t's that time of the year again.
You are driving along and you notice a deer near the roadway.
Greencastle Police acknowledge there has been a recent rise in car vs. deer accidents and they are warning drives that the chance of car-deer accidents rise this time of the year as deer mating season is underway. 

"Fall time is a prime time for car-deer accidents. This is primetime in Indiana for deer to be moving and erratic," Greencastle Police assistant chief Ed Wilson told The Putnam County Post. 

Wilson said several factors are at play currently to increase accidents. 

"First, farmers are removing crops from fields. Second, the colder weather drives deer into mating time causing them to be more mobile and erratic. Third, deer hunting season is open and folks are in the woods causing deer to move," Wilson said. 

Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, but can appear any time. While they typically travel in a pack, deer can always be unpredictable and dart into the roadway. 
According to an Indiana University study, there were nearly 15,000 accidents in 2020 which involved deer. The study found that counties with the highest percentage of deer involved accidents were in rural counties.

"Update your headlights to LED's to allow for broader visibility. Leave earlier and allow yourself more travel time so you can slow down. Deer are more likely right now to dart out in front of you unexpectedly, especially at night," Wilson said.