Drivers and motorcycle riders are being urged to watch out for deer on Wisconsin highways and backroads because statistics show the month of June is almost as dangerous as the fall for vehicle deer crashes.
In June, does are giving birth to fawns and pushing yearlings away. David Pabst of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said it’s a hazardous mix for state highways.
“Deer that are scared don’t know what to do when they cross a road,” Pabst said. “Their hooves are very slippery. It’s like ice for you and me, deer’s hooves on pavement. It’s hard to predict what they’re going to do and of course they’re of such a size that you really don’t want to strike them with your car or your motorcycle.”
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There were 18,312 crashes involving deer last year in Wisconsin. Eight of the 10 fatal ones involved motorcycles. Dusk and dawn are the most dangerous times of the day. And Pabst advised if you see one deer, there are often two or three right behind it.
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