Drivers across north Georgia are being urged to use extra caution as deer mating season brings an increased risk of deer-vehicle collisions.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, deer mating season typically lasts through December, with more deer moving around in search of mates.
Blake Graber with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources says changes in male deer behavior during mating season can make them less cautious around vehicles.
“That is characterized by an increase in testosterone in the male deer which kind of leads to an increase in aggression and a decrease in their caution in pursuit of mates,” Graber said.
An estimated 1 in 115 Georgia drivers will hit a deer this fall, with some of the highest numbers of collisions occurring in north metro Atlanta and areas surrounding Lake Lanier.
“The Roswell, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs area, and then also in northeast Georgia towards the Gwinnett and Forsyth counties surrounding Lake Lanier, we certainly get a high number of calls from them as well,” Graber said.
Graber says development near deer habitats has also contributed to the number of collisions as deer come into closer contact with people.
“We’re kind of encroaching on that and pushing them closer and closer to humans, we see higher numbers of deer, vehicle collisions because of that,” Graber said.
While deer can be active at any time, drivers are more likely to encounter them during the early morning and evening hours, when many people are commuting.
“So deer are what we call crepuscular, that means that they are move active at the twilight hours dusk and dawn, and when that kind of coincides with the high amount of traffic that we see from people commuting to and from work, that’s kind of the recipe for these deer vehicle collisions,” Graber said.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is reminding drivers to remain alert, particularly around dawn and dusk, as deer mating season continues through December.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.
