BEACHWOOD, Ohio — It’s the time of year when wildlife experts say you should be seeing more deer across Ohio.

What You Need To Know

  • Despite the beauty of the animals, they can cause some serious damage to you and your property if your’re not careful

  • Jamey Emmert with the Ohio Division of Wildlife says it’s prime breeding season for deer

  • The Ohio State Highway Patrol says in 2019, there were more than 19,000 deer-related crashes with four deaths and over 900 injuries

  • It adds the majority happened in October, November and December

Jon Deacon is fixing some dents on part of a car.

“Now, I am sanding all the areas away. I will pull out our dent puller then. And I have to connect a magnet that sends an electrode through the metal, and I am actually able to connect to connect a weld to this and pull that dent straight out.”

As he puts the dent puller to work, the Matrix Trade Institute instructor knows a thing or two about fixing cars after 15 years, especially ones hit by a dear.

“I have seen very bad deer collisions. Anything from, you know, a $1,000 dollar hit to, actually, just last year in my Dodge Challenger, I had a $15,000 deer hit going about 50 miles an hour.”

Like he said, it’s a problem he’s got experience with.

“My whole front bumper was gone. My hood was back to here, and both of my fenders were crunched back. Everything from underneath the hood from about here forward was crushed and had to be replaced.”

A lot of us have seen it happen: You’re driving down the street and a deer comes out of the woods, almost out of nowhere. And wildlife experts say this is the time of year when that really becomes a problem.

“Males are searching very aggressively for females to breed with them. So, they will travel great distances in order to find a receptive female," said Jamey Emmert with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “And so, this is a very active time of year for deer. And therefore, they’ll be crossing roadways and spending a lot more time in areas where they may typically not be. Like developed areas, because they’re just chasing those female deer.”

Back at Matrix, Deacon is putting his tools and equipment away while giving advice on avoiding a crash yourself.

“Constantly check that your bulbs and your headlamps are OK and good. Also, check that your brights aren’t burnt out. You obviously won’t know that until you go to flip them on. Good tires are always good. You need traction in case you ever need to slam on your brakes in case you do see a deer. And just always be vigilant.”