Drivers urged to be alert during deer rutting season

Drivers in the Sussex have been warned to be extra cautious about the risk of collisions with deer during the rutting season.

According to the British Deer Society (BDS), more deer can appear on the roads during the fallow deer rutting season, which runs from late September to early November, with October the peak month of activity.

The East Sussex Deer Warden said that the risk of "striking a deer rises exponentially" with less sunlight.

Ashdown Forest, meanwhile, said that "deer movement can happen at any time of day", not just during the morning and evening rush hours.

The BDS says that, while exact figures are unknown, it is estimated that over 40,000 deer are killed or injured on UK roads every year and the number may actually be nearer to 74,000.

BDS technical advisor Charles Smith-Jones says that, during rutting season, the deer are "tending to move at dawn and dusk", in line with commuting times as the days get shorter.

He said: "Autumn is a time where we need to be careful for a number of reasons. It's about trying to be deer aware."

The annual mating season sees stags compete aggressively for access to females.

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