It appears when the hunters go into the woods, deer find their way onto the highways, and the result is usually not pretty. Georgia’s growing deer population propels the state to the top five nationally in collisions with deer.

In Jones County alone, 34 accidents were attributed to roaming deer in the month of October and 15 deer-related accidents occurred during the first two weeks of November.

Two of the 49 deer accidents involved more than one vehicle, and the 49 accidents represent 51 percent of the wrecks that took place in the six-week period.

Two cars collided with each other and each with at least two deer on Eatonton Highway October 21. The accident report states that the driver of the first car observed three or four deer approaching the roadway and one attempting to cross. The driver allowed the first deer to cross but another ran out in front of his vehicle, causing him to hit the second deer and hit his brakes.

The car following not only hit the first car in the rear but struck one of the deer as well. The conclusion of the reports states both drivers made contact with two separate deer as well as each other.

A similar accident took place November 7 on Highway 11 when two vehicles collided while trying to avoid several deer which ran into the path of her car.

State Farm’s annual claim statistics show the states with the highest number of accidents involving deer last year, which were Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Georgia, in that order.

The most recent State Farm claims data shows 9,406 deer-related vehicle collision claims in Georgia, up almost 11 percent from the last deer season. From July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, average property damage cost was $2,800, up $300 from the previous year.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are an estimated 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions annually in the United States, causing more than 150 fatalities and $1.1 billion in property damage.

Recommended precautions drivers can take to help prevent accidents with deer include:

• Be aware of posted deer-crossing signs. These signs are placed in known active deer-crossing areas.

• Be aware that deer are most active during the evening, between 6 and 9 p.m.

• At night, use high-beam headlights as much as possible to illuminate the sides of the road where deer can linger.

• Be aware that deer often move in packs - if you see one deer, there is a good chance several more are just a few yards behind.

• Don’t rely on car-mounted “deer whistles.” Studies have shown deer are not affected by this deterrence method.

• If a collision with a deer seems inevitable, it may be best not to swerve. The risk of personal injury is greatly increased by swerving, which can place you in the path of oncoming vehicles or may cause you to lose control of your vehicle.