Members of the Metro Bowhunters Resource Base killed 20 deer in the Palmer Lake area during a five-day period in mid to late January.

“We are pretty satisfied with the results,” said Assistant City Director Curt Boganey. “There were no significant issues or concerns.”

Brooklyn Center Police Lieutenant Kevin Benner agreed, and said the weather may nave contributed to the success of the hunt, which was conducted Jan. 20 to Jan. 29.

“I tink the cold weather ight have had an effect,” Benner said. “The exterior perimeter was no problem. We didn’t have any trouble with daily walkers being affected.”

Benner noted that not very many people were interested in being in the park when the weather was below zero, as it was the week of the hunt.

The Brooklyn Park Police Department assisted Brooklyn Center police by providing security around the north side of the park.

A total of four officers worked the first day of the hunt, and that staff level was reduced during the subsequent days since there were no problems.

Boganey said he expects that the city will hold another hunt this fall.

“When we do it in the fall, we can learn from this experience.” He said. “We will hunt each fall until the numbers are significantly reduced.”

The January hunt was the culmination of a planning process that began in July 2003 with a community meeting.

Following that meeting, a deer task force convened to study the problem and make a recommendation to the Brooklyn Center City Council. The council approved the taks force’s plan on Nov 10, 2003, and initially planned to hold a hunt in 2003, but timing didn’t permit that to happen.

According to the Brooklyn Center city Web site, Palmer Lake is the city’s largest natural environmental preserve.

The Palmer Lake area contains more than 200 acres and includes three separate park areas that feature playgrounds, ball diamonds, and picnic areas.

The lake and surrounding marshes provide habitat for numerous wildlife in an urban setting.

1. Deer do damage to residential landscape.
2. Deer Can Be A Deadly And Costly Driving Hazard
3. What to do when a deer is in your headlights
4. Read the signs if you want to see deer before you hit them
5. Three reasons to shoot does!

Damage to residential landscape

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Deer Can Be A Deadly And Costly Driving Hazard

St. Paul, MN: (October, 2003) - Minnesota drivers take warning. Deer are on the move across the state. It’s the beginning of mating and migrating season and that makes it prime time for deer/car collisions.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, deer/car collisions went up slightly in 2002. More than 5,500 Minnesota drivers hit a deer. These accidents resulted in 5 deaths and more than 500 injuries. “It may surprise some people, however, that for every crash that’s reported, we estimate that at least 2 to 3 go unreported,” said Alan Rodgers, Research Analyst with the Department of Public Safety. “That means the number of deer/car collisions should be more like 16,500.”

Nationally, the number of deer/car collisions is on the rise. According to the National Safety Council, there were roughly 520,000 animal related accidents in 2001, up from 490,000 the previous year. 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 were injured. The National Safety Council says the increase could be explained by an increase in the number of registered vehicles, the number of licensed drivers and the vehicle miles driven.

Fortunately, Minnesota deer-related collisions are not reflecting national numbers. It seems to be more erratic and on a much, much smaller scale,” said Rodgers.

Unfortunately, those crashes are going to cost you. The Insurance Federation of Minnesota estimates that each deer/car collision costs the auto industry about $2,000 to $3,500 per comprehensive claim. Experts add that repair costs can sometimes double if the car’s airbags are deployed.

The Insurance Federation of Minnesota suggests the following defensive driving tips to avoid hitting a deer:

• Be attentive in early morning and evening hours, the most active time for deer.

• Be alert and drive with caution when you are moving through a deer-crossing zone. Look for other deer after one has crossed the road. Deer seldom run alone.

• Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away. If necessary, use your high-beam headlights to see the deer better.

• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, rather than swerve to avoid them. It can confuse the deer as to where to run.

• Wear your seat belt. Most serious injuries in car/deer crashes occur because people were not wearing their seat belt.

If your vehicle strikes a deer it’s best not to touch the animal. The frightened animal, in attempting to move, could hurt you or itself, warns IFM. The best procedure is to get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.

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HIBBING — A deer in your headlights might not be something you want to see on the highway in front of your car, but getting a good look at one is a lot more likely now than at any other time of the year.

And the chances are always good that deer on the highway will turn up on the losing end of a collision with your car.

Deer are unpredictable,” said Tim Wallace, area wildlife manager for St. Louis County. “They do crazy things. I’ve seen them turn around and come back after they’ve already got by. You think you’re OK and they come right back at you.”

More than 5,500 car/deer collusions were reported last year in Minnesota — with an estimated five times that many accidents on Minnesota highways that went unreported — and the largest percentage of those accidents come between September and Christmas, peaking about the same time as the hunting season in November.

Across the nation more people are killed in car/deer collisions than die in all commercial airline, train and bus accidents combined. Five fatalities and 523 injuries occurred in Minnesota last year in deer related incidents.

The are just more accidents in the fall,” said Perry Loegering, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife manager in Itasca County. He said one reason is that deer are attracted to the roadsides by the alfalfa and clover growing there at a time when other vegetation is drying up in other deer habitat.

That’s why you see them grazing at the edges of hay fields, too” he said. “They’re looking for something to eat.”

There’s a flurry of roadside activity in the spring, too, when cool season grasses along highways start growing before much of the potential browse in other areas of deer habitat have started, Loegering said. But deer are also more active in the fall because it’s the breeding season.

Bucks are moving, staking out their territory. Females are driving off their fawns. Yearling bucks, participating in their first breeding season, may move several miles from their home range.

Deer are just on the move more,” Loegering said.

Wallace said another reason for car/deer collisions in the fall comes because of the increasing hours of darkness.

Mike Hamm, chief conservation officer for the DNR, said in a release from his office that motorists should slow down if they see a deer at the side of the road and watch for others that might be nearby.

He said a deer standing in the middle of a field could suddenly jump into the road. He said to be especially cautious during early morning and evening hours when deer are most active.

Hamm said that while you should slow down to avoid hitting a deer, you shouldn’t swerve to avoid it, which often leads to losing control of your vehicle. According to a Minnesota Department of Transportation report most fatalities in car/deer accidents come about when the motorist swerves to avoid a deer and ends up off the road or in another lane of traffic.

The best defense against a deer in the roadway is to buckle up and brake,” said Kathy Swanson, director of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. “Hitting a deer is unpleasant, but it’s a better option than swerving into oncoming traffic or off the road.”

Deer are creatures of habit, Hamm said.

If you see a deer-crossing sign posted along the road you’re traveling it’s a good idea to slow down. These signs are placed in areas where deer have been crossing roads for years,” Swanson said.

According to a MnDOT report deer-related accidents throughout the state are nearly five times as likely to occur today as they were 25 years ago, but there are only marginal increases over the last ten years. The number of accidents now is probably related to the increased number of whitetail deer in the state.

Despite the greater deer numbers traffic fatalities have remained relatively stable over the entire 25 year period, probably because of the increased use of seat belts and generally safer vehicles.

In St. Louis County the number of car/deer accidents actually went down last year. There were 102 reported accidents in 2002, nearly 50 fewer than the average over the ten year period. Wallace said he could only speculate why reported accidents declined in number last year, but he said deer numbers are up here and accidents always occur more often in the fall during breeding season.

Loegering said car/deer collisions are one of the driving forces behind this year’s liberal hunting season.

It’s one of the things we’re concerned with,” he said. “The way we manage is through the hunting season, but it’s a juggling act to manage the herd at levels acceptable for recreation without excessive damage to crops and people, particularly collisions.

With deer numbers high, he said, the hunters and people who like to see deer are happy, but people who have deer problems aren’t.

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Signs
Deer-crossing, moose-crossing, and even goose-crossing signs are common throughout the United States. Signs let motorists know that they are likely to see a certain kind of animal on the road in this area. While signs may be effective in alerting motorists of a hazard when they are unfamiliar with an area, safety experts feel the warning is largely disregarded, especially by motorists who travel a road frequently.

1. Keep your eyes open and your senses ready for a deer to appear. Again, deer can appear seemingly out of nowhere at any time of the day or night, during any type of weather conditions, or during any season. There is really no "safe" time that it’s O.K. to let your guard down when it comes to deer though there are plenty of times that you’ll need to be extra careful. Simply knowing that deer are there on the sides of the roads should help you pay more attention during the higher-risk times though it’s your responsibility to avoid distractions and stay focused on good driving skills.

2. If you travel during the early morning hours or evening, the odds of coming across deer on or near the roads increases substantially as deer commonly move to and from feeding areas during these times of the day. Give yourself enough time to be able to reduce your driving speed during these dangerous hours and still make your destination on time.

3. Never assume you’re in safe territory just because an area is more residential or there is fencing up along the roadway. As we continue to expand our living areas, we encroach on the deer’s natural habitat. What looks residential to us may have been forest not too long in the past and often deer are still adjusting to sharing their homes with us. They may be confused by the change in their habitat and will be forced to cross roads in order to find safe haven and continuing food supplies. As for fences, deer have been know to jump fences in their path as high as 6 feet! Ultimately, deer will continue to adapt to their changing living conditions and that means that they will continue to pop up in the darndest locations – residential, rural, or otherwise.

4. Heed deer crossing signs. Areas marked with deer crossing signs typically have a higher rate of vehicle/deer collisions and you need to adjust your driving to reduce the chances that you’ll be involved in a crash. You should reduce your speed in areas of deer crossings and pay attention to the sides of the roads as much as possible without jeopardizing your driving ability. Additionally, don’t assume that areas not marked with deer crossing signs are free of deer – this is simply not the case.

5. Know that driving conditions vary widely based on weather conditions, time of year, and time of day. As mentioned, early morning and nighttime are prime areas for possible vehicle/deer collisions due to increased deer movement during those times. In the Fall and Winter months, those times of the day not only start earlier they also last longer. At the peak of Winter, there can be as much as a 40% reduction in daylight driving hours and many days are overcast and/or inclement which can make it harder for drivers to spot deer quickly. All of this reduced visibility greatly increases your risk of hitting a deer. Combine reduced daylight with bad weather and slick road conditions and you easily have situations that call for extreme driving care. Slow down and don’t tailgate other drivers!

6. Learn to recognize the glowing eyes of deer and other animals along the side of the road and slow down as soon as you see any. Deer frequently travel in groups and where there is one, there are usually more. This is especially important should you see a deer jump out in front of a driver in front of you or on the opposite side of the road – you are not necessarily out of the woods as there may be more deer preparing to cross the road. It may be you that have to deal with making a quick decision to keep yourself safe!

7. Read your vehicles Owner’s Manual to understand just how your braking system works. As more and more vehicles come equipped with anti-lock braking systems, it’s important to make sure that you know the best way to slow your vehicle down in the event of an emergency. Follow common sense ideas when it comes to icy or slick driving conditions and following other drivers from a safe distance. The more time you have to react to a deer in your path, the better the chances that you’ll survive without a major incident. This also applies to dealing with other drivers should they be forced to avoid a deer collision as they may apply the brakes suddenly ahead of you or swerve into your lane of traffic in their attempt to avoid deer.

8. Never operate your vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Impaired driving is extremely unsafe as your ability to react quickly and safely can be diminished. Don’t compound a hazardous situation with mind-altering substances – that’s a sure recipe for disaster.

9. If you are left with no safe options to avoid a deer collision, hit the deer. It seems counter-intuitive but many times it’s safer to hit the deer, keep control of the vehicle, and accept the damages. You can do more damage to your vehicle by driving off the road or into other traffic than if you just hit the deer. It is never a pleasant experience to hit any animal with a vehicle and certainly not one the size of a full-grown deer however your alternatives may mean serious injury to you, your passengers, or other drivers on the road. In the event that you are forced to hit a deer, try not to panic, reduce your speed as much as safely possible, and keep your vehicle in your own lane. Get to the side of the road as soon as you can and stop your vehicle being mindful of traffic that may have been following you – they may be dealing with the remains of the deer strike that ended up in their path. Turn on your emergency flashers and exit your vehicle to assess the damages only after you’re sure there is no risk to you or your passengers of being struck by other traffic. Call the local authorities by cellular phone or have a fellow driver phone them. If your vehicle is damaged so severely that it can’t be safely driven in for repair, you’ll need to call for a tow truck, as well.


This came from the Wall Street Journal quoting the Oct 2002 Edition of OUTDOOR LIFE MAGAZINE

The title is " Three Reasons to Fill Your Doe Tag"

(1) "Deer kill more people in the United States than do all commercial airline, train and bus accidents combined in a typical year"

(2) In 2002 drivers are expected to hit 1.8 million deer, nearly FOUR times the entire whitetail population at the turn of the 20th century.

(3) "Despite the 7.4 million deer annually harvested by sportsmen and the 1.8 million annually deer killed by motorists, whitetail populations grew from 29.8 million in 1994 to 32.7 million in 2002.

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