I saw the fastest doe first; you’ll barely see her in the wide-view dashcam video as my speed begins decreasing from 40 mph to 10 mph.
This was 12:30 a.m. Sunday on the outskirts of Owasso. Two does crossed the road; the third might have been a spike buck, and the last, a mature buck.
As someone who spends a fair amount of time driving before and after sunset in rural Oklahoma and the outskirts of Tulsa, I can report that deer sightings have picked up in the last week to 10 days and will only increase through November and December.
The last week of October brings muzzleloader season (Oct. 26-Nov 3), and hunters know prime techniques during that season include watching rub lines or scrapes, using scents, and rattling antlers. Those rutting season hormones are just starting to wake up.
Pre-rut is what bow hunters call it.
Whatever the name, it’s a time when deer are more active, especially on a chilly earning or early morning.
And if you see a doe crossing the road, you’d best slow down because it’s likely someone, or several someones, will be be following.
I’ve had much closer encounters than the one in this video, and, knock on wood, I have yet to hit a deer.
AAA Oklahoma reports that the average damage from a deer collision is more than $6,000. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports about 1 million deer-car collisions annually, involving 200 human fatalities, 10,000 personal injuries, and about $1 billion in vehicle damage.
Four things helped significantly in the situation on the video:
One: Despite the impression given by my dashcam, I keep my windshield spotless to reduce glare when I’m driving into the sunset or sunrise and against the headlights of oncoming cars at night.
Two: I replaced my discolored old headlamps and fog lights with LEDs last winter.
Three: I always mind the speed limit, especially in areas where deer are plentiful. It was 40 mph in this area near Owasso. Sometimes, I’ll drop below the speed limit if it looks dicey or the distance of vision is limited by weather or curves in the road.
Four: Because of the first three on the list, I saw the first doe and let off the gas before she finished crossing the road. I only had to tap the breaks as I saw the others—and slowed to less than 10 mph for a stretch while watching for more.
Keep in mind
Deer don’t follow the rules. AAA advises drivers to be extra careful in the extra hour or two before sunrise and after sunset, which is wise. Deer are primarily crepuscular critters, but this encounter was just after midnight.
Don’t swerve for deer. Ninety-nine percent of the time, a firm grip on the steering wheel and a solid stomp on the brakes is the way to avoid a deer. A deer is 50 times more agile than your car. If a dodge or swerve will make a difference, leave it to the deer.
Whistlers don’t work. I started writing news stories about “Do whistles work or don’t they?” decades ago. Stick ‘em on your car if you believe in them, but don’t let them give you a false sense of security. That’s my final determination. When the time comes, use a single solid horn blast, hands firmly on the wheel, and brakes; that’s what it comes down to.
Just be aware. Awareness is your best defense. Understand where deer are most likely to be seen, scan both sides of the road as you drive, and, while it’s important to remember this is the crazy season, deer-vehicle collisions happen all year ‘round—and we can now add feral pig collisions into that mix as well.
Keep being safe out there, folks.
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