Published: November 21, 2008 10:40 am      

Oh deer!

Whitetails prove plentiful in local neighborhoods and on roads

San Marcos — It’s no way to start a morning — seeing a deer dead on the side of the road, or worse, running into one yourself.

Yet that’s happening more and more frequently in recent weeks as whitetail deer are in the midst of their mating season, commonly called the rut.

City Animal Services Director Bert Stratemann said Thursday that his crews have picked up close to a dozen carcasses since Monday.

“It’s that time of year again and this is the time of year for people to just be careful and be aware the deer are out there and they’re not thinking straight,” he said.

“Most of the boys are thinking about girls and most of the girls are thinking about running away from the boys and they’ll run right out in front of you.”

Stratemann said more deer typically die along Ranch Road 12 from Moore Street “out to the city limits” and in areas along Bishop Street and Craddock Avenue. “Those are areas where we consistently have deer that we’re picking up.”

“We’ve had a fair number of vehicle/deer accidents throughout the city and have also seen carcasses even on the Interstate that have obviously been hit,” said SMPD Sgt. Dave Waugh. “It is a serious and ongoing hazard for drivers.”

Many times the impact kills the animal but when it does not, police routinely perform a field euthanization.

“It always ends poorly for the deer,” Waugh said.

Mike Krueger, Texas Parks and Wildlife Edwards Plateau Wildlife Division leader, said the rut has typically peaked by this time of year but could last into mid-December.

“We’re still in it, it could happen anytime over the next month,” he said. “Bucks are blindly chasing does and that puts them in harms way for us and them.”

Krueger said simple caution is the best advise for drivers. Bumper-mounted whistling devices that were marketed in years past have proven to be “very ineffective,” he noted.

Pedestrians who might encounter a deer should remember that deer typically avoid humans, except for during the rut. “This time of year if you get between a buck and a doe (the buck) will blindly run over you.” If you encounter a deer, he said, “stand your ground, make noise and throw a stick or a rock at it.”

For more on whitetail deer, visit tpwd.state.tx.us.