Why and where deer appear in Utah, avoiding them, and what to do if you hit one

SALT LAKE CITY — Seeing deer by the side of the road, either alive or dead, is common in Utah during winter.

Hitting the deer is also somewhat common. A study cited by the Deseret News said there were 23,600 accidents involving cars and wildlife in Utah between 2011 and 2020.

And then there’s the repair costs. According to The Deseret News, car repairs resulting from hitting wildlife can reach $250 million a year. Avoiding them can help prevent stress and help you save some money. 

How Utah cuts down on wildlife collisions

The state is behind a few programs intended to cut down on those accidents and costs. One program builds animal crossing bridges.

“We can identify migration corridors,” said Faith Heaton Jolley with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “This is crucial because we can see where [wildlife are] going each winter and where they’re crossing roads.”

Heaton Jolley said the wildlife corridors work well, in part because wildlife tend to repeat patterns year after year.

 

But herding the animals requires more than the bridges like that seen above.  

“Through fencing, we can funnel them to a safer area to cross. We’ve also installed a lot of underpasses, so, culverts under the road. That’s probably the most common [tool] used to mitigate some of these collisions,” Heaton Jolley said.

The public can help wildlife officials know where wild animals are showing up and creating a danger to themselves and, possibly, to drivers. The Utah Roadkill Reporter is an app that quickly alerts the DWR and Utah transportation officials when animals are killed by roadways.

How to avoid hitting wildlife in Utah

“November is the peak time to hit deer,” Heaton Jolley told KSL NewsRadio, and there are a few reasons for that. It’s darker during our commute times. The deer are breeding and are more active. And they are migrating.

Deer crossing signs are placed in certain areas for a reason, Heaton Jolley said. Be alert when you see them and scan the sides of the road, especially at dawn and dusk. And be aware of Utah’s deer hot spots!

“One of them is Echo Junction, where I-80 and I-84 meet,” said Matt Howard, the natural resources manager for UDOT.

 

Howard said that other deer hot spots in Utah include State Route 248, just north of the Jordanelle Reservoir between Kamas and Park City, U.S. Route 89 through San Pete County, and undeveloped areas along I-15 in southern Utah.

Distracted driving and high beams

An important safeguard against hitting wildlife is not to drive while distracted. And even though this is contrary to other driver’s training, consider using your car’s high beams when you see deer crossing signs.

“Because that will often help you see better, see farther,” Heaton Jolley said. And use of your high beams can come in handy if you happen to catch a deer looking right at the light.

“[That] can be seen from a distance,” Heaton Jolley said. “Usually that’s the first thing you see is kind of the light reflecting in their eyes.”

Because deer travel in groups, if you see one it’s a good bet you’ll see more. Wildlife officials ask you to slow down, in case more deer are in the same area.

What to do if you hit a deer in Utah

There are approximately 335,000 deer in Utah. Even the most careful driver can be surprised by one on the roadway. If you hit a deer, the Utah DWR advises you to:

• pull off the road, and turn on your hazard lights,
• stay in your car, don’t approach the animal,
• call the police, or one of the DWR’s nearest offices, or
• use the Utah Road Kill Reporter app.

Other reading:

• Don’t dump live fish in community water bodies, say wildlife officials
• East Canyon Wildlife Management Area gains more acreage
• More than 100 animals poached in Utah since Aug. 1, wildlife officials say

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