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Jed Boal Reporting It's not a pretty sight and stirs a range of emotions among motorists, we're talking about dead deer on the side of the road. It may seem as though we're seeing more of them this summer.
Road kill is one of the realities of living in Utah; there is wildlife all around us and sometimes, right in front of us on the road. The Utah Department of Transportation does it's best to get the carcasses out of traffic as quickly as a kill is reported, but it isn't always removed from the side of the road right away. UDOT contracts with a private company to clean up the carcasses.
Usually the roadkill numbers peak in May and September, but UDOT maintenance workers say it's been unusual this year.
Nile Easton, Utah Department of Transportation: "This summer, though, it's been pretty consistent all summer long. We've seen deer down on I-80, on 11th east, we've seen them on Bangerter Highway, even. It's just been a strange year for that."
The Division of Wildlife Resources says their data does not show a dramatic increase in deer killed by cars, but the deer herd is increasing and so is the number of cars on the road.
Cars actually kill more deer than hunters along the most populous part of the Wasatch Front. In this region, the Division of Wildlife Resources tallies about one thousand deer killed by cars each year. Hunters take down fewer than that.
Tomorrow, UDOT will meet with Wildlife Resources to talk about some of these issues. They may discuss whether another approach to roadside clean-up is necessary.
