As Spring is coming into full-swing, wildlife and people start to encounter each other more often, especially during the evening and early morning hours with low-light conditions. While driving on the roads this past week, I have begun to notice more road-kills such as skunks; groundhogs; squirrels and opossums, which is usually normal this time of year since wildlife are on the move more and more traffic is returning to your mountain communities. May and November are the months that see the most collisions between vehicles and wildlife. Larger animals such as elk; wild boar; deer and bear would have definitely caused much more vehicle damage than the smaller game mentioned. The average cost to drivers who incur damage related to wildlife crashes is $2,500. Wildlife-vehicle collisions also result in thousands of injuries and several deaths every year

While we can’t anticipate the actions of wildlife crossing the roads, we can take actions to better prepare ourselves for encounters by learning about wildlife behavior and driving more defensively. Below are a few rules to decrease wildlife colliding with your vehicle provided by Terry Messmer, Utah State University Extension Wildlife Specialist.

Here are your best tools:

• Be especially alert at dawn and dusk. Motorcyclists should be extra cautious during these times.
• Heed the wildlife crossing signs by slowing down. These signs are placed in the areas known to have the highest number of wildlife-vehicle collisions.
• Be especially alert on roadways near wooded, agricultural and wetland areas and by lakes and streams.
• Scan both sides of the road. Ask your passengers to also help you look for wildlife. When able, use high beam headlights to illuminate the road.
• Do not drive distracted. Put away food, phones and any other distractions.
• Look for the shine of an animal’s eyes, which can be seen from a distance. Slow down if you have spotted an animal near the road.
• Animals often travel in groups, and there may be more following behind the first one, so keep watching. In addition, an animal that has crossed the road may try to cross again.
• Do not throw food scraps or trash out of your vehicle. These can attract animals to the roadways.
• Most importantly – drive the speed limit and buckle up.
• If you see an animal on the road, do not swerve. Stay in your lane and slow down.
• If several animals are standing in the road, do not try to drive through them or get out of the vehicle to chase them. Honk your horn and flash your lights to encourage them to move on.
• If you have a vehicle-wildlife collision, pull off the road and turn on your hazard lights. Do not try to approach an injured animal.
• Call 911 or contact your local police department. If the animal is injured and you are still able to locate it, the police department or sheriff’s office can contact a conservation officer to assess the animal’s condition.
• If a crash is inevitable, do not swerve into another lane or off the road that could risk your life and/or other people. Swerving could cause you to lose control of the vehicle or even overturn. Brake firmly and quickly and let up on the brake just before you hit the animal to prevent it from coming through the windshield.

In summary, “Give Wildlife a Brake,” as the national grassroots initiative “Give Wildlife a Brake,” states, which  promotes awareness, appreciation, compassion and action for wildlife crossing roads. A few more good sources on “Living with Wildlife,” include, but not limited too are “NC Wildlife Resource Commission; US Fish and Wildlife Services; and “Bearwise”

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Article provided by Jackson and Swain County Extension Director Robert J. Hawk. For more information, please contact Robert at 828-586-4009 or 488-3848 or robert_hawk@ncsu.edu.