The fall rutting season for deer means a bump in business for companies such as Terry’s Body Shop in Purcellville.
“I’ve personally hit a deer. They’re all over the place,” said employee Scott Hoyden.
Loudoun County deer-car collisions are on the rise. The county saw 364 reported incidents in 2007, 353 in 2008 and then a big jump in 2009 with 416. As of Nov. 19, there were 287 reported collisions for 2010.
Virginia is ranked in the top 10 states for its number of deer-vehicle collisions. A new study by State Farm insurance finds that deer collision claims are up 21 percent over the last five years, even though the miles driven by motorists have only increased by 2 percent.
“We’ve been seeing an uptick in deer collisions this year,” said John Townsend, AAA mid-Atlantic public affairs manager for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. “They’re everywhere.”
The number of collisions appears to have heightened concerns about deer – especially when costly repairs are involved.
“The average repair bill can run from the $1,500 range all the way up to $6,000. Most of the time it’s front-end damage―radiator, bumper, etc.,” Hoyden said.
Customers typically say they didn’t hit the deer, the deer hit the car – an assessment Hoyden concurs with based on his personal experiences.
“I couldn’t avoid it – the deer actually hit me,” Hoyden said.
Townsend said motorists should be vigilant while driving this time of year and should also know the safest way to hit a deer, if it is unavoidable. Most injuries occur when drivers try to avoid hitting the deer, he said, so motorists should not swerve to avoid the animal.
He also noted, from an insurance perspective, that if a driver swerves into a tree, embankment or other vehicle to avoid hitting a deer, the driver will be found to
be at fault. If a motorist strikes a deer, it is considered to be the deer’s fault.
The last three months of the year are deer-mating and migration season, making this an especially dangerous time for deer and motorists. The risks are compounded by the growing deer population and animal displacement due to urban sprawl.
“Keep your eyes open. Keep scanning side to side,” Hoyden said. “That’s about all you can do.”
Matt Vecchio contributed to this story.
Safety Tips
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has issued the following tips:
·Stay aware, awake and sober.
·Wear your safety belts; they are your best defense in any collision.
·Car-deer crashes occur year-round, but be especially alert in the fall and spring
·Heed deer crossing and speed limit signs. Signs are placed at known deer crossing areas to alert you of the possible presence of the animal.
·Deer are herd animals and frequently travel in single file. If you see one deer cross the road, chances are there are more behind.
·Be alert for deer, especially at dawn and dusk. If you see one, slow down.
If the accident is unavoidable:
·Don’t swerve. Brake firmly, hold onto the steering wheel and bring your vehicle to a controlled stop.
·Pull off the road and turn on your emergency flashers.
·Don’t attempt to remove a deer from the roadway unless you are convinced it is dead. An injured deer’s sharp hooves can easily hurt you.
·Report the accident to the nearest law enforcement agency and your insurance company.
@Chris - It is very easy to donate a deer to Hunters for the hungry. Most deer processors give that as an option when you bring in the deer. My family does it all the time.
The VA hunting tag allowed each hunter to take 6 total deer east of the Blue Ridge, 3 antlered and 3 antlerless.
Trading Penny Stocks with our Penny Stock Scientist Samantha Westin will Help You Understand How To Choose Penny Stocks That Are Ready To Soar. Information Is Based On Scientific Research and Our Custom Algorithm.
<a >Trading Penny Stocks</a>
Where is that deer again?
With our budget deficit, the deer removal team was eliminated! ;P
I see them laying on waxpool road all the time, with some of their vulcher friends.
Why dont i pick it up? This is not my job and apparently no one elses. And yes i passed it again tonite. And once again ill give the exact location…across from Burger King on Shaw Rd. In Sterling Va.
Hey, Curly - FYT!!!
@Petey - why don’t you pick it up? They are all-natural…Mother Nature will take care of the carcasss - give Her time.
I’ll never order venison in Burger King again!
This deer is still rotting there. Its directly across from Burger King on Shaw Rd. In Sterling Va. I drive past it daily, this is approx week three. Its bad enough hitting these over populated deer with your car but know nobody cares to pick it up and dispose of them properly?
Let’s hope the Deer are arming themselves as we speak. :-)
Theres been a dead deer on the road at Shaw rd near Sterling Blvd. This has been rotting for weeks in plain view. I guess there waiting for natures way of having maggots eat the rotting carcas, but this takes months.
Let’s hope the “Playboy TreeHugger” doesn’t find this article! ;)
Increasing the number of tags available is good but trying to find a place to hunt around here can be quite the chore, especially in the areas where the strikes occur frequently.
We need to increase the tag’s available and make it easier for hunters to sell or give away the meat. If we can reduce the population by incentives then it follows there’ll be less collisions (and possibly less Lymes disease as a by product).
I think MD recently allowed more bow hunting in a specific area which markedly reduced the vehicle collisions in that year.
IMO this needs an end to end approach, starting with more tags for hunters and providing a way to have excess meat made available to local butchers for sale, benefiting the hunters, the butcher and the customers who can then by local meat.
It’s about time Loudoun got control of the deer population not only for car accidents but for the sky rocket Lyme problem.
 |
The Loudoun Times-Mirror is an interactive, digital replica of the printed newspaper.Open the e-edition now. |
Northern VA Job Openings
