A driver can collide with a deer can any time of year on Martha’s Vineyard, but Islanders, and drivers throughout the United States, need to be extra-vigilant this time of year.
According to statistics from State Farm Mutual Insurance, deer collisions more than double between October and December nationwide. This spike is primarily because deer are in the throes of mating season, also known as the rut, and hormone-crazed young bucks with only one thing on their mind will chase does over hill and dale, into places they don’t normally tread, including busy roads.
Deer collisions can be costly, and not just to the deer. According to State Farm, the national average cost per claim for 2015–16 was $3,995, down just slightly from $4,135 in 2014–15.
Massachusetts ranks 45th in the nation when it comes to the likelihood of a deer collision, and collisions are predicted to drop by 30 percent in the state this year.
But statistics show a markedly different trend on Martha’s Vineyard. According to the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office, there have been 164 deer-car “incidents” on the Island in 2016 as of Nov. 18, already surpassing last year’s total of 145 by 12 percent.
Martha’s Vineyard has some of the highest deer density figures in the state, in some up-Island areas over 50 deer per square mile, according to a 2013 study. Cars and hunters are their only predators.
The odds of hitting a deer on the Vineyard are at their peak now, and will remain so over the next month. Over the past three years, the most collisions on the Vineyard have been recorded in November and December, according to the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office.
This year, West Tisbury and Edgartown have the highest number of deer smash-ups, 50 and 42 respectively. Surprisingly, deer-dense Chilmark, which had 40 incidents last year, reported only 27 incidents as of mid-November.
But that could change soon.
“Now with shotgun season about to open, the deer will be moving more,” West Tisbury Police Chief Dan Rossi told The Times. “They know they’re being hunted, and drivers have to be even more careful.”
“They can be at your bumper before you know it; it’s not something you can always avoid,” Edgartown Police Chief David Rossi told The Times. “You can hit one anywhere on the Island. I see a lot along West Tisbury–Vineyard Haven Road, but they’re everywhere. There really are too many deer here.”
Deer prudence
Drivers can reduce their odds of a deer collision, according to Mary Maguire, director of public and government affairs for AAA of Southern New England.
“Take it slow, especially at dawn and at twilight,” she said. “That’s when deer are most active and when visibility is the most difficult for drivers. Don’t follow cars too closely. If they hit a deer, you’ll have no stopping distance. At night, use your high beams as much as possible in rural areas. If you see one deer, there’s a good chance there’s another, especially this time of year. It can be better to hit the deer than swerve off the road.”
“If someone is hurt, call 911,” Major Susan Schofield of the Duke’s County Sheriff’s office said. “If nobody is hurt, it’s better to call the Comm. Center [508-693-1212].”
Chief Dan Rossi said drivers should stay away from the animal. “You don’t know if it’s alive or not,” he said. “It’s never a good idea to mess with an injured animal.”
As unfortunate as a deer-auto collision can be for the driver, car, and deer, the West Tisbury police department has a longstanding policy that creates road-to-table venison.
The department keeps a deer list, and Islanders who don’t want to sit in a tree stand in freezing temperatures, shoot an animal, and drag it out of the woods, can get a freezer full of venison. They should make a phone call to the department’s main number, 693-0020, and get on the deer list.
“The driver is offered it first,” chief Rossi said. “If they don’t want it, we go to the list.”
There are two deer butchers on the Island, well known to hunters, who can also accommodate someone from “the list.”
Edgartown resident John Casey will carve the deer into steaks and burger meat for $150, provided the damage to the deer is not too severe. “The meat you get is roughly one-third the weight of the total deer,” he said. “A car can do a lot of damage, so you have to weigh that in.” Mr. Casey said he strongly prefers the deer to be field-dressed, but will do it for an additional charge. He can be reached during the day on his cell phone, 774-563-8754.
David Vaughn, a butcher at Shiretown Market in Edgartown, said he will butcher and vacuum-seal a deer for $175. He requires the carcass to be gutted and skinned.
And for the adventurous novice who wants to butcher his or her own, there’s always YouTube.
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