Public Safety: Drivers Beware, Deer Still Active Along Highways

ST. FRANCIS, Minn. (WCCO) – Minnesota's firearms deer season may be over but the big game animals are still very much on the move.

Whitetail deer are a constant concern for motorists, as car-deer collisions continue racking up big repair bills throughout the year.

November and December are the prime months for vehicle-deer accidents, largely because mating season keeps the animals moving day and night.

Not only is the damage expensive to repair, but the deer encounters are also dangerous for drivers.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, in 2013 there were 2,096 crashes involving motor vehicles and deer on state roadways. Eight of those accidents resulted in driver or passenger fatalities.

In the shop of St. Francis Collision and Glass, air wrenches and welders capture the end result.

"Actually, we have five in here right now," owner Joe Tillman said.

They are all vehicles that were heavily damaged when unsuspecting drivers collided with deer. Joe says the average cost of repairs runs well into the thousands of dollars.

"Average of $4,000 to $6,000, depending on the age of the vehicle. If it's old enough it could total the vehicle," Tillman said.

It usually happens quickly and without warning.

Dash camera video from police officers has captured the images that startled drivers see, as bucks and does leap over hoods, narrowly escaping being hit.

In any case, it leaves the motorist with precious little time to react.

In Minnesota last year, three counties led the way in car-deer collisions. Sherburne reported 178 crashes, Hennepin had 149 and Dakota County reported 140 deer collisions. In those accidents 25 people were injured. To a large extent it's a reflection of both heavy urban traffic and high whitetail deer densities.

"My first response was, 'Don't swerve, don't swerve,'" Pamela Groitzsch said.

She was on her morning drive to work in Corcoran on Friday when a buck appeared out of the corner of her eye.

Now her 2007 Mercury Mountaineer will need approximately $7,000 in repairs.

"A normal morning, it was just dark. There were no lights around and it just came out of nowhere, it was just right there," Groitzsch said.

Joe Tillman and his crew will get her vehicle looking good as new, something they've gotten really good at over the years.

And to avoid becoming one of Tillman's customers, he has a few pieces of advice.

"Keep your eyes open and watch for 'em. They're out there. They're sneaky. Where there's one there's always another," he said.

Deer are most active at dawn and dusk and safety experts advise not to swerve in an attempt to avoid hitting deer.

Too often that will result in vehicle rollovers and possibly head-on collisions with approaching traffic.