This post has nothing to do with politics
I don't expect many comments on this one, seeing as it's not about the governor or state employees or whatever, but I was amazed by the numbers in the third paragraph. From a press release.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) reminded motorists today that as cooler fall weather approaches the likelihood of car vs. deer crashes increases. Fall is the busiest season for these crashes as deer seek mates and food sources.
“Collisions between vehicles and deer occur throughout the year, but deer are more active during the fall and motorists on country roads, interstate highways and even urban thoroughfares need to be on the lookout,” said Joel Brunsvold, Director of IDNR. “Be especially cautious near areas where deer are likely to be present, such as wooded areas, stream and creek beds, farm field edges, and parks or forest preserves.”
In 2004 there were 23,438 deer-vehicle accidents reported in the state, down 9% from 25,660 the year before, according to preliminary statistics compiled by the Illinois Department of Transportation. [emphasis added]
That's an unreal amount of accidents. I had no idea.
UPDATE: One of those little buggers ran right out in front of my car last night. I managed to stop in time, but it was not a good thing.
posted by Rich Miller @ 11/02/2005 06:47:00 AM
39 comments
39 Comments...
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I have had several close calls on the two lanes out around the Assumption Road between Pana and Taylorville. The deer just pop out of the fields and wooded areas. They are pretty damn big. My daughter had one just run into the side of her car outside of Charleston. Hove and antler came through the window and grazed her head. She was very lucky. Be extra careful.
Up here in Chicagoland, the Soccer Mom & Her SUV are the Deer's only remaining natural predator.
Some are thinking of introducing a "bag limit", but the soccer mom is considered a powerful and large voting block.
There's a lot of roads and a lot of deer outside of Chicago and Springfield.
Ugh! Another day, and even more news of the effects of Blagojevich's corruption and disastrous policies. Today, it was 24,000 deer who are paying the price for his blunders.
Get him out of there now!
Is that why we only get stories about how bad the Governor is and state corruption? Because it drives up comments???
Yeah...I've hit a deer before and I had the deer whistles on the car. All the whistles do is make the deer look right at you before you slam into it.
Maybe a bait and shoot program would work and give the meat to the poor.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Seriously, what are the laws regarding road kill in Illinois? Is the driver required/allowed to pick up the carcass? Call DNR to report?
I hit a deer on the interstate a few years ago. The accident itself was traumatic, and I was additionally concerned that the deer carcass would be a danger to other drivers. But it seemed dangerous to stand in the middle of the roadway to wrestle a dead deer. With 24,000 deer-car incidents a year, it seems like it would be worthwhile to educate drivers on what to do when your minivan gets up close and personal with Bambi.
If you actually pay attention to I-55 between Lincoln and Springfield during October and November, the pavement actually takes on a red hue (nice fall color) from all the dead deer. Semis really wipe them out, but if you hit one going 65 mph in anything smaller than a full size pick-up be prepared to buy a new vehicle. Remember this however, if you have to choose between the deer and the ditch, hit the deer. If you hit the deer it is comprehensive and the insurance pays without raising your rates, but it you hit the ditch, it is your fault and up go your rates.
believe it or not, the links are provided for a reason. click the link & find your answers.
This reminds me of one of the oddest things I've ever seen- a deer that looked both ways before crossing a road. I wondered at first how it got so far from a forest preserve. I wondered no more.
A deer running out in front of me is high on the list of scariest things that happens when driving.
Year round hunting is the answer!
1977: Deer vs Plymouth Satellite. Deer won. (But died a messy death).
Hitting a deer is right of passage when growing up in Coal City.(Kind of like a young Zulu tribesman killing a lion with his bare hands)
That which does not kill you makes you stronger.
That which does kill you makes you dead.
Watch out for that venison!
I agree Rich, the number of deer-vehicle accidents is surprising.
On the positive side, thanks to DNR and IDOT for issuing this advisory alert. Perhaps a few of us will be more alert and slow down when driving through rual areas, especially at night.
In New Jersey -- where deer troubles are also pretty bad -- there are grassy overpasses created in hopes the deer will use them instead of the road.
And one of my own fondest sights in NJ was of watching turkey vultures and crows eat dead roadside deer. The usually begin pecking away where the pecking is easiest. Eyes? Yes. But there's a nice road into the deer's innards on the other side too. Ewwww.
extreme wisdom, shows his extreme ignorance...so what else is new. I didn't realize only women in SUV's hit deer...
Thank God I have the state government to warn me about the dangers of driving...without them, I'd probably forget to put on my headlights, and I'd rive 120mph.
If you have watched deer like I have close to roadways you will see it is no joking matter.Don't think the front bumper will stop a deer sometimes they enter the car on impact killing driver and/or passenger.The reason they are moving is they have began thier mating season.Believe they are as senseless as a male human on a hot date.Now now guys I've had experience at that side of it to.
9:37 raises a good point -- click the link before posting.
However, the advice in the news release is not as useful as you might think: "If a deer-vehicle accident does occur, drivers and passengers involved should provide assistance to anyone injured. Contact local, county or state law enforcement - do not attempt to remove a dead or injured deer from a busy roadway. Illinois law requires all accidents resulting in damage of $500 or more to be reported and an accident report to be filed with the police."
You'll note that Illinois drivers are not REQUIRED to report if they take out a deer and leave it lying on the highway. So there's nothing in the law to protect or even alert other drivers who may be startled to encounted a 250-pound bump in the road. It's also challenging to explain the dead deer's location to a snotty dispatcher who wants to know the exact street address of the Forest Preserve.
Perhaps it's time for an All Deer policy initiative? (Who could be against dead deer?)
This is a little off topic. But years ago I lived in Botswana, where many people kept goats.
The goat is possibly the most stupidest animal I have ever encountered. A person drives down a road at a moderate speed, knowing that livestock may be about. Driver sees goat standing by the road. Goat sees vehicle coming at it. This is the lead goat, the alpha goat. Behind it are the lesser goats, looking for guidance.
Goat continues watching vehicle coming at it. Then, just as vehicle is seconds away, the goat decides that, yes, this is the correct moment to cross the road. Lesser goats follow.
(Over two years, never hit anything. Except the flying termites.)
according to the "law"
you can only take a hit and dead dear if you have a deer license.
If you hit a dear, injure it and don’t kill it, you yourself cannot put it under, you have to have a law enforcement agent do it for you, and then you can keep it.
Anon 1:24
Take this post seriously. My father is a vet and is called all the time to do something about a deer that is hit. Early in his practice he was going to put a deer down that was suffering when it died. He took the meat and go in trouble. They need to revisit these laws.
People should donate the deer to a food shelter. Of course, they would still have to pay for the processing but it is a nice gesture.
Blago and DNR have a program called Sportsmen Against Hunger where hunters can donate the meat to a food shelter.
Over the years there have been many requests to allow for a longer deer seasons, to allow for increasing the limits on deer that can be taken by hunters....
Perhaps it is time to revisit those issues. All Deer All the time
That program was started before Blago ever ran for office.Believe me the way Blago slashed and ripped at D.N.R. he cares nothing about the outdoors.
"Don't hurt Bambi's mother!" scream the animal rights activists.
Deer culling is a good thing.
Vehicle collissions with deer is probably more of a risk to human well-being than a well-regulated hunting program.
BTW, if you drink and hunt you should lose your hunting rights permanently.
Let's pass a new law and impose a fine on all the deer that don't use the crosswalk in Chicago. Daley is on board.
There is no question that the number of deer that are hit wrecks the car.
In my work, I have to do a crash analysis as part of the project. While there are often large number of deer that are hit, I have found that just as often the wreck is the result of trying to AVOID the deer. A hand over hand lane change often resulted in the car going into the ditch, flipping over and serious injuries occurred.
If a deer jumps out in front of you, you are less likely to be seriously injured if you just hit the damn thing. Slam on the brakes, but drive straight into the deer. Don't attempt sudden manuevuers.
Now for a little chuckle, IDOT does not put up deer crossing signs because the deer cann't read the signs to know where to cross the road safely.
On a side note, I have been told that the 2004 crash statistics are suspect and can not be trusted. Just why, I don't know.
This is just fake statistics to make the public want to thank the deer killers just before deer season.
I was driving to Quincy on I-72 one Sunday morning and a deer decided it wanted to spend its free time standing in the passing lane. I didn't hit it, but I drove very cautiously by it and it just stood there staring at me.
I've heard tales that Pike County is particularly notorious for deer on the road, so whenever I'm driving that direction I'm always extra cautious, especially at night.
We should have a law that any deer 25 yards from a state roadway is fair game year around day or night.
Rich et al,
Actually, those figures are low as many accidents go unreported.
From the DNR:
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A DEER THAT WAS
KILLED/INJURED BY A MOTOR VEHICLE AND
YOU WISH TO CLAIM IT.
White-tailed deer killed/injured as a result of a
collision with a motor vehicle may be legally possessed
by an individual if the following criteria are
met:
1. The driver of a motor vehicle involved in a vehicle-
deer collision has priority in possessing
said deer. If the driver does not take possession
of the deer before leaving the collision scene,
any citizen of Illinois may possess and transport
the deer.
2. There is no limit to the number of deer that may
be possessed under these circumstances.
3. The person possessing the deer must keep a
personal record which provides the date the
deer was claimed, the sex of the deer, the location
of the kill, and the place where the deer or
deer parts are stored. This information must be
kept until the deer is consumed or is no longer
in the possession of any person. The information
must be provided to any law enforcement
officer who may be investigating the death and
possession of the deer. Note: If you plan to
take the deer to a taxidermist or tannery you
must make a report to the Department and
obtain a tag. The tag cannot be discarded until
the deer is at the legal residence of the person
who legally claimed the deer. Please call the
Office of Law Enforcement at (217) 782-6431
to obtain a tag before you deliver the deer to a
taxidermist or tannery. If you take the deer to a
meat processor or process it yourself, you are
not required to report it.
4. Except for any law enforcement officers in the
performance of their duties, it shall be illegal to
kill a deer crippled by a collision with a motor
vehicle.
5. The inedible parts of vehicle-killed deer cannot
be bartered or sold.
6. The State of Illinois is absolved of any
and all liability associated with the handling or
utilization of vehicle-killed deer. This does not,
however, relieve involved parties from reporting
other liabilities to appropriate agencies as
required.
AND:
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A DEER THAT WAS
KILLED/INJURED BY METHODS OTHER THAN
LAWFUL HUNTING OR A VEHICLE/DEER
ACCIDENT AND YOU WISH TO CLAIM IT.
White-tailed deer killed/injured as a result of
methods other than lawful hunting or a
vehicle/deer collision, may be legally possessed
by an individual if the following criteria are met:
1. Any individual finding a dead or crippled deer
other than those killed/injured in a vehicle/deer
collision, or legally taken by hunting methods,
shall not transport said deer parts until permission
is obtained from a Conservation Police
Officer or a Regional Office. (Permission will be
granted if it is determined that the person
requesting possession did not illegally kill or
injure the deer.When retained, the head/antler
and hide shall be properly tagged with an irremovable
tag obtained from the Regional Law
Enforcement Office. The head/antler or hide
tags shall remain attached to the head/antler
or hide as long as the head/antler or hide
remains in the green state, or when in a commercial
manufacturing process).
2. There is no limit to the number of deer that may
be possessed under these circumstances.
3. Except for any law enforcement officers in
the performance of their duties, it shall be
illegal to kill a deer crippled under these
circumstances unless permission has been
obtained from a Conservation Police
Officer or the Regional Office (see phone
numbers on page 1).
4. The inedible parts of deer killed by
methods other than hunting cannot be bartered
or sold.
5. The State of Illinois is absolved of any and
all liability associated with the handling or
utilization of deer killed by methods other
than lawful hunting. This does not,
however, relieve involved parties from
reporting other liabilities to appropriate
agencies as required.
We are heading in to a time called the "rut" which is when the mating season begins. Right now, the deer are most active late afternoons and night time as they feed to bulk up for this round the clock game that we usually see take place late nights at bars.
When the rut hits full on, bucks will loose all sensibility and chase everything they can. They will spar and work to keep other bucks out of their little harims (sp?)
Part of the problem with Illinois deer heard is that we have beocome a state know for trophy bucks and every one wants that record book buck hanging from their wall. This meeas that a lot of hunters do not shoot does. Some only try to shoot a doe in the last day of the season by which time they have been pressured, spooked, chased and run around for two weeks that they are pretty savy.
This will be a upcoming debate how to manange the heard. Sen. Forby hd a relative killed by a deer strike a few weeks ago. So I don't think the issue will go away.
Todd
Please. please; introduce no legislation that will in any way induce the return of Loretta Swit to the State of Illinois. When the fois gras rangers got going in Chicago City Council, old Hot-Lips showed up - she could scare the balls off a pool table! No MAS!
Listen people. You live in the sticks, you live with the wildlife. I am so sick of seeing suburban parents flying through forests and fields with no consideration for where they are.
Deer are very unpredictable. The least folks can do is drive the speed limit and be cautious - but NO, they have to drive like idiots racing to Jr's latest play date.
I believe 80% of deer/car incidents are preventable if drivers followed the speed limits and drove like they were taught to drive.
Rich,
One night I was on the road between Hamilton and Quincy and literally saw 5 separate groups of deer in that 30 mile stretch. Even going 55 at night on a 2-lane road is dangerous when you come up on 3 or 4 deer in the road. It's almost as bad as staying out too late in Springfield.
At certain times of year, it's truly a crap shoot when driving at highway speeds particularly at night as to whether you'll have an unwanted meeting with a deer.
I feel fortunate to have avoided it so far, thought I've seen countless deer in the ditches and shoulders of roads or actually bounding across the road.
There was a report on the news recently about a father who was killed by a deer. It was a weird accident in which a car struck a deer in the oncoming lanes of a highway divided by those concrete barriers. The impact then launched the deer through the air where it then smashed through the windshield of a family's car, killing the father who was driving. The shot of the car was amazing, and the entire windshield was obliterated. The wife said that the deer carcass ended up at the very rear of the mini-van they were driving and the kids were covered in entrails.
A very grisly and tragic accident all around.
I had a deer run into the side of my SUV and it cost me $1700. Someone said that there are "Deer Whistles" that you can buy and place on your front bumper to warn deer that you are coming and thus, you avoid hitting a deer. I have not been able to find where to buy one so whenever my wife and I are driving near a wooded area at night where we sight deer in our headlights, she will hang her head out of the passenger window and whistle as loudly as she can. It seems to work as we have not hit any deer since we started this practice. I just thought we would pass this useful tip on to others that might want to use it.
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