UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With breeding and hunting seasons for white-tailed deer upon us, more deer are crossing Pennsylvania highways, says a wildlife biologist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"During the breeding season -- which ranges from October to December but peaks in November -- bucks often seem to lose their intelligence and their fear of roads," says Gary San Julian, professor of wildlife resources. "Interested in finding fertile females, they'll often run across roads without even thinking about traffic. Also, does being chased by bucks often don't heed roads. Then, on Dec. 1, more than 800,000 gun hunters will enter the woods and stir them up even more.

"PennDOT and individual contractors pick up about 45,000 deer from the state's highways each year," San Julian says. "Many more get hit and go off into the woods to die."

Drivers are most likely to see deer at dawn and dusk, San Julian says. "They're moving out of the woods and into the safety of the dark to feed. Because of the low light at those times, deer also are harder to see, so it's important to slow down. It's easy to get hurt when you're driving 60 miles per hour and a 150-pound deer comes flying through the windshield. Some people even have been killed. "You should be especially vigilant in areas where you've seen deer in the past," he says. "In high deer areas, high beams will help you see the deer's eyes shine. And remember, if you see one deer, often more will be following behind."

If you hit a deer, San Julian recommends that you stop to see if the deer is still alive. "If you have a cell phone or can get to a phone, call a wildlife enforcement officer through the regional office that covers that county," he says. "Phone numbers for wildlife enforcement officers can be found under 'Wildlife Conservation Officer' or 'Pennsylvania Game Commission' in the phone book."

In Pennsylvania, residents can pick up road-killed deer, but they must apply to the Game Commission within 24 hours for a free permit. "Call the Game Commission's regional office for an application," San Julian says.

"Wildlife officers sometimes pick up recently killed deer and donate them to charities," he adds. "They're interested in getting use from the animals, if possible."

Drivers also see a lot of young deer in the springtime, when does force yearlings out to make room for new fawns, San Julian says. "But fall is definitely the biggest time, because of the reproductive activity and hunters."

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EDITORS: Contact Gary San Julian at 814-863-0401 or gsjulian@psu.edu.

Contact:

Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-863-9877 fax #282