A press release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources urges motorist to slow down after sundown and before sunrise if they want to avoid a collision with a white-tailed deer.

“The personal tragedies and property losses caused by deer-vehicle collisions are unfortunate,” said Colonel Jim Konrad, DNR Enforcement director. “Obviously, many of these accidents are unavoidable because deer do step into the path of fast-moving vehicles. But driving defensively, or, at the very least, alertly, can give a motorist an edge in many instances.

Konrad noted that being knowledgeable about deer activities can also help Minnesotan’s stay out of harm’s way, especially during the fall breeding season, commonly referred to as the “rut.”

“During the rut, deer are more active than usual,” Konrad said.
“It’s a time when deer become preoccupied with mating. It’s a time when this summer’s fawns, left alone while does follow nature’s calling – sometimes naively wander into troublesome predicaments.
It’s a time, quite frankly, when deer don’t seem to maintain that invisibility and distance that typically keeps them from dangerously interacting with motorists.”

Konrad noted that drivers shouldn’t assume trouble has passed completely when a deer successfully crosses the road.

“Deer frequently travel in groups,” Konrad said. “Just because one has crossed the road, doesn’t mean the threat is over. It’s likely that other deer may follow.”

Hunters also play a role in moving deer during daylight hours. Small game hunters moving through fields occasionally flush deer from their resting places. Bear and bow hunters also flush deer from forested areas.

“If you see hunters in the vicinity of the road you’re traveling it’s probably a good idea to slow down, especially if you hear gunfire,” Konrad said. “Since hunters are wearing fluorescent orange clothing, they’re usually very visible to motorists.”
Motorists also should slow down whenever farmers are harvesting cornfields because deer are often flushed from fields as farm equipment approaches them.

More than 20,000 deer-vehicle accidents are reported annually according to MnDOT, and the DNR estimates that only one-third of the accidents are reported.

Any Minnesota resident may claim the animal by contacting a law enforcement officer. An authorization permit will be issued allowing the individual to lawfully possess the deer.

If a deer is struck by a vehicle, but not killed, drivers are urged to stay their distance because some deer may recover and move on. However, if a deer does not move on, or poses a public safety risk, drivers are encouraged to report the incident to a DNR conservation officer or other local law enforcement agency. They will decide who will put the deer down.

Other tips for motorists include:

- Don’t count on deer whistles or deer fences to deter deer from
crossing roads in front of you. Stay alert.

- Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes
on the shoulder of the road. If anything looks slightly suspicious, slow down

- Slow down in areas known to have a large deer population; where
deer-crossing signs are posted; places where deer commonly cross roads; areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forest land; and whenever in forested areas between dusk and dawn.

- Don't swerve to avoid a deer because that can cause you to lose
control, possibly striking another vehicle, tree or object.

- Deer do unpredictable things. Sometimes they stop in the middle
of the road when crossing. Sometimes they cross and quickly re-cross back from where they came; sometimes they move toward an approaching vehicle. Assume nothing. Slow down; blow your horn to urge the deer to leave the road. Stop if the deer stays on the road; don’t try to go around it.