Motorists should be on the lookout for deer as rutting season peaks, Pa. Game Commission says

Steve Boeser has been a busy man since June.

Boeser is contracted by the Municipality of Murrysville to collect and dispose of dead deer that have been struck by cars. His contract starts in June, and he’s usually well into January before he reaches 100 calls.

As of Oct. 22, he’s already at 86.

“There’s a lot of deer out there,” said Boeser, 57, of Washington Township. “Typically during the summer months, I usually get about two calls a month.”

The current rate is closer to 19 deer per month.

“I picked up 22 last month and 28 this month,” he said.

Boeser and Pennsylvania Game Commission officials alike are advising people to keep their eyes open, especially around dawn and dusk, as the state’s white-tailed deer enter breeding season, commonly known as “the rut.”

Around this time, yearling bucks disperse from the areas in which they were born and travel, sometimes several dozen miles, to find new ranges. At the same time, Game Commission officials said adult bucks more often are cruising their home ranges in search of does and sometimes chase the does they encounter.

Data from across the U.S. indicates that Pennsylvania drivers have a 1 in 61 chance of a crash involving a big-game animal, one of the highest rates in the nation, according to the Game Commission.

Boeser expects that chance will only go up in the coming days.

“The peak of the rut is probably in the next week or two,” he said. “November is usually a pretty heavy month. December depends more on the weather and how many deer have been harvested by hunters so far.”

Keeping it?

A driver who hits a deer is not required to report it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. However, if the deer dies, a Pennsylvania driver who hits it is permitted to claim and keep the carcass by calling 833-742-4868. A commissioner dispatcher will collect the information needed to provide a free permit number.

Residents must call within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer. Passing motorists also may claim the deer if the driver who struck it does not want it.

Game Commission officials, however, cautioned about the prohibition against transporting high-risk deer parts — basically the head and backbone — from places designated as disease management areas or established areas for chronic wasting disease. Those parts must be removed before the carcass is transported.

Maps of designated and established areas are available at PGC.pa.gov.

To report a dead deer for removal, call 800-349-7623.