LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As the seasons change and the weather starts to cool down, it's time to keep an extra eye out for more wildlife crossing the road.
Arkansas Game and Fish said to be extra cautious if they leap into traffic.
"The deer were here before we were, and we've built homes, office buildings, shopping centers, and what used to be their habitat," said Trey Reid with Arkansas Game and Fish.
That's why you might see them more around central Arkansas, even in the city.
"There's a lot of green spaces," Reid said. "We have the Arkansas River, and those green spaces and those river corridors, like the Arkansas River Fourche Creek, those are travel corridors for wildlife, and they're going to be in those places."
Because there are many of them nearby, Reid said drivers should pay extra attention to the road when they are behind the wheel.
"They are on the move this time of year because it is the breeding season... also because of the time change coming up," Reid said. "That means you're going to be driving at those dawn and dusk hours, which is when deer are more active."
If you see one in the road, he said slow down and don't swerve.
"Sometimes honking your horn can maybe spook them a little bit and get them out of the road," Reid said. "The key is, don't swerve. Don't slam on the brakes. Just be careful because the accidents caused by driving off the road are typically worse than a collision with the deer."
If you hit a deer, Reid suggested calling your local authorities or even the Arkansas Department of Transportation if it happens on a state highway or interstate.
Reid said hunting is the number one solution for managing the deer population.
"Hunters in Arkansas check about 200,000 deer annually," Reid said. "That's a lot of deer being removed from the population, ending up mostly on dinner plates and in a great bowl of chili. "It's definitely a huge help."
If you do end up hitting a deer and its still salvageable for food, Reid said you are allowed to keep that deer.
He asks you to call the Arkansas Game and Fish to report that you're keeping it so they can give you an identification number.