At first, I was a little surprised to see this on the Journal/Sentinel's website today:
Watch out for deer, state urges
It's summer, not fall, but the state is urging motorists to look out for deer on roadways during June, saying the summer month has ranked as the first- or second-worst month for dear crashes in four of the last five years.
During this time of year, deer frequently dart onto roadways looking for places to give birth, and yearlings wander out after separating from their mothers, according to Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the state Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety.
Hughes said deer crashes between May and August tend to occur between 8 p.m. and midnight. "So, you need to be particularly diligent at night," he said.
Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable because deer collisions can be fatal for motorcycle drivers and passengers. Motorcycles were involved in 10 of the 14 fatal deer crashes in 2007, he said.
Last year, law enforcement agencies reported 17,977 deer vs. vehicle crashes last year, according to the state Department of Transportation. Dane County had the most with 1,025, followed by 714 in Shawano and 655 in Waukesha counties. In Shawano and Green Lake counties, more than half of all reported crashes last year involved deer, the department said.
------jsonline.com.
ALREADY??
In actuality, it's not that surprising.
But it's not just deer you've got to be on the lookout for. From the DNR:
It’s turtle nesting time again!
Please help keep them alive on our roadways
MADISON – During the prime turtle nesting season in Wisconsin, the remains of turtles killed on the road are an unfortunate, and all too common, sight. Each year, from late May through June, turtles leave the water, traversing back roads and major highways, to nest on land and encounter an ever-increasing number of vehicles along the way.
Blanding's Turtle
“This is particularly hard for turtles, because as a species they mature so slowly,” according to Bob Hay, an amphibian and reptile biologist with the Department of Natural Resources. “Female turtles mature slower than males, and females are killed at much high rates because of their need to travel about on land searching for a suitable nesting place.”
Road mortality is particularly significant for two rare and threatened species: the Blanding’s turtle and the wood turtle, Hay said, adding that even the more common species, like painted turtles or snappers, can experience locally heavy mortality on roads and highways and their populations suffer as a result.
Wood Turtle
Hay noted that the Blanding’s turtle takes 17 to 20 or more years to reach breeding age and it may take several decades for a road killed female to be replaced in a population because hatchling and juvenile survival tends to be very low.
“Turtles are an important and fascinating part of a diverse food web necessary for other wildlife and plant life, and highway mortality continues to be one of the major threats to our native turtle populations, Hay said.
Motorists are most likely to see turtles crossing roads near lakes, streams and wetlands this time of year because the roads separate the aquatic habitat, where turtles spend most of their lives, from well-drained upland habitats where female turtles deposit their eggs.
A turtle is no match for an automobile tire. “If you see a turtle on the road -- and only if it’s safe to do so -- carefully pull over and help the turtle to the side of the road it is facing,” Hay said.
When helping an aggressive turtle, such as a snapping turtle, off the road, the safest way to avoid being bitten is to gently drag it across the road by its tail, leaving the front feet on the pavement. It may help to use a stick that the turtle can bite to grab the tail more safely. Hay strongly cautions people to never put themselves or other drivers at risk when stopping to help a turtle. Turtles will generally stop when they notice a vehicle. Driving slower in areas where turtles have been observed and driving around them is another way to help, again, only when it’s safe and traffic conditions permit.
Turtles are up against tough odds even without highway mortality. Five of Wisconsin’s 11 turtle species are experiencing significant population declines. Hay says that as few as five percent of eggs laid survive to hatch and of those, only very few may survive to reproductive age. Natural predators of turtles and turtle eggs are many and include raccoons, skunks, fox, opossums, herons, egrets, seagulls, cranes, crows and others.
People should be aware that the turtle season is closed each year from December 1 until July 15, so taking turtles or their eggs for pets or for food is illegal. Anyone who observes this being done should contact the DNR hotline at 1-800-TIPWDNR (1-800-847-9367).
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Hay- (608) 267-0849
