(Radio Iowa) — The days are getting shorter — farmers are in the field — and deer are in the rut. The Iowa D-N-R’s Tyler Harms says that makes it more important for you to be on the lookout while driving the roadways. “It’s a combination of events that are happening right now with the harvest and also with general deer biology that are causing deer to move around a little more this time of year than they do other times. So, it’s really important for drivers to know that and to take measures to avoid hitting deer,” Harms says.

Deer are most active at that start and end of the day and Harms says be especially aware if you are driving then. “We recommend that first and foremost that folks don’t veer for deer as they say. That tends to cause more issues,” according to Harms. He says if you veer you are more likely to go into the ditch and suffer more severe injuries than if you hit the deer. Harms says know when you are in areas where deer may be moving — like wooded areas or along fields.

“Looking for eye shine in the road ditches and in the areas adjacent to the roads can be a really effective practice for spotting deer ahead. And just minimizing our distractions and slowing down our speed a little bit during those dawn and dusk periods,” Harms says. An annual report on car/deer accidents showed Iowa had fallen from fourth to fifth last year. Harms says efforts to control the deer population have helped.

“From 2006 to 2013 we really reduced the deer population in response to a number different factors, but mostly to try and get the population at a level that satisfies a number of different stakeholders,” He says “And those stakeholders include those who are on the roadway, but also hunters that are utilizing that resource for recreation.” Harm says the deer population has held steady for the last several years.