The Allen County Sheriff’s Department has fielded several calls involving car-deer accidents in recent days.
Darwin Bennett, Iola, struck a deer Wednesday while southbound on U.S. 169, just east of Iola.
Ruthana Culen, Redfield, was westbound on U.S. 54, about 4 miles east of Moran, when she hit a deer Wednesday.
Richard Luken, LaHarpe, was westbound on Nebraska Road, about a quarter mile west of 1800 Street, when he struck a deer Wednesday.
William Barnes, Savonburg, was southbound on U.S. 59, about a mile south of Elsmore, when he struck a deer Tuesday.
Stuart McNutt, Overland Park, was southbound on U.S. 169 on Nov. 14, about a mile southeast of Humboldt, when he struck a deer.
None of the drivers was injured.
The accidents bring to 99 the number of car-deer wrecks in rural Allen County in 2015, according to figures provided by the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.
Predictably, the largest cluster of wrecks occur along U.S. 169, which carries more traffic than the other major highways in Allen County, U.S. 54 and U.S. 59. Twenty-eight were recorded along a 10-mile stretch from just north of Iola to south of Humboldt.
The highest number occur this time of year, as the whitetail deer rut, or mating, season hits its peak.
Motorists are urged to exercise extra caution, particularly because the rut tends to lead bucks to become more aggressive, and less likely to flee if they see an approaching vehicle.
The rut season is tied to the shorter amounts of daylight. The rut in Kansas tends to run through Thanksgiving.
Pre-dawn and post-sundown driving are the most dangerous as deer emerge from wooded areas in search of a mate.
Car-deer accidents on the rise
