Monthly Archives: November 2023

This is the time of year when people gather together in homey places.  Basements, dens, shops, barns.  Places with warm stoves and fireplaces, indoors or outdoors, as weather permits.  Shared food and snacks, tall tales, laughter and fun. 

I’m not talking about Thanksgiving.  I’m talking about the opening of deer season which was yesterday in Indiana. This is with firearms.  Bow season has been open for a awhile already. 

Oh, those poor Bambis!, you say. I probably thought that over 35 years ago when I lived in the city.  Now that I’ve lived in the county for most of my life, I have an entirely different perspective.  Long gone are the days when my Uncle Elmer Ray would go hunting in the UP in Michigan, bring back the deer he bagged, then drive around with the poor victim strapped across the hood of his car.  It always tasted a little wonky to me.  Wonder why?

Not only did I feel sorry for the poor deer, when I moved to my90acres, I didn’t worry about the deer roaming around the property.  Hummmm….  After they’ve eaten rows of green beans, new pea sprouts, or my flowers, I’ve got a different viewpoint.  They don’t have much respect for what is my territory and what is their space. 

But what really changed my opinion over the years have been the ELEVEN deer / car run accidents my family has had over the years.  Plenty of expense and at least one car totaled.  No injuries, fortunately. 

The white tail deer population was mostly wiped out in Indiana by the early 1900s.  It was reintroduced in the 1940s.  Now, there are an estimated 680,000 deer here.  Unfortuntely, having large wild animals roaming freely means that Indiana also saw more than 14,000 deer / vehicle accidents last year.  That translates to 1.5 M across the US. This translates further to 1 B damages and around 200 fatalities.

I’m not going to discuss the pros and cons of hunting season, but here are some things to keep in mind from becoming a statistic if you have to travel through rural areas.  And by the way, the deer population is pretty strong in urban areas, too.  This information is not scientific so draw your own conclusions.  But I used to drive to work on country roads for a minimum of 250 miles per week for many years.  These are some of my conclusions.

• If you see dead deer along a certain stretch of the road consistently, consider that an unofficial deer crossing.  They will often use the same paths over many years.  Be aware. I saw one trying to cross the road in such a place just this past Friday evening. I was driving rather slowly (50 mph, probably to the annoyance of the car behind me) when a young buck appeared on the side of the road.  I laid on the horn and the brakes; fortunately he turned around and went back but he looked as if he was going to run out in front of me.
• They like to move at dawn and dusk but don’t let your guard down.  I’ve seen them roaming at all times of day and night.
• I’ve noticed that where a tip of woods touches the road with another tip on the other side, you’ll often see deer crossing.  They’re using the cover of the trees.
• Same goes for drainage ditches.  They’ll take cover running along in the ditch, then pop up where the road crosses. Surprise!
• They often run in groups.  I’ve braked for a deer running across the road, then drove on, only to see in my reaview mirror the car behind me hit another animal in the herd.

Those are just a few hints to help you avoid becoming a statistic.  Just use caution this time of year.  Avoid feeding times, use your high beams, if possible. Slow down a bit. It just might save you a lot of aggravation down the road.  

Just a note.  The hunters around here are not just seeking trophies (although there is some bragging for that nine-pointer), but they actually use the meat for the table.  Many hunters even share with local food banks and other organizations of need.