Hitting a deer in the road is not that uncommon

ELLIS COUNTY – Recently a friend of mine living in Ellis County hit a 10-point buck running across the highway chasing a doe.

He called me and asked me if I knew the rules about large deer with an amazing set of antlers and he thought it a shame the meat would go to waste.

I started thinking about the fact “what does a person do when they hit a deer” other than wait for help and oftentimes find the vehicle they are driving is totaled.

Another pointer was the fact I didn’t even know they had buck in Ellis County that was that big.

I called Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman, who graciously put me in touch with Ellis County Game Warden Jeff Powell, who gave me the lowdown.

My friend had wanted to save the meat and/or the antlers, but I was told that is a big no-no. 

“Unfortunately, it is illegal to keep any deer or any parts of the deer – including the antlers – that have been hit on a roadway,” Powell explained.

“One of the reasons of course we don’t donate or let people keep the deer they hit, is internal damage, with blood and internal organs being traumatized inside the body and spoiling the meat.”

Powell said that there is often deep bruising because in the case of a deer versus a car, this can make the meat not edible.

“And of course, if we made it legal to take meat, people would begin to hunt deer with their vehicles,” Powell added. “The best thing is, of course, we want to make sure the deer is out of the road after being hit and not causing a traffic hazard. It’s not a law that you must report hitting a deer, but it’s encouraged to call the local Sheriff’s Department or the County Game Warden in case the deer is still causing a traffic hazard or if the deer is still alive.”

Powell said in some cases they “dispatch the deer if it is still alive so it does not suffer.” After that, Mother Nature will take its course with coyotes and buzzards.

Powell said in Ellis County, deer are most often hit on Highway 34 near the Kaufman Line, Highway 66 near Maypearl, and on Highway 77 between Forreston and Italy near the Chambers Creek Bridge – or a variety of roads near Milford, Italy, Maypearl, Bristol, and the Telico areas.

“I’ve seen a large increase of deer versus car accidents especially in the last 10 years, with an increase of the deer populations,” Powell added. “This time of year, the deer are rutting (mating season), so they are constantly on the move for which traffic collisions are more susceptible, and they come on the right of ways near highways to feed during fall and winter.”

Powell said to always be on the lookout for deer and hog crossings when driving, and he also recommends do not swerve to miss wildlife on roadways.

“It’s more dangerous to swerve into oncoming traffic or lose control and hit a tree then trying to avoid hitting wildlife,” Powell concluded. 

In the case of my friend, he did not take the meat or the antlers, but he told me a few days later – same stretch of road – he saw a deer that had been hit in the same place he totaled his vehicle. In that case, someone had illegally cut of the buck’s head – perhaps to brag about a set of antlers that they definitely did not come by legally.