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Logan • A five-year study on the effects of winter feeding on mule deer suggests that wildlife experts may underestimate the effect of deer-vehicle collisions on herd productivity.
The national study by the Utah State University-based Jack H. Berryman Institute shows a rise in the number of deer-vehicle crashes.
Also increasing are the number of human deaths or injuries in those crashes.
Logan's Herald Journal reported Friday that the federal institute also found that more people die in head-on collisions with deer than with any other wildlife species.
Terry Messmer, a USU Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist, said the study followed 100 radio-collared mule deer.
It found that 30 percent of deer deaths were from vehicle crashes.
Messmer said the findings coincide with increases in the number of deer in urban areas — trend expected to increase as wildlife populations grow and development continues to encroach on winter range and migration routes.
"You've got more movement, more traffic volume, all of those things can create the perfect storm for deer-vehicle collisions," Messmer said.
Drivers can take some precautions to reduce the likelihood of crashes, including turning off cell phones and driving "for the conditions," like slowing down on snowy roads, Messmer said.
"There's no magic cure for this," Messmer said. "Even with fences, there's no such thing as a deer-proof fence. They will break it down and they will navigate it."