Living In Peace with Wildlife Reducing The Risk Of Animal-Car Collisions Did you know that since the Pennsylvania Game Commission manipulated the state's Elk herd to increase Elk hunting opportunities for hunters, there has been an increase in Elk-car and Elk-train collisions? Data from the Erie Insurance Company documents the relationship   between hunting and deer-car collisions. Increased hunting activities near roads and highways; urban sprawl extending through wildlife habitat; and cars driving at faster speeds have all contributed to the frequency of deer-car collisions.

People, corporations and municipalities are working together to make the roadways safer for human and nonhuman animals by using some of the following techniques in high risk areas:

• Highway warning reflectors (http://www.strieter-lite.com/)
• Deer or wildlife crossing signs
• Lowering speed limits
• Cutting roadside vegetation to discourage deer on roadsides
• Fencing and highway overpasses and underpasses
• General Motors provides a Night Vision infrared system that slows drivers to see down the road up to three to five times farther than with traditional headlamps.

Here’s what you can do:

• SLOW DOWN! Heed wildlife warning signs and obey the speed limits.
• Visually scan for wildlife. In situations where there is forest or field on both sides (cover to cover, no barriers) make an extra effort to use your peripheral vision to scan for wildlife especially at dawn, dusk and in the middle of the night.
• At night, watch for the two bright reflections from the eyes of deer and other nocturnal animals such as raccoons and foxes.
• If a deer — or other animal on the side of the road — runs into the road in front of you or  “freezes” in your headlights, STOP and try turning your headlights off and on and/or make a loud noise to encourage the animal to pass. Stay stopped for at least five minutes and watch carefully — there will probably be others about to cross.
• Be very cautious during hunting season (fall to early winter). Hunters flush deer and other animals out of the woodlands into the roadways.