THE DEER RUT IS ON AND MOTORISTS NEED TO BE SUPER CAUTIOUS AND AWARE AS DRIVING THE HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS IN OUR AREA. FRANKLIN COUNTY HAS SEEN OVER 40 VEHICLE DEER ACCIDENTS IN OCTOBER ALONE. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 169 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING DEER IN FRANKLIN COUNTY THAT RESULTED IN 12 INJURIES. ANDERSON COUNTY REPORTED 85 ACCIDENTS WITH THREE INJURIES, DOUGLAS COUNTY HAD 262 ACCIDENTS WITH 10 INJURIES, OSAGE WITH 132 AND 4 INJURIES, MIAMI COUNTY WITH 266 CRASHES AND 6 INJURIES, AND LINN COUNTY WITH 112 ACCIDENTS AND TWO INJURIES. BUTLER COUNTY HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CRASHES WITH 370, THE LOWEST NUMBER WAS IN STEVENS COUNTY, WHO HAD NONE. FOUR DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN THE STATE LAST YEAR ALSO.
DAWN AND DUSK ARE THE MOST LIKELY TIME TO SEE DEER ON THE ROAD, BUT, THEY CAN BE THERE ANY HOUR OF THE DAY, PARTICULARLY DURING THE RUT, THE DEER MATING SEASON, WHICH WE HAPPEN TO BE IN RIGHT NOW, WHERE DEER ARE TOO DISTRACTED BY LOOKING FOR A MATE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD.
