Deer accidents are on the rise in Jones County with last month averaging more than one accident per day.

Sheriff’s Department clerk Debbie Douglas said her desk was filled with deer accident reports when she reported for work Monday morning. Jones County had 32 deer accidents from Oct. 1 – 28 and eight more from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.

Deputy Calvin Miller reported that two weeks ago one deer caused three separate accidents in one morning. Miller said Deputy Mike Rowland worked the first accident, which occurred at Highway 22 and Altman Road at about 6 a.m.

“While I was waiting for him to finish the report, I saw lights blinking up ahead. When I got there, the drivers of two vehicles said the deer struck their cars and ran into the woods,” Miller recalled.

The deputy said he found the deer about 10 yards into the woods. He said the deer had two broken front legs and had to be put down.

Sgt. Ronnie Holloway wrote a report about a deer on Highway 11 that jumped up from a ditch and hit the front end of a vehicle. The impact caused the hood of the truck to fly up and the vehicle in the rear of the truck struck it from behind.

Capt. Billy Mitchell stated that motorists need to keep their eyes open because the deer have become excessively active around Jones County.

“It’s that time of year. When the weather gets cool, the deer start moving,” Mitchell said. “We have definitely seen an increase in accidents.”

The captain said seeing one deer is probably an indication that more are around.

“Slow down,” he emphasized. “Speed is a major factor in a lot of accidents. You can stop to avoid a deer if you are traveling 45 mph, but the higher the speed, the harder it is to stop.”

Mitchell said early morning hours and dusk are times to be on guard, but as long as hunters are in the woods the deer will likely be on the move.

“Hunting season ends Dec. 31 so we are almost halfway there,” he added.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Georgia’s teeming deer population puts the state in the top five nationally in collisions with deer.

State Farm’s annual claim statistics lists the states with the highest number of accidents involving deer last year were Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Georgia, in that order. The insurance company estimates that 1.5 million vehicles collide with deer every year, resulting in 150 motorists’ deaths and $1.1 billion in vehicle damages.

The most recent claims data shows 9,406 deer-related vehicle collision claims in Georgia, up almost 11 percent from the last deer season. From July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, average property damage cost was $2,800, up $300 from the previous year.