By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

We’re now in one of the peak times of the year for deer-vehicle collisions. Trooper Paul Gardner, with the Iowa State Patrol in Fort Dodge, reminds Iowans to stay especially vigilant for the creatures that may try to dash in front of your car.

“We have a lot of deer on the move because farmers are out harvesting and that leads to deer wandering around a lot more,” Gardner says. “Typically, they’re very active between sunset and sunrise, during the night, but they can still be observed during daytime hours as well.”

Deer can appear on practically any Iowa road, even in densely populated metro areas, and Gardner says motorists should be especially wary in certain environments.

“They’re usually going to be maintaining habitat in wooded and grassy areas, so when you’re driving through those areas, making sure that you’re driving the speed limit, keeping an eye out for any deer that may be crossing,” Gardner says “Just keep in mind, too, that if you see one, there’s likely going to be more, because they tend to travel in packs.”

If you hit a deer, pull over, assess the damage, and if necessary, call law enforcement, as he says insurance companies may not cover the repairs without a police report. Gardner repeats the mantra “Don’t veer for deer,” as doing so could have deadly results.

“If you do encounter a deer crossing the roadway, it’s best not to try to take evasive action where you’re going to swerve the steering wheel, because if you go to the right, you can go into the ditch,” Gardner says. “Definitely risk rolling your vehicle or hitting something else, or if you swerve to the left, you can take on oncoming traffic, so there’s definitely some dangers in that.”

A recent State Farm study found Iowa is one of the top states for deer collisions. It shows Iowa drivers have a 1-in-69 chance of hitting a deer, based on insurance claims. Each year, around 7,000 crashes between vehicles and deer are reported to Iowa law enforcement.