Mitigating Deer-Vehicle Collisions through the Evaluation and Improvement of Local Deer Density Reduction Countermeasures and Training to States
Focus Area
Wildlife & Ecosystems
Subcommittee
Natural Resources
Status
Archived
Cost
$250k-$499k
Timeframe
Unknown
Research Idea Scope
Experimental and control areas will be selected based on the ability to select for critical dependent variables, as well as the ability to implement essential treatments and sustain them for several years. Baseline data will be secured before experimentation over a statistically meaningful period of up to several years. Treatments may consist of regulated hunting, sharp shooting, or other acceptable and measurable density management techniques. Follow-up treatments and data collection will be conducted over a 3-year experimental period. Final results
will be published.
In addition to the proposed research stated here, a best practices manual on motor vehicle and wildlife collisions is close to completion and will serve as the place to go to answer questions not only on best practices for reducing these collisions, but how to fund solutions. In order to insure successful implementation of the manual, a training course should be developed. This course should be prepared in modules so that it can be given in whole or part depending on a state’s needs.
Urgency and Payoff
Deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) on
Deer–vehicle crashes have secondary, negative influences on the driving public’s
attitudes towards wildlife, roadways, and the agencies that manage them. Direct costs to transportation and resource agencies are rising, notably in roadway management, law enforcement, carcass disposal, data management and communication with the driving public, trucking industry, and insurance industry. An established contributor to deer–vehicle crashes is local deer abundance. Replicated tests with documented outcomes of mitigation achieved through local deer herd reduction are essential and must begin now.
Suggested By
Transportation Research Board 2002 Environmental Research Needs Conference Notes Mary Gray, Federal Highway Administration, 360/753-9487 May 9, 2006
Submitted
05/15/2006