Deer in Strathcona Island Park Thursday afternoon ( Tiffany Goodwein/ CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Oh deer !

More deer visible as rutting season takes hold

Oct 2, 2020 | 1:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – As summer turns to fall, you may have noticed more deer roaming about, in yards, popular city parks and on the road. The deer aren’t just enjoying the changing of the leaves, according to researchers but are working to fulfill their special obligations.

“This time of the year its probably because they are a little more active, so we are getting into their breeding season so there’s an up-ramp in their activity for that. Males are going to be interacting with each other they are going to try to find females, females are going to be moving around more so that could be one of the main reasons,” said Marty Drut, park interpreter with the Police Point Park Nature Centre

Another contributor according to Drut could be tied to the amount of daylight compared to summer.

“It’s getting light out later, it’s getting darker earlier and so we are kind of at a period where we are going to be out when they are moving around, plus it’s cooler and they are going to be active all day, versus the summer,” Drut said.

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As for if there are more deer in the city than previous years, Drut noted that it is difficult to confirm whether or not there are more deer without an official headcount, but deer are noticeably more out and about as they look to breed come the fall.

As deer graze the lands looking to find the perfect mate, Drut said it is very important for people to be extra cautious if they spot them.

“We kind of need to careful when we are driving around because of the daylight change, and when deer are in the breeding season they don’t behave with caution as much as they might normally do outside the breeding season so we need to be aware of that,” Drut said.

While deer may seem harmless, Drut also cautions residents from getting too close to any deer that may be grazing about in yards, parks, and other places where deer may reside.

“While it’s really nice to want to go pet the fawn it is not advisable because the mother might protect it or a male might get scared and use its antlers to protect itself, and all those things can be quite dangerous,” he said .