KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Crashes involving deer become more common around this time of the year—thanks to mating season.
The Tennessee Wild Resources Agency reminds the public to not "veer for deer." If you cannot avoid the deer, it's safer to hit it.
The TWRA said it averages about 6000 to 7000 deer-related crashes every year during November.
During buck season for drivers, it can be dangerous. However, for hunters like JR Adkins, this season is exciting.
Adkins said when he visits Knoxville, he's far away from what he's used to.
"It's totally different. I mean, it's the urban sprawl. It's the urban area that I don't relate to it very well," Adkins said. "When you grow up in an outdoors type family, you're hunting and you're fishing and you're doing that at a very early age. My son's the same way."
Tennessee doesn't have many people killed in car crashes involving deer, according to TWRA, there are a number of injuries but occasionally there is a death involved.
TWRA said the peak for deer moving out and about is during sunrise and sunset. They end up in strange places this time of the year.
"They are on the roadway at the same time that deer are moving and we just want [drivers] to be aware that they could cross over in front of them and to try to avoid hitting them if they can," TWRA spokesperson Matt Cameron said. "They end up in strange places such as crossing roadways or in people's front and back yards. And even in shopping centers, they just completely lose their minds this time of year. So just be aware, you're probably going to see some more deer and some unusual places."
In Tennessee, it's legal to take home and eat an animal hit by traffic. In order to do that people have to notify TWRA.
If someone hits a deer and everyone's okay, and the deer is still alive—contact TWRA or law enforcement.
"Hopefully a wildlife officer will be available to come out and humanely euthanize the animal," Cameron said. "From my experience, if a deer is hit, and it's still alive - if it's able to get up under its own power and leave the area, it'll probably survive."
For hunters, this time of the year presents an opportunity to hunt larger and more mature deer than the rest of the year.
Deer season feeds the Adkins family and every member goes out hunting.
"I do all my own processing for the most part," Adkins said. "So, I know exactly where that deer has been. I know how it's been handled. I know how long it's been aged, if we hang it during the winter, if we put it in a cooler, I know the whole steps, every process that goes through to bring it from the field to the table I've been a part of."