Be Aware: Increase In Accidents Involving Deer Across UC

Counties across the Upper Cumberland are seeing an increase in accidents involving deer.

There were six accidents involving deer in the Fairfield Glade community in Cumberland County on Saturday. Van Buren County Sheriff Michael Brock said over the last few weeks his county has seen 19 accidents involving deer, two of those resulting in injuries. Clay County Sheriff Brandon Boone said motorists need to be careful.

“November being breeding season for the white tail deer obviously the bucks are chasing the does and they’re crossing the roads and the highways routinely,” Boone said. “As many vehicles that are on the roadways today you’re going to have some crashes involving deer.”

Brock said drivers need to go slower in wooded areas and be aware of your surroundings. Boone said sometimes collisions with deer are inevitable. The peak of deer mating season is November, but deer mating season can last all the way until February.

“Just try to pay close attention to what’s out ahead of you,” Boone said. “There’s going to be times you can’t avoid it.”

Boone said the early morning hours before dawn are when an accident with deer is most likely to occur.

“There more active during that time as far as chasing and causing them to run out in front of vehicles and onto the roadways,” Boone said.

There are products like deer whistles that attach to the hood of a car that are supposed to scare deer out of the road.

“I’ve heard people say the little whistles work,” Boone said. “I can’t testify to that because I’ve never had that. I’m not for sure if that’s an item worth the money or not.”

A 2020 study by the Tennessee Highway Patrol said there was 6,449 crashes involving deer that year and half of those crashes occurred between the months of October and December.