By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-County Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com

The Pratt County Sheriff’s Department put out a statement earlier this week that deer vs. vehicle accidents are on the rise and that area drivers should be on the alert.

“We’ve been working a lot more deer hits than usual,” said Pratt County Sheriff Jimmy White in a Facebook post.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, this is a dangerous time, especially at dusk or dawn, to be driving Kansas highways because of deer rut season.

“The past seven days and the next week are the most likely times for hitting a deer on Kansas roads,” a KDOT spokesperson said. “November 13 is the peak day of the year for deer collisions, with around 85 car-deer crash reports expected to be filed with the state. And remember, that’s only the reported crashes—many more go unreported.

KDOT recommends that drivers keep a lookout in ditches for deer, slow down in known deer-crossing areas, and stay extra alert. This is the time of year when deer are on the move.

A quick tip from KDOT is that if a person sees one deer cross, don’t just watch it run off. Start looking left and right—deer often travel in groups, and it’s usually the second or third deer that people end up hitting.

Most important is to know not to swerve if a deer jumps out in front of a moving vehicle.

“Brake if you can and stay in control. Swerving can lead to even more dangerous situations,” KDOT said.