said. Brown, 46, and her passenger, Beulah Brown, 26, each received minor injuries.

State statistics

This rise in local deer-vehicle collisions and near collisions mirrors increases across the state, which rose by 3,500 in one year, according to a report from the highway patrol.

Last year, Missouri drivers reported 8,148 deer-vehicle collisions, up from 4,600 in 2000. Many accidents also go unreported, said Lonnie Hansen, a wildlife research biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Traffic accidents cause the bulk of deer fatalities, especially during mating season from late October to December.

Most collisions occur on roads around wooded areas and creeks. Growing suburbs also have led to more cars on the roads, increasing the chance of collisions. Some of the most serious accidents are caused by drivers swerving to avoid an accident, Hansen said.

Drivers in Scott and Cape Girardeau counties should pay close attention to several hot spots where the deer are both numerous and active, said Trooper Aaron Harrison.

State Highway 177, near Trail of Tears park and the Procter & Gamble plant, is one trouble area, he said.

Harrison also said drivers should be alert on Highway 25, north of Dutchtown, Mo., where deer will cross the road coming down a high ridge to eat in the fields. In addition, Highways 34 and 72, near the Whitewater River and Bird Creek, also attract a lot of deer because of the water supply, he said.

However, he said area drivers also should be on the lookout for deer when traveling on Interstate 55.

"It can end up even worse there because of the speed you are traveling and the likelihood of other drivers being around," he said.

"Our best advice is for drivers to leave for their destinations earlier, to drive slower, and to stay alert to not only what is in front of you but what is out to the sides," Harrison said. "Anytime you see a glimmer of the deers' eyes, slow down even more."

When drivers do encounter a deer, they often make the mistake of trying to avoid it at the risk of harming themselves or others, Harrison said.

"If one runs out in front of you, don't panic, or you can make matters worse and swerve off the road or into another car," he said. "It's better to drive through the accident than go off the road and out of control. If you see one standing on the side of the road, don't just assume it's going to keep standing there, either."

White-tailed increase

In 1925, fewer than 400 deer roamed Missouri. Today, there are nearly 1 million white-tailed deer in the state.

As the deer population grows and more accidents with the animals are reported, the issue of controlling the deer population is often debated. The deer hunting season is under way in Missouri, providing one option for lessening their numbers.

"In the last 10 years, the public has become much more aware of hunting as a method of controlling deer population," Hansen said.

Various types of hunting are legal through Jan. 15. Archery hunting runs from now until Nov. 15 and from Nov. 27 to Jan. 15. Firearm hunting takes place from Nov. 16 to 26, and muzzle-loading firearm hunting runs from Dec. 7 to 15. A youth hunt will take place Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.

Alternatives to hunting include trapping and deer relocation, which Town and Country, a St. Louis suburb, did after residents asked the city to control the growing deer population. For three years, the town relocated 233 deer to rural areas in Missouri.

The state Department of Conservation suspended the program last winter over concerns of spreading chronic wasting disease, the deer equivalent of mad cow disease. No cases of the disease have been reported in Missouri.

Town and Country has no current plan for population control because the deer count is stable, city officials said.

At Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in south St. Louis County, groundskeepers are cutting back dense vegetation that attracts deer to the cemetery. In the past, deer have chewed on flowers planted near gravestones, but officials say they haven't seen any damage this year.

Wildlife experts said growing suburbs have unintentionally created a fairly protected habitat for deer, giving them plants to eat and well-maintained green spaces, such as parks and golf courses.

"Whitetails are highly adaptable animals," Hansen said. "They seem to live near humans well."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

mwells@semissourian.com

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