Ask Fish and Game: Deer Patrols

Q. What is Fish and Game doing to help prevent the slaughter of deer on Highway 21? A. Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers have teamed up with Ada County deputies and the Idaho State Troopers in an educational effort designed to reduce deer-auto collisions. Over the next couple of weeks, officers will be patrolling east Warm Spring Avenue from Barber Drive to U.S. Highway 21, and on Highway 21 from Warm Springs to Hill Top, stopping drivers in an effort to make them aware of the problem and get them to slow down. On these stretches of road, vehicle collisions kill an average of 200 to 300 deer annually, and many people are also injured as well. The effort will stress safety for humans as well as wildlife and will involve patrols over the next several weeks.