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Hiking / TourDriving Tips #1 --- 'Deer'-ly Beloved ....
One of the great pleasures of hiking in a park or wilderness area (historical or otherwise) is to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. The trees, flowers, grassplots and animals you encounter are what separates your hike from a trudge on a treadmill, or a routine stroll down your block. Rather then passive exhibits, the flora and fauna of your hike site are active participants in your outdoor adventure.
But as with all things, the natural world must be treated with both respect and common sense. Dealing with nature wisely can add on to the pleasures of the hike. Foolhardiness, on the other hand can make you wish you had stayed at home.
Today we'll talk about deer. Deer encounters spike in the fall months, but any time of year is good for reviewing basic deer dos and "doe" n'ts....
Deer pose very little risk to a hiker. As far as deer are concerned, humans look ugly, sound scary, and smell bad. Typically a deer will see, hear, or smell a human long before the human knows its there. Deer will be only too happy to get out of your way and let you enjoy your hike. In any event seeing a troop of deer in the mid-to far distance is likely to bring a grin to the face of most hikers.
The situation changes dramatically when a car is involved. Deer on-car- accidents can spoil all the fun of a vacation day, especially if such an accident immediately becomes a deer-on-car-on-tree-on-second-car accident. It can lead to serious injuries or fatalities for the driver(s), and expensive damages to the vehicle(s). It usually ends badly for the deer as well.
As a general rule, hunting is prohibited in most state parks, and almost all national parks, where a good deal of hiking and touring take place. Deer seem to know this. They may not be all that smart, but they do notice places where there's NEVER any hunting and often congregate on parkland, particularly land that has plenty of woods. This calls on drivers to be extra-alert. Obey speed limits, and always scan for the beasts.
A few law enforcement sites have some more safety tips.
St. Mary's County, MD has some tips ...
http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/dpwtemplate.asp?content=deersafetycontent.asp
as does Daniel Boone National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/safety/critters/deer.shtml
But as with all things, the natural world must be treated with both respect and common sense. Dealing with nature wisely can add on to the pleasures of the hike. Foolhardiness, on the other hand can make you wish you had stayed at home.
Today we'll talk about deer. Deer encounters spike in the fall months, but any time of year is good for reviewing basic deer dos and "doe" n'ts....
Deer pose very little risk to a hiker. As far as deer are concerned, humans look ugly, sound scary, and smell bad. Typically a deer will see, hear, or smell a human long before the human knows its there. Deer will be only too happy to get out of your way and let you enjoy your hike. In any event seeing a troop of deer in the mid-to far distance is likely to bring a grin to the face of most hikers.
The situation changes dramatically when a car is involved. Deer on-car- accidents can spoil all the fun of a vacation day, especially if such an accident immediately becomes a deer-on-car-on-tree-on-second-car accident. It can lead to serious injuries or fatalities for the driver(s), and expensive damages to the vehicle(s). It usually ends badly for the deer as well.
As a general rule, hunting is prohibited in most state parks, and almost all national parks, where a good deal of hiking and touring take place. Deer seem to know this. They may not be all that smart, but they do notice places where there's NEVER any hunting and often congregate on parkland, particularly land that has plenty of woods. This calls on drivers to be extra-alert. Obey speed limits, and always scan for the beasts.
A few law enforcement sites have some more safety tips.
St. Mary's County, MD has some tips ...
http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/dpwtemplate.asp?content=deersafetycontent.asp
as does Daniel Boone National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/safety/critters/deer.shtml
posted by Brian Henley at
2:35 PM
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