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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Deer, Cars Collide

Associated Press

Wildlife

November is the No. 1 month in the year for motorists striking wildlife on Montana roadways, officials say.

Most collisions involve deer. And more occur in November than in any other month, according to 1992-96 records. October, July and September, in that order, are the other high-ranking months.

Friday, followed by Saturday and Sunday, are the days motorists are most likely to collide with an animal, primarily because those are the nights most people are out.

Evening is prime time for animal-related accidents, with 9-10 p.m. being the worst hour.

The number of wildlife-related traffic accidents in Montana more than doubled in the last decade from 589 in 1987 to 1,330 in 1996, primarily because of an increase in big game populations, state Transportation Department officials said.

But those are just the reported wrecks. It’s estimated that anywhere from 60 percent to 90 percent of people involved in such accidents drive away without reporting it.

Increasing development has more people living in and driving through wildlife habitat, said Ken Hamlin, of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

And more people are feeding deer, which can concentrate them near roads or provoke them to cross roads more often, he said.