Rutting to death

Love blinds deer to the dangers of the road

Especially in the rutting season, the otherwise shy deer often chase blindly across the road.

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

Now the rutting season begins in forests and meadows - buck and doe only have eyes for each other. This can end fatally for drivers. What to watch out for in the event of a deer accident.

Head down, head elsewhere. This is how experienced hunters describe the behavior of roe deer during the coming weeks. The rutting season begins at the end of July. And this is when love literally blinds the otherwise vigilant forest dwellers - except for each other. The hormonal surges are acted out during wild hunts, when bucks drive the does across the fields.

In the coming weeks, increased caution is required in deer crossing zones.

(Bild: Huber Patrick)

15,000 deer die on roads in Lower Austria
"With this aimless behaviour, deer are also increasingly crossing roads at high speed," emphasizes State Hunting Master Josef Pröll and appeals to drivers to react with increased caution. In any case, roe deer are considered to be the most endangered game animals in the country due to road traffic. The local huntsmen back this up with concrete figures: Every year, at least 30,000 wild animals fall victim to motorized vehicles in Lower Austria. Around half of these are deer.

Deer are barely aware of their surroundings during the rut. Drivers should therefore slow down and keep an eye on the side of the road.

Josef Pröll, Landesjägermeister in Niederösterreich

Bild: Werner Streifelder/NÖ Jagdverband

Wildlife warning devices installed
In any case, hunters are doing their bit to ensure that deer and drivers can coexist safely. In 485 hunting grounds, 125,000 optical and 6350 optical-acoustic wildlife warning devices have already been installed along 1800 kilometers of country road.

 Always report wildlife accidents to the police 
But what should you do if the worst comes to the worst? If a collision with a deer is imminent, drivers should brake sharply and hold the steering wheel firmly. "Swerving maneuvers are too high a risk for car occupants and other road users," experts advise. If the accident has already happened, the next step is to secure the scene of the accident and inform the police!