PUBLIC SAFETY
Deer encounters while hunting are the goal for the hunter, but deer-car collisions are not a happy ending for either party involved.
The Jones County Sheriff’s Department has reports of 241 deer accidents in 2023. The highest number of accidents occur during mating season between October and early December, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, while male deer are actively searching for mates.
Other reasons given for more deer activity are increased human population, rural development and shorter days, which mean longer nights. The shorter days also means people are driving at the same time the deer are most active, at dawn and dusk.
Deer accidents happen all over Jones County, and it seems no one in immune. Examples are an accident on Highway 22 in the early hours of Sept. 17 that took place when the driver swerved to miss the deer that entered the roadway unexpectedly. That caused the driver to hit a tree.
Two vehicles were involved in an October accident on Joycliff Road. The accident report states the deer ran out in the road at 7:30 a.m. and was struck in the head by the vehicle. The deer kept running and hit the second vehicle.
The first driver was able to drive their vehicle from the scene but the second was disabled.
Law enforcement officers are also victims of the deer. Jones County Sheriff’s Deputy Nolan Sullivan captured his deer encounter on his dash cam. He was patrolling on Upper River Road at 2 a.m. when the deer ran out to cross the road in front of him.
Luckily the damage to both the deer and car appeared minimal.
Deer hunting continues through next month, and deer collisions can be expected to continue. The best advice from the DNR is to remember deer are unpredictable, and those standing at the side of the road can bolt into the road at any time.
One deer usually means there are more, if one crosses, more will probably follow. And if it is too late to avoid a collision: “Drivers are advised to slow down as much as possible but resist the urge to swerve to avoid the deer. That may cause more damage and send the driver off the road or in the path of another vehicle.”
