As fall gets into full swing, Bulloch County and area drivers should be on the lookout for an increase in the number of deer on the roadways, as the animals become more active during mating season.

Capt. Bob Lynn, region supervisor for the Metter office of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, says this time of year is a time to be wary while on the road. In fact, one insurance company estimates there are 50,000 vehicle crashes involving deer every year in Georgia.

“With the deer, the rut season is starting to kick off,” he said. “So you have does being chased by bucks, and deer primarily move during the morning and afternoon and nighttime hours.”

Lynn said there are an estimated 1.2 million deer in the state, so it would be wise to stay alert in any area when driving during those hours in particular.

“Through the middle of the day, most of the time, it’s fairly safe traveling,” when it comes to deer collisions, he said.

And during daylight savings time, which goes into effect Sunday morning, rush hour for most commuters coincides with the hours when deer are most active — around sunrise and sunset.

“Most people start their commute to work around 6 in the morning, so daylight now will begin an hour earlier with daylight savings,” he said. “And most people get off in the afternoon about 5 o’clock. So daylight savings time would push darkness back an hour, so 6 o’clock, it’ll be dark.

“So you’ll be traveling to work and from work primarily during the time when the deer are going to be moving, right at dusk and dawn,” he said.

And when a driver relaxes after a near-miss with a deer, that can also be a mistake.

“Keep in mind that deer often travel in groups, so if a deer crosses the road ahead of you, there is a good chance that another will follow,” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with the DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division.

“In many cases, that second deer is the one hit as the driver assumes the danger has passed and fails to slow down.”

According to the latest information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are around 1 million deer-vehicle collisions every year in the U.S. that produce an average of 200 human fatalities, 10,000 personal injuries and cause $1 billion in damage to vehicles.

Southern States Insurance estimates there are approximately 50,000 collisions between deer and vehicles in Georgia every year.

A report published by State Farm Insurance on Oct. 2 this year indicated Georgia drivers have a 1 in 90 chance of a collision with an animal on the roadways. For the U.S., the national average is 1 in 116, which means drivers in the state are more likely to have a crash with wildlife than the national average.

Lynn said drivers’ best chance of avoiding deer on the road during this time of year is simply a matter of being cautious.

“It’s being awake and paying attention. With low light, it’s hard to tell, especially that transition time, first thing in the morning at twilight and in the afternoon at dusk because your headlights aren’t quite bright enough to illuminate the highway, but daylight’s not bright enough to illuminate it, either,” he said

“You just have to watch your speed, be aware of your surroundings and always be mindful that this time of year, deer movement is heavy, especially if you’re in a heavily wooded area of the highway.”