{"id":189,"date":"2023-05-15T08:51:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T07:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/whydidthedeercrosstheroad.langbeinwildlife.co.uk\/?p=189"},"modified":"2023-05-22T18:42:33","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T17:42:33","slug":"why-do-uk-deer-vehicle-collisions-peak-in-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whydidthedeercrosstheroad.langbeinwildlife.co.uk\/?p=189","title":{"rendered":"Why Deer Road Kill peaks in May & Autumn"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

MAY is the PEAK MONTH for deer road casualties and related vehicle collisions across Great Britain. Over 10,000 deer are likely to be hit in May alone – that’s close to twice as many as in any other single month and makes up near 15% of the annual toll of between 60,000 to 74,000 GB deer road casualties<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This peak in Deer Vehicle Collisions (DVCs) is, <\/span>as shown in the graph below, far less pronounced on minor roads, that deer may cross on a daily basis when moving from cover to feeding areas, and which of course in general carry relatively modest traffic volumes. For motorways<\/strong> and major A-class trunk roads<\/strong> England, however, the spring peak in DVCs from April through to June makes up over 50% of the annual DVC toll on these road types (see Graph). (The pattern in Scotland is closely similar, although there motorways make up a much lower proportion of the strategic trunk network). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April and May young deer coming up to one year old (especially the territorial roe deer, which remain our most common and widespread UK deer species) will tend to be pushed out of their natal ranges, and as they disperse in search for new home ranges are much more likely to attempt to cross the more substantial barriers presented by dual carriageways and motorways.<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aside from dispersing animals, adult females too will increasingly cross roads during May on their way to more secluded areas of cover that they may seek out for giving birth – or often with new fawns at heel as they return.  Oddly enough, even though road side verges may seem rather noisy places to us, as vegetation grows denser during spring they become increasingly attractive for deer to settle within, because scrub and linear strips of woodland alongside major roads and even on roundabouts will often be relatively undisturbed by pedestrians and not least importantly dog walkers. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A further, but overall smaller peak in DVCs occurs in autumn<\/strong>, when our three largest deer species (red, fallow and sika) will be on the move again to and from their rutting areas.  This second peak in deer accidents from mid-October through into early November tends to be most prominent in:  A)<\/strong> Large community forests where fallow deer predominate – including Cannock Chase<\/a>, Ashdown Forest<\/a>, The Forest of Dean<\/a>, Epping Forest<\/a>, Haldon Hill<\/a>, Ashridge Forest<\/a>, The New Forest<\/a> and also The Royal Parks of Richmond<\/a> and Bushy<\/a>; and  B)<\/strong> throughout those regions of the country with high concentrations of wild red deer such as The Scottish Highlands<\/a>, Grizedale Forest<\/a>, and Exmoor<\/a> and The Quantock Hills<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n