A deer education

By SARAH KOENIG

RIVER VALLEY — Any motorist unfortunate enough to be driving down a long, winding country road at night has probably experienced it: the sharp, panicky feeling of having an animal, which could potentially do serious damage to your vehicle, running out into the middle of the road. You look up ahead and bam! It’s a deer!

According to Jerry Feaser, Press Secretary for the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), “We estimate annually from 45,000 to 60,000 cars are involved with collisions with deer.” He added, however, “There’s no way the game commission can keep track of exact numbers.”

In part, this is because in Pennsylvania there are no local, state or federal agencies requiring drivers to report all run-ins with deer.

“The commission’s only requirement is for motorists who want to take the carcass,” said Feaser. “This is something we encourage, so we issue free permits if the motorist calls and reports the incident.”

In a system he described as “piece-meal,” Feaser said that the number of different agencies involved in the clean up of deer-vehicle collisions makes it difficult to see the big picture. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), for example, only cleans up and keeps records of deer killed on the Interstate and major highways, and each county division of PennDOT is responsible for its own roadways. Local townships and municipalities have other ways of handling it.

There are several times during the year that the number of deer-vehicle collisions increase, including the fall deer mating season, known as “the rut,” which takes place from the beginning of fall and only begins to slow down in mid-December.

Deer hunting season also influences the number of incidents, as well as deer being pushed out of agricultural areas.

According to Dave Krisanda from the PennDOT District office, while driving cautiously can cut down on a person’s chances of hitting a deer, there are times when an impact is unavoidable.

“You don’t want to make something worse than it had to be,” he said, stressing, “The most important thing is that you don’t lose control of the car. And unfortunately, if that means hitting the deer, that’s what has to happen.”

Lieutenant Eric Hartmann, from the Shohola Fire Department, agreed. “I see more cases of damage caused by people swerving to avoid hitting a deer than actually hitting a deer,” he said, pointing to an incident Tuesday, December 4 where a pickup truck ran off the road after swerving to avoid hitting an animal.

An annual advisory letter to the public, dated this year on October 10, PGC executive director Vern Ross cautioned motorists to slow down after sunset and before sunrise.

“The personal tragedies and property losses that are caused by deer-vehicle collisions touch the lives of Pennsylvanian’s statewide,” Ross said. “Obviously, many of these accidents are unavoidable because deer do step into the path of fast-moving vehicles. But driving defensively, or at the very least alertly, can give a motorist an edge in many instances.”

CWC grants available

MARGARETVILLE — Applications for grants from the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) are now being accepted.

Deadline for submission of proposals, which may come from schools and non-profit organizations in the New York City Watershed west of the Hudson River and from New York City, is February 15, 2002. Projects must be directed toward preschool through grade 12 students.

This is the fifth round of grants by the CWC and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). To date, the program has funded 78 original projects and programs, and has distributed more than $500,000 in grants and assistance for special educational projects. Up to $150,000 will be awarded.

For more information on the grant program, call 845/586-1400, ext. 29 or visit www.cwconline.org/programs/pub_edu/pe.htm.

For more information on the CWC and its other programs, visit www.cwconline.org or call 1-877/WAT-SHED.

Audubon eagle watch

HAWLEY — The North East Pennsylvania Audubon Society at Dutche’s Market will car-pool for a bald eagle watch down the Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers on January 12 at 8:30 a.m.

Joe and Voni Strasser will be the guides on the trip, which is a good opportunity to observe bald eagles in their natural habitat.

For more information or to register, call 570/226-8847.