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Car-Deer Report

Here are some safety tips on avoiding car-deer crashes, or to minimize damage when the accident is unavoidable:

  • Use special caution in those areas marked with deer crossing signs.
  • If you see one deer, expect there will be others. Slow down and be alert.
  • Do not swerve your vehicle to avoid striking a deer. It is better to strike a deer than another vehicle or a fixed object.
  • Continually scan the fields and areas adjacent to the roadway for deer. Often, you can see them approaching the roadway and can slow down.
  • During hours of darkness, use your bright lights when no traffic is approaching. The high beams will illuminate the eyes of the deer approaching the road or already in the road.
  •  Always drive at a safe and prudent speed, and always wear your seat belt.

To report a dead deer, please call the following: 

State Highways - (607) 756-7072
County Roads - (607) 274-0300
Town Roads - Please call the Town Highway Department involved.

Note: The Highway Department will pick up dead deer, in the County right-of-way (typically 25' from the centerline of road), on County Roads only (see roads listed on "County Roads" link). They do not pick up other dead wildlife or domestic animals.

The Tompkins County Highway Division has identified these roads as the places where the most car-deer accidents happen (when deer are recoverable):

 

 

2018 Dead Deer Youth Vs Adults Graph