Watch Out For Deer As Central Minnesota Welcomes Autumn

Some of the leaves around Central Minnesota are starting to turn colors for the upcoming fall season. Even though we’ve not been able to tell by the temperatures the last few days, we are on the cusp of autumn. Soon we’ll be bringing back longer sleeves and enjoying warmer beverages to help us transition to a cooler part of the year. 

The Benton County Sheriff's Office used their “X” account yesterday to remind Central Minnesotans of something you might not have thought of in a while, deer movement near and in roadways around the area.  

Having a collision with a deer is possible anytime during the year, not as likely but possible. But between now and the end of the year, the chance goes up quite a bit.  

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Just last week on my way to work at 4am, I saw a pretty big deer standing on the side of Clearwater Road in St. Cloud. Luckily, he just stood there and watched me roll on by, but I’m like so many people who in the past have hit a deer with a vehicle. 

A Google search says that the Minnesota Department of Public Safety says that there are around two thousand deer-vehicle accidents each year around the state. A report from the University of Minnesota on this topic says that 1 in every 81 drivers in Minnesota has been involved in an accident where they hit an animal with their car or truck. 

Be alert on roads that are likely to have deer nearby, and for some drivers out there that may be nearly every road they travel on each day. A good number of these accidents do not result in an incident report and law enforcement agencies rely on data supplied by insurance companies to help with their average numbers.  

It's just what Minnesota drivers wanted, something else to try and dodge on your way to and from work, right? Hopefully you’ve learned where the most likely areas are near you, and you’ll keep an eye out for deer in your area.