The other weekend I watched two deer wander out of a creek bed and meander through a meadow until they caught a scent they didn’t like and took off running. After a few strides, it was difficult to pick out their tan hides against the khaki grasses as they ran toward the tree line in the distance.

I was walking in a local park at the time so I could safely admire the quick, graceful escape. There’s been plenty of times where I wasn’t so happy to see a herd of deer galloping, mainly along the side of the road when I’m driving.

Thankfully I’ve never had the misfortune of hitting one with a vehicle, though there have been several close calls. Oddly, though, my close encounters have usually come during the summer months rather than this time of year when deer are more active when people are likely to be heading to and from work.

There are plenty of reasons for fall to be the peak season for vehicles to collide with deer, but the main ones are the animals are most active at dawn and dusk. In the fall, that activity coincides with most peoples’ commutes. It’s also the time of year deer wander farther than normal and are less wary of potential hazards as they seek to find a mate, which increases the chances they cross paths with you.

The Kansas Department of Parks and Wildlife has the following advice on how to avoid deer collisions:

• Watch for more than one deer, as they seldom travel alone.

• Reduce speed and be alert near wooded areas or green spaces such as parks or golf courses and near water such as streams or ponds.

• Deer crossing signs indicate where high levels of deer/vehicle crashes have occurred in the past.

• Use your bright lights to help you detect deer as far ahead as possible. 

• Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer – the most serious crashes sometimes occur when drivers swerve and collide with another vehicle or run off the road and hit an obstacle.

• Always wear a seat belt and use child safety seats for the kids.

If you’re driving in Kansas anytime of year, these tips will serve you well, but they’re especially important in the fall. Deer are also just one more reason to keep your eyes on the road when traveling. In 2022, 37 percent of single-vehicle crashes in Kansas involved a deer. There were also 575 injuries reported and six deaths.

If you do hit a deer, pull as far onto the shoulder as you can or off the road entirely if possible. Engage your emergency flashers and contact local law enforcement or Kansas Highway Patrol. Don’t attempt to remove the animal from the roadway.

Beware of the deer. Remember slow and steady is the best course, and it’s always better to be late than never arrive.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.