Deer Crashes in Iowa Where the Country Club Meets the Cornfields by Robert Thompson, Program Evaluator Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau Presented at the 2004 International Traffic Records Forum

Iowa’s Exploding Deer Population

Defining the Problem: Nearly 13,000 deer-vehicle collisions occur in Iowa each year These crashes are, by far, the largest single contributor to property damage only crashes

Under Reporting Substantial under reporting with the DOT receiving about 7,500 deer crash reports each year Problem is growing with reported crashes up 25% plus in the past decade

The Numbers We had 10 deer crash fatalities in Iowa last year; the worst year in our State’s history Iowans experience over 600 deer crash injuries each year

Another key factor - Limited woodland habitat – under pressure from:  Transition from town to rural/suburban living  Movement of Iowa’s population from farms and small town to “the golden circles”

The Golden Circles Cedar Rapids Iowa City Ames Des Moines The vast majority of Iowa’s job growth is in these two areas These areas are growing as population continues to decline in the rest of the state

The next big problem -- Limited woodland habitat  Only about 7% of Iowa’s land is timbered or forested  Iowa’s hardwood forest acres ( oak and hickory ) continue to decline substantially  92% of our 2.5 million acres of timber are owned by private landowners

History of the Forest Resource

Why People Own Woodlands 1.Enjoy Beauty 2.Protect Nature 3.Wildlife Habitat 4.Part of Farm 5.Legacy 6.Other 7.Tax Exempt 8.Hunting 9.Investment/Harvest (FR Study) 1.Beauty/Aesthetics 2.Preservation 3.Wildlife Habitat 4.Hunting/Fishing 5.Part of Farm 6.Commercial/Income 7.Privacy 8.Other Baughman Study

“Not to many years ago, people valued woodland like cropland, that is, on basis of its income potential from the trees. Woods were going for $200 to $400 an acre back then. Northeast Iowa, with its wooded hills and streams, is now a hot spot for recreational property. We’re seeing some parcels sell for $2,000 an acre on up.” – Duane Sheffert, Key Stone Realty

Given that woodland habitat is limited, and not likely to grow substantially, what are the other deer crash reduction options?

Managing the herd - Several key efforts are underway to reduce Iowa’s rapidly growing deer population including: Expanded hunting season including special bow seasons

Herd Management (cont’d) Special “antlerless” deer or doe only season The “HUSH” program or Help Us Stop Hunger This program involves deer hunters, local meat processors and the Food Bank of Central Iowa

Results The expanded hunting season resulted in the harvest of approximately 142,000 deer The antlerless deer season resulted in the harvest of 40,000 additional deer making a total record harvest of about 182,000 The HUSH program resulted in venison for over 1,600 Iowa families in need

Other Key Efforts – Raising Public Awareness Deer Task Force Formed Multi-disciplinary including DPS, DOT, licensing, ABATE of Iowa, DNR, Insurance, AAA and others Results include Poster, Brochure and Press Release

And – As of July 10, 2004, ZERO deer vehicle fatalities so far in 2004 (at least for the 2-legged animals) Thank-you