It’s Rutting Season. Why You Should Care.

Deer, Fall, Reflections

This afternoon as we were driving back from the farm we saw two deer run across the road. Fortunately they were far enough ahead of us that we didn’t have to slow down, but my husband said, “When you talk to the girls remind them that it is rutting season”.

The girls have heard this term before as every year since they have been driving we give them the warning. Rutting or mating season means an increase in deer activity. The deer are often running at full speed, a male chasing a female, and have no awareness of, or regard for, traffic in the area. So when we tell the girls that it is rutting season we warn them to be extra carful when driving.

What should they do to be extra careful?

  • Focus on driving. Do not allow yourself to become distracted by passengers, eating, cell phones or anything else.
  • Scan from right to left taking in as much of the area as you can.
  • Slow down, especially if you are in an area where you cannot see far off to the side of the road.
  • Use bright lights when driving at night if there is not oncoming traffic.
  • If a deer runs in front of you DON’T SWERVE. Swerving increases the risk of hitting oncoming traffic, trees or other objects, or even losing control and rolling the vehicle. It is better to slow your car down as much as possible to try to avoid, or at least lessen, the impact.

http://cultureofsafety.thesilverlining.com/driving/deer-vs-car-collisions

http://www.outdoorweekend.net/Articles-In-This-Issue-i-2013-10-01-216769.112113-PEAK-RUT.html

While these are practices that we should all use every time we drive, reality is we don’t, and sometimes it’s good to have a reminder.

Please drive safe.

14 thoughts on “It’s Rutting Season. Why You Should Care.”

  1. I mentioned in yesterday’s post that my boss’ friend and his wife were coming back from their cottage in the Cheboygan area and it was mid-day and there was a deer crash, totaled their car. That shook me up Ruth. You can never be too prudent when wild animals are concerned.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Car-deer accidents are pretty common up our way. We often see the remains of deer on the side of the road, especially this time of year. Just having the awareness and being a little more cautious while driving might prevent some.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. It would be sad to see the remnants of deer deaths, but sadder still if vehicles were involved and people were injured or vehicles lost. Living in a rural area you can’t just shut yourself inside from October through December. I know going to Lake Erie Metropark might have invited problems … it is quite rural out that way and the deer were running around inside the Park when I was there before. My car is a 2009 model and I just passed 5,500 miles on it … this is because I’m a walker, not a big driver and I work from home. Severe damage or totaling my car, they’d give me the Blue Book value and I’d be literally up a creek, so I tabled my visit. My friend Ann Marie was in Meijer’s parking lot in the Fall of 2017. Her car was not even one year old. A woman plowed into her car (a Ford mid-sized car) with her SUV. She totaled Ann Marie’s car. Insurance replaced Ann Marie’s car and she got a 2017 Ford Fusion. It is a lemon. It stalls repeatedly and it has been back to Southgate Ford countless times. I went through this stalling issues with two of my cars and it is scary. They stalled on a dime, completely stopped. She went to see someone specializing in Michigan’s Lemon Law. They took it to mediation and decided Ann Marie had too many miles on her Ford Fusion to get a free replacement vehicle. The reason for the high mileage in one year of driving? Ann Marie will be 76 years old next month – she is a former nun, who, after she left the convent was an elementary teacher and since her retirement spends about 75% of her time in volunteer work associated with her church. She spends every Monday at a soup kitchen in Detroit, volunteers at other soup kitchens, nursing homes, teaches Sunday school, helps out elderly people in her apartment building by fetching groceries for them, or taking them to medical or surgical appointments. That is how she racked up the mileage on her car … it is not fair. Sorry for the rambling, but I could just see me being the unfortunate result of a car/deer accident. My boss’ friend’s car was totaled and the insurance company could not believe he/wife escaped without injury.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I don’t blame you for reducing you risks by not traveling to Lake Erie Metro Park. I do very little driving after dark to reduce risk.

        God bless Ann Marie. She sounds like an amazing person.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I can’t remember the last time I drove at night – most likely 2008 when I was still working on site and would go out sometimes to drive my car for a run in Winter if it was a clear evening. I don’t drive my car enough since I work from home, so I have to take it on a long run if possible; in Winter, just running it about 5 miles a few times a week is good for it and the rest of the time it is on a trickle charger. Yup, I’m like the Little Old Lady From Pasadena. We have so much crime in Lincoln Park nowadays, you would not want to be outside in the dark if you can help it. A woman was robbed at gunpoint at a gas station at night a few weeks ago. Car was stolen and found later in Detroit. Luckily, she was not hurt but it happened right out on Fort Street, and Fort Street is busy right now as it is the official detour for the Rouge River Bridge Project. Just amazing!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. It is sad that you do not feel safe to go outside at night in your own neighborhood.
        We don’t buy new cars anymore but have had a few one owner, gently used, “little old lady” cars. In fact we drive one now and love it.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Well that is me and my last car, a Buick Regal, I had from 1988 until 2009 when I got this car. I only got rid of it because it developed electrical issues and it was not safe – it had not a single mark on it but just was not safe anymore. It broke my heart as I loved that car. We are having gusty winds and rain right now – wind gusting to 43 mph as I write this. Hoping not to lose power and going to gather my flashlights and lantern around close where I can reach them just in case.

        Liked by 1 person

      8. I have been hearing about power outage in the area and hope you are not among them. Do you have an alternative heat source like a kerosene space heater? or is it just warm clothes and blankets?

        Liked by 1 person

      9. Hi Ruth – I have heard that as well and the last report said 5,000 are without power. I am fine so far, not even flickering lights, but thank you for asking. Hopefully you are faring well too. No, I don’t have a kerosene space heater here; I would just resort to warm clothes and blankets. One time my mom and I lost our power in the dead of Winter for four or five days. It was terribly cold and we didn’t look for a hotel to go to as they were filled up the first day and we didn’t have any relatives to stay with. We slept together and bundled up. I went to work during the day and brought home thermoses of coffee and soup with me – our neighborhood and surrounding 10 blocks or so were out. When I had my two canaries I had all kinds of protection for them if the power went out in the Summer or the Winter. Battery-operated fans for Summer and for Winter, electric throws to layer over blankets on their cages in case the furnace went out. I no longer have my canaries but I have what I bought for them, including three Polartec battery-operated neck scarves. They are fairly wide and have three AA batteries for each scarf. I had planned to use them if the power went out to keep the cage toasty but I would use them on myself now. I have tons of AA batteries.

        Liked by 1 person

I would love to hear from you.