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Do You Need a Deer Hunting License to Drive?

In some regions, a deer hunting license is nearly a prerequisite for driving. Having lived in the rural Midwestern United States, I can certainly attest to this.

Vehicular deer hunting is dangerous, particularly unintentional vehicular deer hunting. Traffic accidents involving deer can be quite destructive, or even fatal. A single doe or buck, crashing into an automobile or truck, probably does not stand a chance.

At the same time, the vehicle and its passengers may be in peril too. How often do we hear tragic news stories of vehicular deaths, decapitations and other destruction from deer-to-car collisions?

Not long ago, a family member hit a panicking deer with a very sturdy suburban utility vehicle (SUV). The car radiator cracked in half. The hood was bent in a big vee and punched upwards. The car began smoking had had to be evacuated and towed.

Other drivers and passengers have not been as fortunate in traffic encounters with deer.

Avoiding Deer Collisions While Driving

For the safety of both humans and wildlife, it is important to prevent traffic collisions with deer whenever possible. How can drivers avoid these messy mishaps?

Here are some primary pointers for drivers to employ, to prevent collisions with deer on the roadways.

Planning for the Presence of Deer

Ask any hunter or wildlife enthusiast, and you will find that deer tend to be most active at certain times of day. At dawn and dusk, deer are usually on the move, seeking food and water.

Wildlife watchers and nature photographers actually pick these particular windows of opportunity to spot deer in the wild.

Of course, dawn and dusk are the least optimum times of day for driving visibility as well. As the sun rises and sets, a driver may experience increased difficulty in seeing. However, these are the hours when added vigilance is needed.

If you must drive in a rural area at dawn or at dusk, you will want to be on your guard for the sudden appearance of deer in the road.

Planning for the Appearance of Deer

Deer seem to be more excited and less attentive during the fall months, which are their regular mating season. From September to December, the bucks are on the move, chasing fertile does. Both male and female deer may dart into roadways quite suddenly, particularly at such a time of year.

Of course, deer travel in groups. As a driver, if you spot one deer, you can certainly assume several others are close at hand and probably will appear promptly.

Peering observing

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