Deer-car collisions rise in mid-Mo.; worst is yet to come

Deer: Hunters love to shoot them, and drivers hate to crash into them. Satisfying hunters and protecting motorists is the job of Lonnie Hansen, deer biology specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.

It’s a balancing act that’s becoming more difficult.

Last year, the Columbia Police Department recorded a total of 50 animal-related car accidents, most of which involved deer, Traffic Unit Sgt. Tim Moriarity said. From the beginning of January to Oct. 13 of this year, there have been 32 animal-related crashes. And the worst is yet to come. “In October and November of last year, (deer crashes) were 20 of the 100 crashes,” Moriarity said.

October and November are the months of deer mating season, known as the rut. During this period, bucks will roam far and wide looking for a mate, and that brings them directly into the path of cars.

On Oct. 7, a deer caused a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer to ricochet off the right side of U.S. 63, where it struck an embankment and rolled over many times. Mohammed Chugtai, 31, and Bushra Mian, 25, were taken to University Hospital, where Chugtai, the driver, was treated for injuries.

And U.S. 63 isn’t even on Moriarity’s list of most deer-traveled roads. He ranks Old 63 as No. 1, followed by Stadium Boulevard, Forum Boulevard, Chapel Hill Road, Grindstone Parkway and Scott Boulevard.

“Many of these (accidents) are involving speeds anywhere from 30 to 40 miles per hour,” Moriarity said. “When you are talking about 63 and the others, we are talking about state routes where the speed limit is higher.”

Moriarity knows firsthand about the costs of deer-to-car contact; his daughter hit two deer in the same week while behind the wheel two years ago, causing $3,000 in damage. That’s about $200 more than the average American pays for a deer-related accident. Gary Stephenson, spokesman for State Farm Insurance, said the national average cost for deer collisions is about $2,800.

Missouri is ranked 13th in deer-related accidents in the country with 6,039 claims from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006. That’s an increase of 2.4 percent from the previous year’s number of 5,896 claims.

Numbers are rising nationally, as well. The number of deer-car collisions increased by an estimated 10,000 in the same period — a jump of almost 6 percent.

Hansen sets regulations designed to prevent the deer population from getting out of hand. In most Missouri counties, including Boone and Callaway counties, a hunter can purchase as many Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting Permits as desired. Antlerless deer include does and male deer up to six months of age called button bucks.

In 2004, the rules governing the hunting of antlerless deer were liberalized in some counties, and that has helped reduce deer populations in some places, he said.

“There are a lot of places where we feel we have the right number (of deer), but in counties where we want to reduce their number, the liberalizing of antlerless deer would be the most effective,” he said.

The idea is to reduce the number of future deer by killing does. The button bucks perish as well, however, because hunters are unable to tell the difference.

It’s a question of supply and demand. Hunters think of deer as goods that they would like to hunt, and they often demand more of them.

In Boone County, hunters are only allowed to shoot a buck that has at least four points on either the right or left side of its antlers. This rule allows the younger males to mature into easier, more rewarding targets.

“Hunters like to be able to shoot bucks with large antlers,” Hansen said.

Unfortunately, large bucks pose the biggest threat to drivers — especially when those bucks begin searching for mates, blind to the danger of their routes to romance.

Hansen emphasizes the benefits of keeping deer healthy.

“Deer are an extremely positive thing for this state,” he said. “We have 475,000 deer hunters who spend somewhere around $400 million each year in Missouri alone. Some communities are very dependent on deer activity. Hunters spend over 3 million days a year hunting. Other people just like to watch deer. It is not only economically important but also recreationally important.”