Dover,DE : November presents the greatest chance of deer/vehicle collisions on November, Friday 3rd 2017

It’s that time of the year again: male deer are on the hunt for females, chasing them all over the Delaware landscape.

And although deer avoid contact with humans, that inborn caution often is quickly overcome by a more primal urge, leading them across the First State’s very busy roadways.

Add a distracted human automobile driver into this mix, and there’s likely to be a bad outcome for one, if not both.

The deer’s mating season, or rut, is the main reason for a spike in animal-related crashes during October and November, said Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Richard Bratz. The season peaks during the second week of November, although there are males out in pursuit of females before and after that time. Most animal/vehicle crashes take place during that time, according to an analysis of insurance claims by the Highway Loss Data Institute.

“November is the peak month for animal strikes,” according to the HLDI’s April 2017 study of crashes from the prior year. “Insurance claims for animal collisions are more than twice as high during November as in a typical month earlier in the year.”

Figures from the Delaware State Police show in 2016 there were 2,042 animal/deer-related crashes in the First State. Sussex County led the way with 1,010 reports investigated by state troopers. There were 591 in New Castle and 441 in Kent County, Bratz said.

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November presents the greatest chance of deer/vehicle collisions