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Are you seeing even more deer out and about this time of year? Here's why

You could see more deer over the next few weeks due to breeding and regular firearm season.

MICHIGAN, USA — While deer are a common sight this time of year, you may notice even more over the next few weeks in Michigan.

Rachel Lincoln with the Department of Natural Resources said you may see changes in deer behavior in the coming weeks due to breeding.

She explained, "They're going to be moving much more frequently, much more quickly, as they try to find mates for successful reproduction and a lot of times it can be very distracting for deer."

Unfortunately, she said morning and evening commute times also line up with when deer are most active.

The start of regular firearm season for deer hunting on November 15 can also spark more deer movement.

"They go to shoot a deer, there's a loud noise, it's going to cause deer to run," said Lincoln.

The Kent County Sheriff's Office said so far this year, there have been 928 deer-car crashes in the county.

To try and avoid a crash, Lincoln advised driving cautiously all the time.

"Especially in the areas where there's agriculture or open fields or brush on sides of the road, those are excellent places for deer to be camouflaged in, and so you don't necessarily see them until you're up close, so, just reducing your speed a little bit."

Also, watch for reflective deer eyes. And if you see one deer, there are likely more nearby.

Lincoln added, "don't veer for deer, if there is a deer in the road, you don't want to move your vehicle off the road, it would be unfortunate to hit a deer, but it's better than swerving your car off of the road and hitting a tree or something else, so keep your wheels on the road."

For more information from the DNR, including why deer may appear to stare you down if they stop in front of your car, click here.

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